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Best decking screws for UK softwood decks

Updated: October 2026

You have the boards, the joists are down, and you want one name to type into amazon.co.uk. In the set we compared, the best decking screws for an ordinary inland deck on treated softwood are the ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm Pozi screws in a box of 200. The best value is the TIMCO Classic 4.5 x 70 mm box, which adds length for thicker boards. The full table of 11 packs is on the [decking screws comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/decking-screws). Ratings are amazon.co.uk figures from October 2026, not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the boards, the joists are down, and you want one name to type into amazon.co.uk.

Our top picks

Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm

Best overall

Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm
9.2/10about £5.84
View offer
TIMCO TIMCO Classic 4.5 x 70 mm

Best value

TIMCO TIMCO Classic 4.5 x 70 mm
8.9/10about £8.50
View offer
Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 75 mm

Rank 3

Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 75 mm
8.7/10about £7.51
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Top pick for inland softwood boards
  2. 2.Best value for 28 mm boards
  3. 3.Packs that look strong and are the wrong job
  4. 4.Who should skip both picks

Top pick for inland softwood boards

The ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm box is the pack to open first: £5.84 for 200 green-coated screws, about 3p each, with 4.7 stars from 2,831 amazon.co.uk reviews. At 60 mm it suits boards of about 24 mm under the TDCA rule, and it is short for 32 mm boards. UK reviews report stripped Pozi heads when an impact driver hits a knot. The head-type field says flat although the title says countersunk. Coated carbon steel is the wrong metal for oak or the coast.

Best value for 28 mm boards

The TIMCO Classic 4.5 x 70 mm box is the best value, at £8.50 for 200 and 4.7 stars from 197 reviews. At 70 mm it meets the TDCA rule for a 28 mm board. ForgeFix 75 mm is £7.51 with 4.6 from 2,552 reviews, but UK texts include a bent batch, a short box and shallow Pozi recesses. The TIMCO texts show no snap or rust pattern. The drive is unnamed, and a finish field says zinc while the title says green. The £5.21 ForgeFix 50 mm box only suits boards of about 20 mm.
Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm

Testsieger

Forgefix ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm
9.2/10about £5.84
View offer

Packs that look strong and are the wrong job

The AJ Timber 200 mm hex screws hold 4.8 stars from 580 reviews, at £27.49 for 50. UK buyers use them on posts, sleepers and retaining walls. An 8 mm hex head will not sit flush in a deck board. One reviewer could not self-drill them full depth through oak sleepers, and the 1,000-hour salt-spray line does not predict years outdoors under ISO 9227. The Zynthor 6.7 x 63 mm hex screw, £12.99 for 50, is the same frame job, and the saved listing has no reviews.

Who should skip both picks

Skip both green picks if an impact driver keeps stripping the recess. Zynthor 4.8 x 75 mm has a T25 drive at £8.99 for 50, about 18p a screw, from nine reviews. The METALLIXITY Torx box is £23.79 for a stated 200, with mixed-country reviews and a unit count of 100. On the coast or in oak, move to stainless, as set out on stainless or coated decking screws. HOME IT, the only A4 pack, conflicts between 6 x 100 mm and 4.2 x 55 mm and has no UK-labelled reviews. Fixing is in how to screw down decking boards, and length in the decking screws buying guide.

Common questions

What are the best decking screws for a softwood deck?
In our comparison of 11 amazon.co.uk packs, the top pick for an inland treated-softwood deck is the ForgeFix 4.5 x 60 mm Pozi box of 200, at £5.84 with 4.7 stars from 2,831 reviews. For 28 mm boards, the TIMCO Classic 4.5 x 70 mm box at £8.50 is the best value because its length meets the TDCA 2.5 times rule.
Is the cheapest 50 mm decking screw box good value?
The ForgeFix 4.5 x 50 mm box is the cheapest board screw we compared at £5.21 for 200. It is good value only for boards of about 20 mm, fence slats and trellis. On standard 28 to 32 mm deck boards, 50 mm is shorter than the TDCA rule of 2.5 times board thickness, so a 60 or 70 mm box is the better buy.
Why are 200 mm hex screws not the best decking screws?
The AJ Timber 200 mm hex screws have the highest star line among well-reviewed packs, 4.8 from 580, but they are coach screws for posts, sleepers and frames. Their 8 mm hex heads stand proud of a deck board and become a trip hazard. Use them for the frame and a countersunk 60 to 75 mm screw for the boards.
Are Torx decking screws better than Pozi?
Torx decking screws resist cam-out better with an impact driver, and UK reviews of Pozi boxes mention stripped heads on knots. In this set, Torx options cost more per screw: the Zynthor 4.8 x 75 mm pack is about 18p each and METALLIXITY about 12p, against 3 to 4p for the Pozi boxes. With a drill-driver on a low clutch, Pozi is usually fine.
Do high star ratings mean decking screws were lab tested?
No. The star ratings on amazon.co.uk listings come from buyers, not from a laboratory. Our scores combine those stars, the number of reviews, the length for the job, and defects reported in UK reviews. Salt-spray hours on a listing are a test comparison, and ISO 9227 says they do not predict a service life in years.
Which decking screws should I buy for a coastal deck?
Neither green coated pick suits a coastal deck. Choose A4 (316-type) stainless steel, which BSSA names for chloride exposure under BS EN ISO 3506. The only A4 pack we compared has a size conflict between its title and its specification and no UK-labelled reviews, so confirm the length and diameter on the live listing before ordering.

Related pages

Screws and accessories

Decking screws

Decking screws buying guide for length, metal and drive

Composite decking screws or clips for hollow boards

How to screw down decking boards and keep them flat

Stainless or coated decking screws for your garden

Sources

Public UK sources on deck fixings, stainless grades, salt spray, permitted development and eye protection. Listing prices and star counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 and 16 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. TDCA, Deck fixings FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. TDCA, Metal fixings (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, Permitted development technical guidance (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. BSSA, Stainless steel fasteners (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. ISO 9227:2017 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. TIMCO, Salt-spray test reports (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Ecodek, Composite screws and clips (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. HSE, Using the right type of PPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)