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Thread ID: 146399 2018-07-23 10:45:00 Question for the carpenters Tony (4941) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1451921 2018-07-23 10:45:00 I'm re-laying a deck with 19mm Vitex hardwood. I'm using 60mm decking nails that are 3.15 mm dia. When pre-drilling the nail holes, what size drill should I use?

And yes I know about nail guns and using screws instead, but this is what I'm stuck with.

As always, all suggestions gratefully received.

TIA
Tony (4941)
1451922 2018-07-23 11:14:00 6.1.1 FIXING METHOD
Align profiles perpendicular to joists. Pre-drill all fixing holes, using a drill bit that is slightly
smaller than the screw or nail shank, to reduce the risk of splitting and ensure a snug fit.
Fixing placement for a 90mm wide board to be 12.5mm in from each edge of profile, and for a
135mm, or wider, board, 15mm in from each edge of profile.
Timspec Ltd recommends using stainless steel, countersunk twin thread decking screws for all
decking profiles. Fixings must be long enough to achieve a minimum 30mm framing
penetration.

timspec.co.nz
tweak'e (69)
1451923 2018-07-23 12:00:00 www.youtube.com bevy121 (117)
1451924 2018-07-23 12:12:00 I normally use 2 or 2.5mm, basically above 50% diameter, less than 75%.

I don't recommend nailing hardwood however, but it seems you're stuck in your ways.
Kame (312)
1451925 2018-07-23 19:08:00 I normally use 2 or 2.5mm, basically above 50% diameter, less than 75%.

I don't recommend nailing hardwood however, but it seems you're stuck in your ways.

It's not that I'm stuck in my ways. Half of the deck was re-done about 5 years ago and that was nailed, so I want the look to be consistent. I've just totally re-done another deck and there I used screws.
Thanks for the advice.
Tony (4941)
1451926 2018-07-23 19:44:00 Halfway down this page have a read of the PDF for Vitex. I normally use a drill bit just smaller than the nail, never measure them but if the nail says 3.2 on the box I just use a 3mm. Who has time on site for measuring that sort of stuff. Its carpentry not engineering.

Here (www.jsctimber.co.nz)
gary67 (56)
1451927 2018-07-23 21:46:00 Halfway down this page have a read of the PDF for Vitex. I normally use a drill bit just smaller than the nail, never measure them but if the nail says 3.2 on the box I just use a 3mm. Who has time on site for measuring that sort of stuff. Its carpentry not engineering.

Here (www.jsctimber.co.nz)

Absolutely right, but if I'm just setting things up and I have a container of sized drill bits available, I might as well use the most suitable size.
Tony (4941)
1451928 2018-07-24 06:02:00 Can robertson screws be used? I seen a chippie use those square drive screws for quickly zipping them in with a drill driver on plywood floor board in our hot water cupboard. They can also be quickly removed...and I seen nails lift...unless if threaded...like screws kahawai chaser (3545)
1451929 2018-07-24 06:19:00 Can robertson screws be used? I seen a chippie use those square drive screws for quickly zipping them in with a drill driver on plywood floor board in our hot water cupboard. They can also be quickly removed...and I seen nails lift...unless if threaded...like screws

On the other deck I used Titan double threaded decking screws that had a square (i.e. Robertson) drive. On this deck I am using decking nails that have annular grooves that help prevent lifting. The old deck I have replaced had ordinary galvanised nails and they were showing no sign of lifting (just the timber rotting. :))
Tony (4941)
1451930 2018-07-24 07:26:00 Can robertson screws be used? I seen a chippie use those square drive screws for quickly zipping them in with a drill driver on plywood floor board in our hot water cupboard. They can also be quickly removed...and I seen nails lift...unless if threaded...like screws
Square drives are used pretty much exclusively in NZ over everything else. However a lot of the double thread decking screws are now a star drive. Square drives can be used in a collated screw gun as can phillips (used exclusively for Gib) usually Phillips No1 which is totally different to pozi drives.

When I first came over the local builders kept telling me Pozi drives were crap, they rounded out etc, etc. Then I pointed out they were using Phillips bits got them to try my Pozi bits and they had to eat humble.

Using a nail gun is a poor idea the boards often split and you need a soft nose sometimes called a decking nose on the nail gun.
gary67 (56)
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