Installation Guide

FASTENING

· Do not use nails to fasten Apex™ boards.

· Use high quality fasteners suitable for the life span of the deck and the atmospheric conditions of the site.

· Stainless steel 316 fasteners should be used in environments classified as C5 or higher.

· A drill with adjustable torque settings is recommended.

· Apex™ boards require two fasteners points per joist.

· Fasten 1¼" from any edge of a board.

· Pre-drill in temperatures below 40 F°.

· Pre-drilling hole size should be equal to the smallest diameter of the screw.

· Do not pre-drill wood substructure.

· Pre-drilling metal substructure may influence the effectiveness of the screw wings.

· Pre-drilling can reduce the risk of cap subsidence around the the screw head

(caused when voids within the board core collapse as a result of too much downward

force when fastening).

· The installation of Apex™ boards is comparable to that of other composite or timber decking materials.

· Apex™ profiles are not intended for use as structural members.

· Provide ground clearance for adequate ventilation. Improved ventilation can have the added benefit of assisting with expansion

and contraction.

· The overhang of boards must be limited to 1¼".

· Leave expansion gaps between boards.

· Reflective surfaces (for example, low-E glass or metallic roofing) may cause unusual UV impact and/or heat build-up on a deck

which may cause unexpected results in the Apex™ material. Design your deck to cater for this where possible.

· Use a breaker board between longitudinal boards to assist in controlling expansion and contraction. This approach has the

added benefit of creating a neat aesthetic. See Installation guide for further details.

· Breaker boards must be supported by joists and blocking.

· Where breaker boards cannot be used, double joists must be used to support the butt join. Use a minimum of two fasteners per

joist, evenly spaced and a minimum of 1¼" from any board edge.

· Stagger butt joins so that they do not all align on the same joist. This limits unsightly repetition of expansion gaps.

BOARD APPLICATION

10. Deck installation

1. Top fix your first board

using a composite deck screw.

2. Insert a hidden fastener into the groove

of the deck board and fasten it into the

appropriate structure.

3. Insert the next board, at an angle. Engaging it

with the previous hidden fastener and pressing

down.

4. Insert and fix the next line of hidden fasteners. Clip the

subsequent board into the hidden fastener. Repeat this step

until the second-to-last board.

5. Top fix the last board with a composite deck screw.

Installation using a grooved deck board: When you install your first board, it is necessary to fasten the first board

firmly to the structure, before using hidden fasteners.

Cap subsidence Void collapse

Apex

Deck Installation Guidelines