Hey, I've just built a 35 sqm deck. The decking is screwed onto a floating structure since the support beams rest on concrete slabs and are very close to the ground. Since timber and screws aren't really my thing, I asked a salesperson at XL which screws I should use, and I came home with a large box of C4 decking screws from Essve. 1000 screws later, everything is tightened and done. In hindsight, as one sometimes is, I did some research afterward and read almost everywhere that C4 is a no-go, especially on a wooden deck that tends to move a lot. I’m getting bad vibes from this since I remember that the decking on the balcony of a newly built apartment I owned a few years ago had lifted after just 1 year and the screws had snapped. If I got the wrong screws, is it okay to replace them (e.g., A4) and screw new ones into the existing holes, or won’t they hold as well? Should I wait and see how it behaves, or will I be shooting myself in the foot if it turns out that everything starts to give way and I'm standing there pulling up half screws since the other half is left in the framework?
Call essve and ask. They should know what to do. Conditions vary greatly across the country. Personally, I would never dream of using a C4 screw due to the poor corrosion protection. Here in Blekinge's coastal areas, only A4 will do, but that's certainly not the case everywhere. However, I can say that if you plan to replace it, you should do it immediately.
Smart alek
· östergötland
· 2 774 posts
What is the dimension of the screw?
I know several carpenters who use thicker dimensions for screws because it holds significantly better.
I know several carpenters who use thicker dimensions for screws because it holds significantly better.