BlackTalon® Universal Deck Fasteners deliver a clean, strong, fastener-free finish built to move naturally with wood.
When you invest in beautiful wood decking, the last thing you want is a surface covered with visible screws and fastener holes. The right hidden fastening system creates a clean, uninterrupted deck surface while securely holding your deck boards in place.
For hardwood and other grooved wood decking applications, BlackTalon® Universal Deck Fasteners are our top choice. Designed specifically to provide strong, consistent holding power while accommodating the natural movement of wood, BlackTalon® offers an attractive alternative to traditional face-screwed deck installation.
Whether you’re building with Tigerwood or another compatible grooved deck board, BlackTalon® combines strength, flexibility, easier installation, and a clean finished appearance.
Get stronger holding power, cleaner looks, and easier installation with TigerDeck’s patented hidden fastening system.
Not all hidden deck fasteners are created equal – especially when working with hardwood.
Wood naturally expands and contracts as environmental conditions change. A quality hidden fastening system needs to hold the boards securely while accommodating that movement without compromising the deck’s appearance or long-term performance.
The best hidden fasteners for wood decking should provide:
BlackTalon® Universal Deck Fasteners were engineered with these requirements in mind.
BlackTalon® isn’t simply a generic decking clip. The system was developed specifically to provide a better way to install hardwood decking while maintaining the natural beauty of the wood.
BlackTalon® clips are manufactured from 301 full-hard stainless steel alloy, providing the strength and flexibility needed for demanding wood decking applications.
Unlike many plastic, aluminum, or fiberglass alternatives, the stainless-steel construction is designed to provide reliable holding power over the life of the deck.
Wood moves.
BlackTalon® is designed to move with the deck boards and underlying joist system while continuing to hold the boards securely. The stainless-steel clip and wing design provide flexibility without sacrificing holding power.
One of the biggest advantages of a hidden fastening system is appearance.
BlackTalon® secures the boards through their profiled edges rather than driving screws through the walking surface. This creates a clean, smooth deck surface without rows of visible screw heads distracting from the natural grain and color of the wood.
Installing dense hardwood decking with conventional screws can require significant pre-drilling.
BlackTalon® fasteners attach directly to the joists rather than requiring screws through the deck boards, virtually eliminating the pre-drilling normally associated with hardwood decking installation.
That can make installation faster and more efficient.
BlackTalon’s proprietary leg design helps hold the clip in position during installation while establishing consistent spacing between deck boards.
For TigerDeck® installations, the clips are designed to create approximately 3/16-inch spacing between boards.
Decks occasionally need adjustments or individual boards replaced.
Because the BlackTalon® screw remains accessible, installers can tighten the system or remove and replace an individual board without unnecessarily disturbing large sections of the deck.
Traditional face-screwed decking can certainly secure a board, but it also creates a penetration through the finished surface of the wood.
Those penetrations can detract from the appearance of premium hardwood decking and add additional installation steps when pre-drilling or plugging screw holes.
BlackTalon® takes a different approach.
The screw passes through the hidden clip and into the joist—not through the face of the deck board. The clip’s wings engage the grooved boards on either side and provide even holding pressure.
The result is a deck that looks like it’s all wood—not wood covered with fasteners.
Create a cleaner, stronger, longer-lasting wood deck with BlackTalon® Hidden Deck Fasteners.
Although BlackTalon® was developed as part of the TigerDeck® hardwood decking system, its universal design allows it to work with compatible profiled and grooved deck boards.
BlackTalon® can be an excellent hidden-fastener option for:
Always verify the board profile, joist configuration, and installation requirements before selecting a fastening system for your project.
Different deck designs require different installation solutions, which is why BlackTalon® offers two clip configurations.
The standard clip features legs designed to straddle a nominal 2-inch joist while helping maintain consistent board spacing during installation.
The angled clip is designed for applications where deck boards are not installed perpendicular to the joists or where the joists are wider than a standard nominal 2-inch configuration.
This makes BlackTalon® adaptable to more complex deck designs, including diagonal and herringbone-style applications.
Premium hardwood decking is chosen largely because of its natural beauty. A hidden fastening system helps preserve that appearance while providing several practical benefits.
With BlackTalon® hidden deck fasteners, you get:
A Cleaner Finished Appearance
No rows of exposed screws interrupting the natural grain of the wood.
Fewer Surface Penetrations
Fasteners secure the boards from the sides rather than through the primary walking surface.
Strong Stainless-Steel Construction
Designed for long-term exterior decking applications.
Natural Wood Movement
The system is designed to accommodate expansion, contraction, and movement while maintaining holding power.
Faster Installation
Virtually eliminating pre-drilling can significantly simplify hardwood deck installation.
Consistent Board Spacing
The clip design helps establish uniform gaps between boards.
Serviceability
Accessible screws make it easier to tighten or replace individual deck boards when necessary.
BlackTalon® and TigerDeck® Tigerwood were designed to work together as a complete hardwood decking system.
TigerDeck® boards provide the natural beauty, durability, and distinctive grain of genuine Tigerwood, while BlackTalon® provides a hidden installation system designed to let that wood—not the hardware—be the focal point.
For homeowners, architects, builders, and decking contractors who want a premium hardwood deck with a clean finished appearance, TigerDeck® + BlackTalon® provides a complete decking solution from the boards to the fasteners.
The best system depends on your decking material, board profile, joist configuration, and project requirements. For compatible grooved wood and hardwood decking, BlackTalon® Universal Deck Fasteners are our top choice because of their stainless-steel construction, strong holding power, ability to accommodate wood movement, consistent spacing, and virtually pre-drill-free installation.
Yes. However, hardwood requires a fastening system designed to handle the density and natural movement of the material. BlackTalon® was specifically developed with hardwood decking applications in mind.
The BlackTalon® system virtually eliminates the pre-drilling normally required when fastening hardwood deck boards because the supplied screws attach the clips directly to the softwood joists rather than penetrating the deck boards.
Yes. BlackTalon® has a universal design intended to work with compatible profiled or grooved deck boards, including other wood and composite decking products.
BlackTalon® fasteners are concealed between the deck boards and are black-oxide treated to further reduce their visibility from above.
When installed as part of the TigerDeck® system, the clip design establishes approximately a 3/16-inch gap between deck boards.
Yes. One advantage of the BlackTalon® design is access to the fastener screw, making it possible to tighten the system or replace individual boards when necessary.
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