Mastering the Top 10 Deck Challenges with CAMO
Every deck job throws down its own set of challenges: warped boards, uneven gaps, fasteners that don’t stay put, installs that wear down your crew. You’ve got the grit to handle it all—but CAMO makes deck building easier, start to finish. With CAMO’s jobsite-proven tools and fasteners, you’re armed with everything you need to crush the toughest deck challenges. Here are the top ten—and how CAMO helps you dominate every one of them.
1. Water Infiltration
The Challenge: Moisture is the enemy below the boards—seeping into joists, causing rot, and threatening the long-term integrity of your frame.
The CAMO Solution: CAMO Joist + Ledger Deck Tape seals around fasteners to block water from getting in. It creates a durable moisture barrier that protects the substructure and keeps your framing dry, solid, and built to last.
2. Corroded Fasteners
The Challenge: Rusted-out fasteners can turn a solid deck into a liability. Corrosion weakens critical connections and opens the door for even more damage.
The CAMO Solution: CAMO Exterior Fasteners—available in PROTECH®-coated or 316 stainless steel marine grade—are built to stand up to the harshest environments, including coastal and saltwater builds. They drive easy, hold strong, and protect the integrity of your deck from day one and for years to come.
3. Starter Board Struggles
The Challenge: Getting your starter boards aligned and secured is a critical first step—but it can be slow, awkward, and prone to shifting.
The CAMO Solution: CAMO Starter Clips lock down your first grooved board quickly and cleanly, keeping it aligned while you lay down the field. No improvising, no slipping, no wasted time doubling back to fix your starting line.
4. Bowed and Warped Boards
The Challenge: Warped or bowed boards when working with pressure treated wood slow everything down. Wrestling them into place wastes time, throws off spacing, and kills your finish quality.
The CAMO Solution: Tame even the most stubborn pressure treated wood boards with the CAMO LEVER. This tool gives you the muscle to straighten boards and lock them in, fast—even when you’re flying solo.
5. Uneven Gaps
The Challenge: Sloppy gaps don’t just kill the look of your deck—they mess with drainage, trap debris, and lead to long-term problems you don’t want to deal with.
The CAMO Solution: Secure any grooved boards boards with CAMO Edge® Clips and WEDGECLIPS™—the built-in spacers make sure you get a consistent gap every time when working with composite boards. Or perfect your edge screw placement with CAMO Marksman Pro tools for hassle-free, automatic board spacing with pressure treated wood boards.
6. Difficult Angled Fastening
The Challenge: Deck patterns like herringbone or diagonal look sharp—but they’re slow to install and easy to mess up. Fastener alignment is trickier, and even a small spacing error can telescope across the deck, throwing everything off.
The CAMO Solution: CAMO WEDGECLIPS™are made for it. They hold boards down tight and keep spacing consistent, no matter the pattern. Pair them with the CAMO ClipDRIVE to lay down angled boards fast—and do it right the first time.
7. Fastener-Free Surfaces
The Challenge: Fasteners on the deck surface don’t just distract from the clean look your clients expect—they can also snag, catch, and wear down over time.
The CAMO Solution: Get that smooth, uninterrupted surface with CAMO universal hidden deck clips since the gusset holds boards down tight without visible fasteners. Prefer edge-fastening? CAMO Edge deck screws auger material out to reduce splitting and cracking and fasten through the edges of your boards for a fastener-free surface.
8. Popped Fasteners
The Challenge: Fasteners that back out over time aren’t just an eyesore—they’re a liability. Popped nails can cause trip hazards, callbacks, and kill the clean finish your clients expect.
The CAMO Solution: Lock it down with CAMO Hidden Deck Clips for a secure, screw-free surface that stays put. For edge-fastening, CAMO Edge Screws auger material out to reduce splitting and cracking. Guided by the MARKSMAN Pro tool, they angle in tight from the sides and hold strong—minimizing movement, relieving surface stress, and keeping boards locked for the long haul.
9. Physically Demanding Installations
The Challenge: Bending, kneeling, and crawling to fasten every board by hand takes a toll—on your time, your body, and your crew.
The CAMO Solution: CAMO stand-up tools take the strain out of installing decking. Use the CAMO ClipDRIVE™ when installing grooved decking with CAMO Clips, or the CAMO DRIVE® for fastening deck screws into the face or edge of boards. Both are stand-up tools built for speed and comfort—saving your knees and back and cutting down install time without sacrificing precision.
10. Time-Consuming Installations
The Challenge: Traditional decking methods can be slow and labor-intensive, eating up valuable time.
The CAMO Solution: Speed through your deck installations with the CAMO DRIVE or ClipDRIVE tool, designed to deliver fast, easy, and versatile deck fastening. Work even faster with the LEVER and CAMO Universal Deck Clips too and cut your installation times by half compared to by-hand installs with ergonomic stand-up tools that attach right to your drill.
And that’s how you take on—and crush—the top deck issues with CAMO by your side. You’re out there raising the bar with every build—faster installs, cleaner finishes, and rock-solid results. Grab CAMO tools and fasteners for your next deck project, and set a new standard of deck-building excellence. Build it once, build it right, and build it to last with CAMO.