Well, I can tell you the pros here will tell you that any hidden system is not worth it. The main thing you forgot to mention is the decking you have chosen (i.e. Ipe, PT, composite, etc.) This is a huge factor to consider, even before you think about the fasteners.
I personally just used the Ipe Clips with my Ipe deck, and am extremely happy. If I had to do it over again, I would have gone with the thicker Ipe (1 inch instead of the 3/4) and still used the Ipe Clips. I had little problems with them, and I hate the face nailing idea (it is a personal thing).
Those clips you showed are sold at my local Home Depot. You can buy them one at a time too, so I recommend that you try them out first, on a test area. I bet you wont like them. Good Luck getting the nails to always go in perfectly perpendicular to the joists (even with a nail gun). I personally would never touch those at all.

If you are going to go with composite (like Trex) you can face screw, then the small amount of material that "mushrooms up" can be tapped down with a hammer, and it will almost cover the entire hole, making them nearly invisible.

Good Luck.

Nuts and the bolts is right,I give the clips a big thumbs down but thats just me,I go with T&G material for the no fastener showing look that way the decking is fastened to the frame and not floating on a little clip also after all that work and money look down and you still see the clip and the screw, not for me. Side Note>>> I get a Lot more $ for T&G decks at about half the cost of using the clips plus the material has already been sized just from runing thru the machine. John

I'm not too crazy about clips at the moment...I'm in the process of sanding flat some very cupped deck boards that the ipe Clips didn't hold down.

Thanks for the answers.

Nutsandbolts: Decking will be either a tropical hardwood (ipe or similar, if I find a good price, most retailers here sell ipe at around $4.5/sqft) or thermally treated pine.
About this last one, I haven't seen much discussion or ads, outside Europe. It's a thing develloped by the finnish, they heat the pine, (or spruce, birch, ash, oak, etc) until 190ºC (380ºF) or 210ºC (410ºF), through a step process, in a controlled atmosphere. The resulting wood is much more stable, resistant to decay, darker, although somewhat more brittle. This supposedly avoids using chemical preservatives.
I've had a look at the IPE Clips, they look similar to some other hidden fasteners. You said any hidden fastener isn't worth it, but finally you're satisfied with this one ?

John Hyatt : Your idea of using T&G instead of all this hidden fastener fussiness looks quite straightforward but some questions arise to mind :
What about water drainage ? T&G boards looks prone to entrap water inside joints. Also, it will be necessary to slant the deck with a minimum inclination (>1% ?).
And the expansion gap between each tongue and groove must be higher than normal T&G construction ?

Well, for me, I like the Ipe clips. On another post, I questioned the benefit of face screwing, since I have seen Ipe cup even when face screwed. If I had the chance to buy the Ipe again, I would go with the thicher, true 1 inch (called 5/4) boards. They are more money, but I think they are much more stable. I paid less than what a composite would have cost me, and I really like the look of Ipe. I know many here use EastTeak.com, and I had great success and dealings with BristolValleyHardwoods.com I got to specify exact lengths I needed, and not just a total board foot. My deck has no but ends on it for a clean look, and it has full boxed stairs on three sides (no railings) and each stair is also one board with no butt-ends.

Decker its a deal with T&G ipe,I got the idea from TimberTech material like 7 years ago so I tried it with my project out back of Butler Manor a floor for a hot tub room now I live in cow town Oklahoma so the weather can change and it did I framed the thing installed T&G 1x6 ipe with construstion adhesive fastened thru the T, then it rained then it froze,then it warmed up,then it froze you get the picture. 0 movement I waited until the late spring to frame the building, still no movement and no problems even as we speek. So I put the stuff down for money. All my projects with T&G ipe are framed flat and leval I do install a little 1/2'' slot in the T every 3' or so just like TT T&G material, I have some big money projects out done just this way with 0 call backs. George over EastTeak way is a full survice Mill,the man can bevel the edges,use a round over,put a grouve in the middle anything you want. Installing ipe this way makes a great looking deck,the fastners dont show,the decking is secure to the frame. J

Hey all been a while since ive been on here but I have a new project under way and thought I would jump on here and see what was going on and see if i could be a help before I was a pest... For the hidden fasteners I used the Ipe Clips and had no problms using them. My deck has been down for a little over a year and looks great. I was wondering if John could answer me a question on the fastening, how do you use T&G in an open application with no problems there must be a heck of a pitch that you put on thoes decks to get proper water drainage and you must use a good end sealer on the Ipe that you work with being in Oklahoma (I was born in Tulsa). I went with the Ipe Clips over the T&G because I heard no matter what wood you use it will move, and being T&G with no covered roof its going to shrink and expand (I live in S. Cal) I talked to John at Advantage Trim and Lumber and he told me stories of people that had T&G Ipe shrink a 1/16th of an inch. I know its not alot but you get T&G for it to be soild with no gaps. I looked at many other clips before I went with the Ipe Clips, the main selling point was the new stainless steal insert in the clips (Ipe Clip Extremes). Hope I was a help and John please give me some feed back when you get a chance in what sounds like a busy Contractors Life.

Thanks for the replies.

Well, starting to look more seriously about the T&G idea.

joyce54: It's just my two cents, but I suppose the idea of T&G is not of having a tight fitted deck boards, there should be an expansion gap between the boards. And the movement will be disguised by the T sliding inside the G.
But maybe John has some words to say...

John stated in another post that he carefully notches the groove every 3 feet or so, to allow for drainage. I doubt much of an angle would make a difference on a deck overall, especially if the wood shrinks and expands. The slight incline would not be "stable." Anyway, I recall john saying he adds a small notch for drainage. Honestly, that should be enough.

T&G material is not made to jam up,there is always space in there to alow for movement inside or out side work,keep in mind your not building an inside project this is a Deck not a dance floor a person wants hmmmm say a skinny 1/8'' inbetween boards after the ipe has gone thru a weather cycle, your also not building a boat the rain gets thru those little cracks just fine I am not looking for the water to flow over the top to the edge of the deck it drains the same as any other material.The machine that mills the lumber cuts all 4 sides so the problems with diferant size lumber that is pretty normal has aready been fixed, thats a deal that must drive the clip users mad. The frame has got to be secure with all my projects I dont go more than a 6' span on the 16'' oc .40 joists and I place a lot of foundation, use a high grade construston adhesive this protects the ipe from the water moving out of the green pt frame in the first few important weeks also it will add a little hold down power and leval out the constant bad milling done to the pt lumber,cross vintalation I cant stress that enough.For a wood project I only use ipe for T&G decks for a lot of rasons.So Deck Folks I am headed to the first Tecate of the day it was around 102 over here with 99 humid going on I am a hot tired ol Carpenter. J

Sorry, the week end has made me forget all this...

John: you say you'll only use ipe for T&G decks. What are the problems with using other woods ? (for T&G decks) E.g. pine treated or similar ?

Ipe is the only material I have used that is strong and stable enough. J

First, read ALL the information on the Deckmaster System at
deckmaster.com > support and expert's views on clips.
Remember to read ALL of it.

Hi,

I got a contractor to build a 15'x12' decks.

The contractor say he's going to have the deck slope 1/2" or 1" for water drainage.

I thought the deck should be level.

Which method is correct?

thanks

how do i delete the above post