Fence picket nailing – Is there a better way
I’ll be fastening 2 x 2 fence pickets around a deck. The carpenter says pick up some 2 1/2″ deck screws, adding we will have to pre-drill to prevent splitting. I really dont want to do that so I start looking at screws. GRK has some T25 screws that they claim wont split the wood. Underneath the head are a series of small triangles that look like they would chisel out the wood before seating. Is this correct? They also have a T10 Fin/Trim head screwss that are skinny and definiiely wouldn’t strip. They have a white coating that may or may not bleed iron stripes. Finally I saw some that say interior cabinet that have an integral small washer attached under the head.. These seem like they would hold the wood securely but they may bleed iron streaks as they would protrude above the wood (but might look nice and ‘finished” Suggestions?
Replies
The splitting occurs because the wood you're using (likely cedar) is probably fairly brittle, and driving the body of the screw through it basically pries it apart, stressing it more than the wood can handle. A thinner screw would help this somewhat, but nothing you do with the head will be of much use.
k
what type of baluster, treated or not?
Climatek coated
The GRK screws all have a "Climatek" (sp?) coating so rusting should not be an issue.
It really is not that hard or time consuming to predrill them all - that would be my reccomendation too.
The fins under the head are to cut the countersink and they work real well but that's not the problem. If you're using damp Pt splitting wont be a problem, dry cedar will split from the screw itself . If they're cedar I'd pop them on with some stainless ring shank nails. They're real thin and hold like a screw.