That composite decking bracket cost me a whole Saturday

Bought a bunch of those hidden fastener brackets for a fence top rail job. They claimed they work with standard 2x4s but the slots were off by 3/8 inch and I had to redrill every single one. Wasted about $150 and a full day of labor. Anyone else had trouble with those things?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairer792mo ago

Figure out if the bracket was meant for composite decking, not fence rails. They're usually made for a specific thickness and groove spacing that doesn't match standard lumber dimensions. That 3/8 inch gap means the manufacturer cut corners on quality control for their fancy price tag.

john_singh1mo agoMost Upvoted

That 3/8 inch gap is basically the manufacturer's way of saying "good luck, you're on your own now." I bet that bracket set cost double what a simple metal post bracket would have been too. Probably came in a sleek box with a drawing of a perfect fence that somehow looks nothing like the one you're actually building. Next time I'm just using a hammer and some nails, at least that gap will be my own fault. What exactly did you end up doing with those brackets, use them for target practice?

nancy3512mo ago

Yeah "quality control" on that fancy stuff is always a joke, I just went with basic cedar and had zero issues.