Time to pitch the old bucket of rusty screws and nails, the run-down on fasteners that make your DIY projects faster and easier.
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If you have been around the construction industry, or DIY’ing for several years, you have undoubtedly noticed a decline in quality of many materials. Especially solid wood materials such as dimensional lumber. Fortunately through re-forestation some of these materials are now coming back up to quality standards of the past. And yes, like everything, the quality comes with a cost. But for now most of the material is still lower quality.
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The good news – as many wood products quality have declined, fastener quality and functionality has significantly increased. This Popular Mechanics article gives some great examples! Spax makes a great line of multipurpose screws and GRK produces screws that are fantastic replacements for standard lag screws. No more drilling pilot holes, or pulling out the ratchet when installing rims and joists. Before you ask, YES, they do meet building codes!
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Many of the new fasteners also employ torx head (pictured below) instead of phillips head, or flat head screws. (Can anyone tell me the benefit of flat head screws?) The increased “bite” means they won’t strip or “cam out” like traditional screws. Great for decks or any exterior project with exposed finished wood. Most manufactures include the torx bit in the package of fasteners, do you don’t have to purchase them separately. If you do need extra bits, always check the package for the appropriate bit size.
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The other type of fastener worth mentioning — concrete or masonry anchors. Manufacturers have finally figured out that wider, more open threads “bite” and hold in concrete or masonry better than tight threads. Again, many of these fasteners do not require a pilot hole or a sleeve anchor. Makes the job easier, faster, and cheaper.
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So, don’t be a fastener Luddite. Give the new fasteners a try, you can thank me later. Be safe, and happy screwing!
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