Wood decking is screwed down. This is a 3 inch premium triple-dipped Zinc-plated screw with a course thread and a square drive bugle head. Its head will be countersunk into the wood. I use the "DeckMate" brand which is formulated especially for use in the new AC2 type of treated lumber. Using any hardware that isn't AC2-testing will be a future disaster; it will quickly corrode and fail.

All railing parts are screwed together. Additionally, all miters and posts are glued--the glue would be enough on its own, but the screws keep the parts together as the glue dries.

Using a galvanized product in cedar wood will leave a black streak in your wood--take a look at the rail posts where someone has used lag bolts to attach it and you will the result of this common mistake.

Many brands of composite decking have the hidden fastener option (except on stair treads and some rim pieces. Shown here is the fastener for the Trex™ 'Accents' line of decking. It is also possible to attach composite decking with screws through the top surface. Using a special composite decking screw will minimize the size of the resulting hole. Generally the cost of the grooved decking vs. the ungrooved is about the same, but there is a cost of $1 to $2 more just for these fasteners. We do not charge more for installation of hidden fasteners beyond the cost of the fasteners.