Your Guide to COOWIN® Hidden Fasteners

The fasteners you use for your deck actually do more than you would imagine. They can influence the overall looks and feel and affect the durability and longevity of your deck, and that’s why we’ve chosen hidden fasteners for COOWIN® decking.

Hidden fasteners give your deck a clean, neat, and fastener-free surface while securing the decking boards firmly in place. There are many kinds of hidden fasteners. Some are bare screws hidden by color-matched plugs, and some have their wings fitting into the grooves of decking boards, fixed to the joist with screws located in the center. Keep in mind that hidden fasteners are only available for premium hardwoods. And most wooden decks are top fixed with screws showing on the surface.

The hidden fasteners that we use for COOWIN^® decking fall into two categories: plastic hidden fasteners and metal hidden fasteners. The plastic hidden fastener line contains models TS-F and TS-H. While the metal hidden fastener line contains TW-C, TW-H, TW-D, TW-C. Now let’s look at them one by one.

Benefits of Concealed Fasteners

Concealed fasteners offer more benefits than traditional fasteners. Traditional-style fasteners can damage the original surface of the deck and affect the aesthetics of the outdoor space.

More secure

Compared with traditional fasteners, hidden fasteners are more secure. Traditional screws and nails run the risk of loosening over time, which can lead to cracking, warping, and damage to the deck. But using hidden fasteners ensures that the deck remains stationary. Providing homeowners with a safer and more secure surface.

Durable

Hidden fasteners can make your deck more durable. Traditional screws or bolts exposed to the air will gradually corrode or degrade as you use them, which can lead to the failure of the fastener. Hidden fasteners, however, are well protected from the elements. This ensures that the deck will remain solid and secure for a long time to come.

Maintenance Free

The need for maintenance is a key factor for homeowners to consider. Traditional fasteners require you to perform regular inspections and maintenance to ensure the safety and reliability of your deck. In contrast, a concealed fastener requires very little maintenance and upkeep. Because it is not exposed to the environment, there are no safety issues that can arise with age.

Easy Installation

In comparison, concealed fasteners provide a more convenient installation process. The nails and screws of traditional fasteners need to be installed separately. Which is a very tedious and time-consuming process and requires the use of specialized tools. Concealed fasteners are quick and easy to install, allowing you to quickly and easily complete the fixing and installation of your deck. Concealed fasteners do not require pre-drilling and can be used in a variety of places, making them more adaptable.

The difference between TS-F and TS-H is that TS-F is used on decking boards 25 or more than 25 mm in thickness. Whereas TS-H is used on decking boards less than 25 mm in thickness. Decking boards that are compatible with TS-F are TW-02, TW-02B, TS-03, TS-04, TS-07, TS-08, CD-03, TW-K03, and TS-06. TS-H, on the other hand, only works with CD-01, CO-02, CO-05, and CO-03. It’s of a smaller size compared to TS-F, and has a pair of distinctive “swallowtails”.

Metal Fasteners

Metal fasteners are made of stainless steel, more durable, suitable for applications where highly anti-corrosive materials are required. They create gaps that are narrower than plastic fasteners.

What makes metal fasteners different is also the thicknesses of boards they’re meant to work with. Decking boards that are compatible with TW-C are 25 or more than 25 mm in thickness. And decking boards that are less than 25 mm in thickness generally work with TW-H. Note that TW-D is exclusively designed for CO-02 and TW-K is for CO-04.

How to Install Hidden Fasteners?

Hidden fasteners can only work with groove-edged boards. We’ve made the installation as easy as possible so it won’t take much effort to get it done. Check out our installation guide to find more information.

Summary

In summary, concealed fasteners offer more advantages. Providing you with a clean and complete look and adding more security to your deck. With greater durability and the convenience of being maintenance-free, it is an option that can bring more convenience to homeowners. The other two different types of hidden fasteners have different features and benefits. So you need to learn more about them and choose the more appropriate type for your needs.