Home improvement is undergoing a shift. Homeowners, fueled by a desire for customization and cost-effectiveness, are increasingly embracing DIY projects—especially deck building. This presents an opportunity for building supply retailers.

The Rise of the DIY Deck Builder

The world of deck building is expanding! While professional contractors have always been a cornerstone of the industry, today, thanks to online tutorials, instructional videos, and accessible solutions like those from CAMO, a growing number of homeowners are tackling their own deck projects. These individuals, spanning generations and skill levels, are eager to add value and enjoyment to their outdoor spaces.

Simplify DIY Decks, Strengthen Your Business

This surge in DIY interest presents retail opportunities for an expanded customer base and increased sales. Empower your customers to confidently realize their DIY deck dreams with high-quality CAMO products, ranging from hidden deck clips and exterior fasteners to deck tape and foundations, along with user-friendly tools that make their installations a breeze. Everything works together to simplify deck building for your DIYers.

Here’s how CAMO benefits both your DIY customers and your business:

• Faster Builds, Happier Customers: Many DIYers are weekend warriors, and time is precious. CAMO products are designed to streamline the deck-building process with innovative products like our lightweight CAMO Block foundations. These instant foundations, which can be installed on various surfaces, save DIYers the time and complexity associated with traditional concrete blocks. It’s just one way that CAMO delivers fast results and greater customer satisfaction.
• Pro Results, No Expertise Needed: Deck building can be daunting, but CAMO makes it easy. Our WEDGECLIP™ hidden deck clips come pre-assembled, require no partial installation, and stay in place until fastened. This allows DIYers to achieve the professional, fastener-free deck surface everyone wants. Great results bring a sense of accomplishment and pride, leading to more projects in the future.
• Easy Installations: Deck building can be physically demanding, especially for homeowners tackling large projects themselves. Tools like the CAMO LEVER® for straightening and locking in boards and the ClipDRIVE® Stand-Up Tool for board fastening reduce exertion and frustration, making the process more manageable for DIYers of all skill levels. Sales of efficient CAMO tools not only increase purchase totals but also minimize product returns and exchanges.
• Everything you need: Deck in a Box is an all-in-one bundle that provides everything you need to install 500 sq. ft. of grooved decking. This single-box kit includes deck benders, hidden deck clips, and a stand-up tool for fastening the clips, ensuring you have all the tools and materials necessary for the job. Deck in a Box is perfect for both professional contractors and DIY enthusiasts, making deck installation straightforward for anyone with basic DIY skills. 

In-Store Strategies

Here are some strategies to leverage the power of CAMO products and capitalize on the DIY deck trend:

• Merchandising Program: Attract DIYers and contractors with effective product showcasing through the CAMO Destination Dealer merchandising program. Display CAMO products on a variety of merchandisers, like wire racks or wing stackers, to educate customers and lead them to informed buying decisions and comprehensive solutions.
• Product Demonstrations: Host occasional in-store demos showcasing the CAMO DRIVE®, ClipDRIVE®, and LEVER tools to pique customer interest and address any initial apprehension about DIY deck building. Offer customers an opportunity for hands-on experience with the tools.
• Bundled Packages: Create bundles that combine CAMO hidden deck clips, exterior fasteners, deck tape, and CAMO tools for specific deck sizes along with other adjacent products to simplify the buying process and encourage customers to purchase everything they need for their deck project in one go.
• DIY Email Campaign:  If you have an existing email marketing program, consider including an email campaign focused on DIY deck building and how CAMO makes the process easy.

From faster project completion to professional-looking results, CAMO empowers DIYers while fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty for your business. Support the growing legion of determined DIYers with user-friendly CAMO products and transform your deck-building section into their one-stop shop for project success. 

Learn about Stainless Steel fasteners and why they are the best choice for exterior projects.

No matter what project you’re tackling, you need to make sure you’ve got the right fastener for the job. Sure, you want the correct screw for the application, but it’s also critical to consider what the fastener is made of. Without a doubt, Stainless Steel is the best option for any installation as it offers the best protection against corrosion and will hold up over the project’s lifetime.

What makes Stainless Steel so great? We’ll get a bit technical here, but Stainless Steel has a “passive” oxide layer on its surface that prevents staining and rusting of the surface when exposed to oxygen. The elemental makeup of Stainless Steel fasteners also lends to their strength, hardness, and ductility, making them both high-performing and aesthetically pleasing.

Two common alloys are under the Stainless Steel category: 305 and 316. Let’s dive into the differences between the two and the applications for each type.

305 Stainless Steel

305 Stainless Steel offers high corrosion resistance in various outdoor projects, protecting against corrosion far better than a standard exterior coated carbon. That means it will keep your project safe and long-lasting while providing excellent aesthetics.

305 is required for exterior structures 3,000 feet to 10 miles from a saltwater shoreline. It is also an excellent alloy option for installing pressure treated lumber, PVC, composite, and capped composite deck boards no matter where you are. 305 Stainless Steel fasteners are widely available nationwide, so you can use these fasteners for any project.

316 Stainless Steel*

The best of the best, there is no better alloy for exterior projects than 316 Stainless Steel, which offers the highest corrosion resistance possible. 316 Stainless Steel is required in any coastal, marine, or waterway area within 3,000 feet of saltwater and is recommended within a 10-mile reach to combat aerosolized saltwater. They are also recommended in a variety of applications beyond saltwater exposure:

• Structures near swimming pools where the surface is exposed to chlorine
• Decks and docks that are continuously exposed to fresh water
• Agricultural environments that deal with chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides while also facing highly corrosive animal waste and frequent cleaning treatments
• Decks, patios, and structures that will face wood strippers, harsh cleaning agents, or ice-melting chemicals
• Installations of cedar, redwood, or hardwood decking where tannin release caused by carbon fasteners may cause staining and streaking
• Multi-level decks and structures in mountainous regions that require more flexibility and durability

If you want to install the following best practices and never have to worry about your fasteners holding up, choose 316 Stainless Steel for every exterior job. There are a lot of Stainless Steel fasteners on the market to choose from, but CAMO offers a comprehensive line of Stainless Steel fasteners, including screws and hand drive nails that start fast and hold strong, and collated nails to make quick work of framing projects.

Whether you are building a coastal deck, constructing a project on a farm, or working on any exterior structure, Stainless Steel fasteners will help you build better in every environment.

*Stainless steel is not corrosion-proof; it is corrosion-resistant. While it is the best alloy choice for fasteners in highly corrosive environments with strong chlorides, such as saltwater regions, pools, and areas where deicer is used, staining can still occur. It is important to regularly wash the installed screws to keep the heads and screw recesses clean from salt deposits and other residue.

Face screws, Edge screws, and Hidden Deck Clips: Learn the differences between these fasteners to decide what to use for your deck build.

When you’re building a deck, you likely know what kind of board you want to use. But have you put much thought into how you’ll fasten it? Sure, using any old screw could do the job, but it also might mean you’ll spend more time replacing boards down the road than enjoying the deck. Learn more about three types of fasteners— face screws, Edge screws, and hidden deck clips —so you can make the right choice for your project.

Face Screws

Tried and true, face screws are a traditional fastener for square deck boards. For wood boards like pressure treated, cedar, and redwood, you can use a buglehead deck screw, which is designed to keep the board down but is also very visible on the deck top. 

For square composite or PVC decking, there are color-matched composite screws that blend into the deck surface. These screws typically feature a double slash point to auger board material for fast driving and a shank designed to reduce mushrooming, giving you a clean finish. 

While face screws are cost-effective, they can cause splitting and cracking, which ages your deck prematurely. Consider using a face screw engineered to reduce these risks, like CAMO® Collated Face Screws for pressure treated wood and composite. A bonus for these collated screws? You can install them quickly and comfortably while standing with the CAMO DRIVE® tool. 

Finally, using the correct coating or alloy for your project is essential. For example, a carbon-coated face screw will be fine for pressure treated, PVC, and composite decks in temperate climates, but use corrosion-resistant 316 Stainless Steel screws for cedar, redwood, hardwood, and installations near water. 

Edge Screws

If you want to maximize the longevity of your square deck boards and keep the surface clean from fasteners, use CAMO Edge screws. These screws, as their name suggests fasten the board through the edge, making a strong v-lock connection into the joist. Additionally, they feature a patented rake tip that augers board material, so you don’t need to pre-drill holes on pressure treated wood, cedar, redwood, and uncapped composite decking before fastening. They are available in CAMO’s proprietary PROTECH™ coating and 316 Stainless Steel so that you can use them on any deck building project. 

Edge screws are available in hand drive and collated options. Use hand drive Edge screws with MARKSMAN Tools that clamp to and space the boards and act as a guide, directing the screw into the board’s edge. Use collated Edge screws with the CAMO DRIVE tool for pressure treated installs in no time.

Hidden Deck Clips

Use hidden deck clips for any grooved deck board installation. Similar to face screws, there are many options, but CAMO Universal Deck Clips top the list. Why? Unlike many clips where you have to partially install them, place the next board, then drive the clips the rest of the way, CAMO EDGE® Clips (90° deck patterns), EDGEX® Clips (any deck pattern), and EDGEXMETAL® Clips (steel framing) are one-pass fasteners. That means you put them on the joist or in the board’s groove, and they stay in place so you can set multiple rows of boards before fastening, which is a significant time-saver.

Additionally, CAMO Universal Deck Clips are up to 88% stronger than competitors’ clips in reducing lateral movement and up to 50% stronger in uplift holding power, thanks to the stainless steel gusset that locks the boards down. They are also easy to fasten with the NEVER-MISS™ Guide that comes in every pail and directs the driver bit onto the screw head, or while standing up with the ClipDRIVE or DRIVE tools that can make your job up to 5X faster as you can quickly move from joist to joist.

To build the best deck possible, don’t just use any screw to secure your decking. Instead, think about the finished result, then pick up the right CAMO fastening system to make your work smarter, faster, easier, and better.