Replies

1. 
   AaronRosenthal | Jul 16, 2003 07:24am | #1

   Pro-Dek, our resident guru on deck building remailns, at last at last post, remains unhappy with the system.

   My customer, after reading his posts, went to anodized steel screws into mahogany.

   Quality repairs for your home.

   Aaron the Handyman
   Vancouver, Canada

1. 
   MojoMan | Jul 16, 2003 10:19pm | #2

   How have experiences been with the metal track that screws to the joists and screws are driven into the decking from below? I'm thinking about trying it on a deck with Evergrain decking and would like a fastener-free look.  Thanks!

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

1. 
   AaronRosenthal | Jul 18, 2003 07:07am | #6

   Sorry, Al, no experience with that stuff.

   It may be like what I can get here in western Canada, but I don't know.Quality repairs for your home.

   Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada

2. 
   ProDek | Jul 18, 2003 05:33pm | #9

   The biggest problem with the Deckmaster rail system is the butt joints. If you don't have any it will work fine. If you do have them you will split the lumber at the joint.

   The system may work on Evergrain but I would find out how much Evergrain expands and contracts before I relied on that system."Rather be a hammer than a nail"

   Bob

2. 
   jvs | Jul 17, 2003 03:39am | #4

   I was wondering about this one myself.  We are planning a small (~250 sq. ft.) deck in ipe, and both "ipe" and "eb-ty" are apparently too short to be picked up by the @$%&! Delphi search engine (I'm guessing someone has ranted about this before). 

   I have no objection to stainless trim head screws, but my wife is stuck on the no-fastener look after seeing a deck that was plugged.  That seems pretty straightgforward, but tedious. 

   Any other suggestions?

   /jvs

1. 
   AaronRosenthal | Jul 18, 2003 07:09am | #7

   My suggestion is you see if Pro-Dek can help you. He is the guru.

   Do a google search for IPE. There are hundreds od sites.Quality repairs for your home.

   Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada

2. 
   goldhiller | Jul 18, 2003 04:52pm | #8

   I think this may be what you're looking for. Best I can do at the moment anyway.

   http://forums.prospero.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=31519.1

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

1. 
   jvs | Jul 18, 2003 05:40pm | #10

   Perfect; I saw the dates, too--should have looked harder, but thanks for the assist!

   /jvs

1. 
   goldhiller | Jul 18, 2003 06:15pm | #11

   Knowing the reliability of Propero's search engine..............when I see a thread with good info, I grab the thread's url (as well as the most important text from that thread) and keep those on notepads.

   Beats the heck out of playing search-engine roulette. :-)

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

2. 
   jvs | Jul 20, 2003 05:45pm | #13

   Sounds like a good idea.  Wonder if we could team with the CooksTalk folks on a bake sale to help them get a Topic license?

   Thanks, Nick--that pretty much answers it about eb-ty.  Does anyone have experiance with something called an "i-clip?"  They look like they would be better, just a little slower to install--http://www.finehouse.net/Components%20Lumber2.htm.

   /jvs

2. 
   RodBishop | Jul 17, 2003 12:39am | #3

   I've used the Ebty system once , (don't do a lot of decks), so I'm not much of an expert on it, but..............

   it seems to be labor intensive

   looks great!

   the screw has to be installed at a 45 degree angle and don't screw it in too far past the lip of the black spacer or you'll lose the hold down power

   friggin stainless screws strip too easy, plan on backing some out with vice grips and starting again

   expensive! about $90.00 per 100 sq ft of deck (for some screws a bits of plastic!!!)

   but again, it looks great

   at least 2 and more like 3-4 times labor of nailing down deck

   good luck!  hope you have a comfortable biscuit jointer                         Rod

3. 
   Mongo | Jul 17, 2003 04:55am | #5

   Eb-ty is laborious and results in low productivity the first time used. Especially when fastening hard woods like ipe.

   It goes much faster on softer woods and after you've used it a few times.

   I think it a good system.

   Pricey, but good.

4. 
   NickNukeEm | Jul 20, 2003 03:27am | #12

   Some friends spent beau coup dinero on a mohogany deck with the eb-ty system, installed 2 years ago.  A month ago, they called; seems moisture had swelled the deck planks to the point where several rows buckled up, tearing the screws right through the planking.

   Last weekend I cut out several of the buckled boards.  After shaving the edges of the boards down, I face screwed them with 3" stainless screws.  The deck is all over the place; the plastic can not hold the boards down, so the ends are curling up and few of the edges are in the same plane.

   Some time in the future, they are going to have me replace the boards that buckled and screw down the whole deck with 3" stainless.  With 6" wide decking, 2 screws per joist for each board, it will still be cheaper than what they paid for the eb-ty system.

   Guess what I think of the eb-ty system?  Not on my deck.  But I'll be happy to replace it for you.

   I never met a tool I didn't like!