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Screw GuideBy Jim Sulski Summary: Screws come in many varieties, and choosing the wrong screw will hurt your project. Screw buying is made easier with this guide to screws. That old adage of "the right tool for the right job" applies not only to tools but to the hardware as well.
Too often do-it-yourselfers use the wrong screw or fastener for a job, only to find the screw or fastener doesn't cut it. Usually, when someone is working on a job, they'll usually grab whatever screw or fastener is lying around. The downside here is that screw or fastener doesn't always hold and they have to start the job over. So they wind up driving to the hardware store and buying the right thing. As anyone who has been down the hardware aisle can attest, there are literally dozens of choices in dozens of sizes. To help make the right choice, what follows is a guide to the different types of screws and some of the jobs they're best for. •One of the most popular types of screw is the drywall screw, which comes in a number of sizes and a number of lengths (from about an inch to about four inches). As it name states, the drywall screw was designed for adhering sheets of drywall to a wood stud. Because this bugle-shaped, flat head screw has tight threads that run the length of its body, it has become a sort of favorite all-purpose screw for do-it-yourselfers. The threads allow it to really lock into the wood well. It's also a strong screw and it can also be driven in with a drill which saves time. •A deck screw is sort of an outdoor counterpart to the drywall screw except that it is also rustproof. Because of its good grip, people use the deck screw on a lot more than decks - such as reattaching siding or attaching a mailbox to a house. They can also be used indoors. •Sheet metal screws, which are also threaded their entire length, have become another common toolbox item because of their versatility and their ability to grip well into the surface. In fact, many do-it-yourselfers prefer the grip of a sheet metal screw, which is made for working with sheet metal, over a wood screw. Versus a wood screw, the shank of the sheet metal screw is the same diameter its entire length, which gives it a good grip into whatever it's going into. In addition, they also hold better because they're threaded all the way down. Sheet metal screws come in a number of sizes and in lengths of one-quarter inch to three inches. The heads come in a number of shapes: Flat, pan, round and hex. •A wood screw or flathead screw is a general all-purpose screw that is usually driven flush to the surface or is countersunk below the surface. Its threads run about three-quarters of the way up its body. Variations of the wood screw include the oval-headed screw, which produces a decorative look, and the roundhead screw, which can be used to lock flat, thin surfaces - such as electrical box - to a wood surface such as a stud. The nice thing about wood screws is the wide variety of sizes and shapes available, particularly for smaller sizes. They're also available in different colors such as bright brass for aesthetic purposes. •Lag screws or bolts are designated for heavy-duty jobs, such as attaching stud framing to wood floors, securing a hinge to a wood gate, or reattaching posts to a deck. They are usually driven in with a crescent or socket wrench and have a hex or square shaped head. Size-wise, they start at about an inch and go as long as a foot. Diameters start at one-quarter inch and go up to three-quarters inch. •Masonry screws are designed to lock into masonry, such as brick, concrete or mortar, without a fastener or anchor. They usually come with a hex head and you have to predrill a pilot hole with a masonry drill bit. These are mostly used on the exterior of brick homes or in basements for hanging shelves or fixtures to the walls
© by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. June 20, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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