Screws and bolts are the least interesting part of a deck, a staircase or a fence, and the part that decides whether it is still sound in a few years. On this coast, that choice matters more than most people expect.
The short answer
Every deck I build uses stainless steel fixings, and so does every staircase and fence. Standard fixings corrode much faster in salt air, and a rusting fixing weakens the timber around it. Stainless steel costs a little more upfront and avoids a problem that would otherwise show up within a year or two.
What salt air does
Betty's Bay, Rooi Els, Kleinmond and Pringle Bay all sit in salt-laden sea air. A fixing that would be fine inland starts to rust much sooner out here. Once it does, it does two things: it leaves ugly staining on the timber, and it weakens the board or the post around it.
The second one is the one that matters. A corroding fixing weakens the timber around it long before you would notice from looking at it. By the time the damage is obvious, the repair is bigger than the fixing ever was.
Where it applies
- Decks. Every deck uses stainless steel fixings. I talk about the timbers themselves in choosing the right timber for decking.
- Staircases. Every staircase uses stainless steel bolts and screws throughout. A staircase takes a lot of loading and twisting, so it is the last place to have a weak joint. More in building staircases that last.
- Fences. Every fence uses stainless steel fixings too, for the same reason. How the fence is built for the wind is covered in building a fence that holds up to the wind.
What to look for on an old structure
If you already have a deck, staircase or fence, a few minutes of looking will tell you a lot.
- Rust marks around screw heads. Look closer if you see them, because the fixing is part of the problem and not only the board.
- Staining that runs from a fixing. That is rust leaving the screw and marking the timber.
- Any fixing that has started to rust. Deal with it before it weakens the board around it.
If your structure was put down with something other than stainless, that is worth knowing before you decide what to do with it. I wrote about what to check first in is your old deck worth saving, and about keeping a deck in shape in looking after a timber deck by the sea.
What it costs
Stainless steel costs a little more upfront. I think it is worth it, because the alternative is a problem that would otherwise show up within a year or two on this coast. Every quote starts with a free site visit, with no charge and no obligation.
If you are planning a deck, a staircase or a fence, call or message and I will come and look at the spot with you.
