I can only assume this was because of the expansion contraction of the wood and metal throughout the seasons. Nothing holding the decking down accept the 1.5' angle on the edges.Īlso it was said that after a few years the heads where breaking off.

It might not be done 'right' but it will still be an improvement on what I bought it as. Well, I'm at the point where I want it done cheap and fast. If you want it fast and cheap, it wont be done right, if you want it done right and fast, it wont be cheap, and if you want it done cheap and right it wont be done fast. But we can only do two of those at the same time. In this shop we can do the job Fast, we can do the job cheap, we can do the job right. I saw on here (I believe) someone said they had a sign in their old shop. I don't want to put that kind of time and effort into it. As time is money, and this trailer is eventually going to be sold (before the decking goes bad I'm sure). I can just sit/kneel on the deck boards and drive the screws. Then set the carriage bolts, and crawl under the trailer to tighten the nuts. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to drill 156 holes through lumber and metal without ruining my drill bits or having to do it twice 1 with an over sized drill for the wood then back through with a smaller size for the metal. The ones at my local HD are not zinc coated and are able to be used with treated lumber. if I add washers $2.70 for a pack of 25 would need 6 Plus 9 singles for 16.20 add a dollar for the singles and I'm at 17.20 Plus the 54.99 brings the grand total to 71.19 before tax.Ĥ box of 40 count screws at 6.49 is 25.96 before tax. Plus 20 packs of 1/4'-20 nylock nuts at $0.98 each need 8 packs so that's 5.88 more bringing the total to 54.99. that's 44.61 for the three packs, and 4.50 for the 9 singles for a grand total of 49.11.

I would need 3 of these plus 9 singles at approx $0.50 each. a pack of 50 1/4'-20 x 2 1/2' galvanized (treated wood decking needs galvanized, not zinc which is cheaper) is 14.87. and with 13 boards 6 cross members, and two bolts per board per cross member, that's 156 bolts. I priced out 2 1/2' carriage bolts yesterday. The best part is.when they break, you just drop a new one in the hole and put a new nut on it. I'm pretty sure $40 would do the whole trailer. Let us know how easy those broken screws come out a few years from now.Ĭarriage bolt and nylocks are prolly the best route. and thats without the lock washers and nuts. but for the volume I would be about 4 times the price of these. I know carriage bolts with lock washers would be the best way to go. With the screws will drill through the 1/4' angle without pre-drilling (which was what really impressed me) I think I'm going to stick with these for now. and when I need 156 (two per board per cross member) and a pack of 40 is less than $7 its worth the savings right now. I'm trying to find the least expensive way to do it right now, as the budget is maxed already. If I've got the screws sunk just to the top of the board I should have a good 3/4' to grab onto, and with the drill head having flat sides, it should be good enough to turn the screw fairly easily. I should be able to get a drill clamped down on them from underneath and run the whole thing through the board and metal. If I'm careful and put the screws in the right spot when I put them in. If the head is busted off, I should have easy access underneath wit the 2' angle.

Home depot stainless steel deck screws