Deck fascia boards made of cellular PVC and wood-plastic composites expand and contract due to temperature changes. When installed with regular screws the boards can sometimes bow because the screws don’t allow for the movement. Starborn Industries developed the DeckFast Fascia System a couple years ago to address the problem and give deck builders a better option.

The system uses a specially designed SmartBit similar to Starborn’s ProPlug and DepthSetter tools called the Fascia Tool. Like their other tools, the Facia Tool has a free-spinning depth-setting stop collar with a replaceable rubber ‘O’ ring bumper to protect the fascia surface when drilling. The stop collar also doubles as a brace point. You can grip the collar to balance the drill/driver and pinpoint the hole location.

The drill bit is sized to bore a clearance hole and a screw-head seat that matches the Fascia Screws. The oversized hole permits the fascia boards to expand a contract without over-stressing the Fascia Screw shanks. The head seat bore is the proper depth for the Facia Screw heads to flush with the surface of the fascia board.

Fascia Screws are color-coated to match all 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. deck fascia manufacturers’ products and are available in stainless steel and epoxy coated steel.

I used the DeckFast Fascia System to install 130 ft. of TimberTech fascia and riser boards on a deck recently. Since the Fascia Screw heads are about 3/8 in. diameter they are prominent on the fascia surface. With this in mind we were careful to position the screws equidistant from the top and bottom edges and space the pairs equally at 16 in. along the length of the facia for a uniform appearance. We tack-screwed each board at the ends and then one guy bored out the holes while another followed driving the fascia screws.

It’s important to just seat the Fascia Screw heads lightly to the seat hole and not over tighten otherwise the friction may restrict the board movement.

My local lumber dealers don’t stock the DeckFast Fascia system yet so I ordered them online. Manasquan Fasteners and DecksDirect carry the tool and screws (sold separately). Expect to pay about $15 for the tool. The coated steel screws are 1 7/8 in. and cost about 11 cents each d. Stainless screws are also 1 7/8 in long and cost about 19 cents each.

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