Easy Hidden Fasteners
Plastic collating strips save time and make it easier to match fastener patterns to decking.
FastenMaster’s Cortex line of screws and plugs has been a go-to solution for installing Azek, Trex, and Wolf composite and PVC decking and trim for years. You just use the included bits to countersink and install the screws, and then you tap the matching plugs into the holes flush with the surface of the boards, completely hiding each fastener. It can be a bit fussy to handle the tiny Cortex plugs and get them lined up just right, which is why FastenMaster introduced a collated option to several versions of the plugs—the most recent made to match all colors of Trex Select decking. The plastic collating strips are not just time savers, they also make it easier to hold each plug to align its “grain” with the matching pattern in a board before driving it home. Packs come in two sizes for installing either 100 linear feet or 300 sq. ft. of decking.
—Rob Wotzak, digital brand manager
From Fine Homebuilding #298
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