The Best Hidden Fastener for Grooved Decking with Installation Video

Deck-build­ing and con­struc­tion pro­fes­sion­als, as well as DIY-mind­ed experts, often won­der what the best fas­ten­er for grooved deck­ing is as well as the fastest way to install grooved decking.

The Best Hidden Fastener: TigerClaw TC‑G

Alter­na­tive deck­ing options have made sig­nif­i­cant advance­ments. One of the more pop­u­lar options is grooved deck­ing, which has a pre-grooved slot along the side that accepts hid­den fas­ten­ers. To enhance the instal­la­tion and qual­i­ty of grooved deck­ing, Fas­ten­Mas­ter has engi­neered the Tiger Claw TC‑G.

It is a stain­less steel clip with a prong that digs into the upper sec­tion of the groove. It also has a spac­er tap, which auto­mat­i­cal­ly sets the gap (3/16”) between the grooved boards. 

This inno­v­a­tive prod­uct is avail­able in bags that cov­er 50 square feet of deck­ing. The bag comes with screws for secur­ing the clips. For larg­er projects, or for deck­ing pro­fes­sion­als work­ing on mul­ti­ple projects, you can also select a pail that includes enough clips for 500 square feet. (For the pail, fas­ten­ers are sold separately.) 

How to Install Grooved Decking with the TigerClaw TG‑C Fastener

There are two options for installing the Tiger­Claw TC‑G fas­ten­ers. The first option is to use the hand-dri­ven method, and the sec­ond option is to use a Fas­ten­Mas­ter pneu­mat­ic gun, which pro­vides a faster, more effi­cient installation.

Hand Driven

Once the deck is ready to install, the first step is to sim­ply place the TC‑G clip into the groove so that the prongs catch the upper por­tion of the groove. Using a stan­dard drill with the appro­pri­ate bit, dri­ve the screws into the clip’s hole to firm­ly secure the deck­ing. For each piece of deck­ing, install a clip at each joist for a firm, long-last­ing hold.

Next, place the fol­low­ing deck board against the installed board. It will auto­mat­i­cal­ly have the appro­pri­ate spac­ing, so it just needs to sit flush. Repeat the instal­la­tion process until the deck is finished. 

Pneumatic Gun

The Fas­ten­Mas­ter pneu­mat­ic instal­la­tion gun dri­ves a screw-nail crossover, which is com­mon­ly referred to as a ​“scrail.”

The instal­la­tion tool has a nose that holds the clip at the end of the gun. Once the gun is loaded with scrails, fix the clip onto the nose with the prong-side up. Place the nose of the gun to where the clip should be installed (over the joist) and rotate down­ward so the mag­a­zine of the gun is rest­ing flat on the lum­ber. Pull the trig­ger to install the clip, then slide the tip of the gun to the right to release. Now you have a ful­ly-installed hid­den clip. 

With FastenMaster’s pneu­mat­ic gun, you’ll have a tool that can dri­ve mul­ti­ple fas­ten­ers, which makes it a ver­sa­tile resource for a vari­ety of jobs. Of course you can use the hand-dri­ven method, how­ev­er, if you want the quick­est, most effi­cient instal­la­tion solu­tion the Fas­ten­Mas­ter pneu­mat­ic gun is what you need for the job. It is also com­pat­i­ble with Tim­berTech CON­CEALoc®, Trex Hide­away®, Guardian Ghost Grip, and KleerKlips.

(Our grooved deck­ing hid­den fas­ten­er instal­la­tion video, linked above, pro­vides a visu­al demon­stra­tion of the process.) 

Top-Quality Fasteners for Decks, Remodeling, and New Construction

Fas­ten­Mas­ter has a full selec­tion of high-qual­i­ty fas­ten­ers for a vari­ety of applications. 

Whether you are a con­struc­tion pro­fes­sion­al look­ing to increase effi­cien­cy or a home­own­er who wants a bet­ter way to fas­ten deck­ing mate­ri­als, we have the ide­al prod­ucts for your needs! Vis­it Fas​ten​mas​ter​.com for a full list of our offers.