Tiger Claw is the Best Hidden Fastener System for Decking on the Market

The world of decking has come a long way over the last twenty years, not only in the decking itself but in the way you attach the decking as well. There are some really beautiful decking products out there that you may not want to drill a bunch of screws into. You can easily spend $15,000 on an average deck for deck boards alone, and the thought of face screwing the product might just give you the heebie jeebies. There have been lots of attempts at hidden fastener systems over the years and they just didn't do what the consumer wanted. The difficulty of installing these products overshadowed the look that people demanded. Tiger Claw came out with some deck clips that are not only eye catching but very easy to install.

I believe one of Tiger Claws catch phrases is "quality you will never see", that's exactly what it is. I recently put down some decking using the Tiger Claw system and I am very impressed with the product. I don't want to completely dismiss face screwing because there have been some great advances in screws as well. In fact I put some decking down for my front porch and used the Split Stop screws and they performed beautifully. However, on my back deck I purchased a high end tropical looking composite and I wasn't about to face screw it. Tiger Claw has really thought out there products and have really covered every aspect of the decking world. They have a clip for pressure treated decking to Ironwood decking, grooved and un-grooved, they've really done a good job.

There are basically six different clips that Tiger Claw manufactures that cover the whole array of deck boards. I will go through each clip and describe what type of wood they can be used on and their purpose.

TC-1
The TC-1 is a clip used for softwoods such as cedar redwood,and pressure treated decking. This clip is for deck boards that are 5/4" or thicker. This clip comes with a block for lack of a better term that you simply hammer the clip into the side of the board with, once the clip is in the deck board you simply screw the clip to the joist and add the next board. It does come with a little more labor but a clip for use on cedar, redwood, and treated is such a great thing.

TC-2
The TC-2 is essentially the same as the TC-1 with one difference, the TC-2 is made of heavy gauge stainless steel where the TC-1 is made of heavy guage coated steel. To be honest I don't know what would go for what application, If it were me I would go with the stainless steel. The TC-2 covers the same decking material as the TC-1.

TC-3
The TC-3 is a fastener for composite and mahogany decking, it can also be used on some PVC decking as well. This clip also is for decking that is 5/4" or thicker and is made of stainless steel. This clip can be used for Trex, AZEC, Veranda, Moistureshield, Ever Grain, Choice Deck, and Mahogany decking. Again this clip is used by pounding the clip into the deck board with the block and attaching the clip to the joist, then applying the next deck board. This clip is pretty much the clip that does it all for un-grooved deck boards, it will handle most composite decking.

TC-4
The TC-4 is the clip you want to use for your hardwoods such as IPE, and Cumaru. This is a clip that is made for the tough instillation of hardwood decking products. If you have ever put down hardwood decking you know that it can put a beating on your tools. This clip is also capable for those decking products that are 3/4" and 5/4".

TC-G
Finally we get to the TC-G, this is what I would call the signature product for Tiger Claw. This clip can be used in pre-grooved decking or you can even use it in un-grooved decking provided you use the biscuit router (provided by Tiger Claw) to groove the board yourself. I have laid about 500 square feet of decking using this clip and I love it. I won't say that I love the time it takes, but the look is absolutely perfect. In fact, everyone that has seen the deck so far has asked why it looks so clean and pretty. When I tell them that there are no screws, they all say "you're right, it looks great". Again, it does take a little extra time to install but I tell you what, it is completely worth it when you are done.

I said there were six different clips and I have only described five, that is because there is a clip that I am not very familiar with and that is called the Proclip. The Proclip is made for a specific deck and that is AZEK, they make this clip just for that product. Now, I have described the products that Tiger Claw makes and what they do, but what I cannot do is provide this product justice with the look of the decking. You pay more money for the clips over screws and you will spend more time installing the clips over screws but trust me there is not better look for a deck in the world. Tiger Claw has done it's research and made a good quality product that will revolutionize the way decking is installed. If you have any pros or cons with this product please let me know, I am curious to hear what you have to say.