On a recent double-decker porch makeover project, builder Kyle Diamond was undecided about the best way to fasten new square-edged 5/4 x 6 mahogany decking to the lower level porch’s existing framing. His family-owned building and remodeling company, New Dimension Construction, works on a lot of high-end homes in New York’s Hudson Valley, just north of NYC. When they install or repair a deck or a porch, it’s usually part of a larger project.

While Diamond’s clients wanted traditional tongue & groove mahogany porch flooring on the upper level of the porch, the decking on the lower level would run parallel to the house. It couldn’t be blind-nailed like the T&G flooring above, but the clients still didn’t want the surface of the mahogany decking to be marred by visible fasteners. Diamond told me he considered using a screw-and-plug system but was unsure that he could find plugs that would match his grade of mahogany decking (Starborn’s Pro Plug system offers several different wood plug options, including mahogany) and didn’t want to custom-cut the plugs himself. After considering various other hidden fastener systems (see “Hidden Fasteners for Decks” for an overview), he chose FastenMaster’s Tiger Claw TC-3 clip system, which is specifically designed for square-edged mahogany and other types of decking.

The clips are made of 304 grade stainless steel, so they can be used near saltwater (not a concern on this project, however). They also automatically provide uniform 3/16-inch spacing between the deck boards, which Diamond felt would provide better drainage and improved ventilation for the low porch.

Installing a TC-3 clip is a three-step process. First, the clip is inserted into a special manufacturer-supplied plastic installation block. Then, with the installer standing on top of the deck board to press it against the joist, the clip is driven into the board edge by tapping on the installation block with a hammer. Finally, a #8 x 2-inch decking screw is driven at a 45-degree angle down through the clip and board and into the joist. A clip is required at each joist location.

As lead carpenter Ryan Labrenz demonstrates in this video, actual decking installation using the clips is fairly fussy and time-consuming. Labrenz thinks that this is mainly because the mahogany decking was not nearly as straight or as flat as composite decking. As a result, the NDC crew had to resort to both wedges and hammer boards to coax each deck board into position before driving in the next set of clips. “There was a lot of whamming, in addition to banging and tapping, to get the boards straight and tight,” says Labrenz.

But the payoff is the secure connection between the decking and the framing. Diamond reports that the porch feels as rock-solid as if it had been face-fastened, and he’s grateful that he didn’t have dozens of plugs to install.