Every homeowner needs to know all kinds of things, including different types of screws that are out there. You might know by now that a screw is a type of hardware that you can use to fasten things up. It is usually made of metal. You see a screw every day, fastening anything you can think of. It can be used to attach pieces of wood together, fasten your laptop, fasten your doorknob, and so many other things.
A screw is made up of three different parts. One part is the head of the screw or a screw head, another part is the shaft that has a specific shape, and another part is a point that is located at the other end of the head. The shaft of a screw has a specific shape which has a helical ridge. It is shaped specifically like this so that you can turn the screw into another material, thus allowing you to hold objects together.
As we have said before, there are several different types of screws that you can use. Sure, it sounds pretty weird. How many kinds of screws can there be? You might think that there are only a few. However, there are actually a lot of different types of screws that it is possible for you to lose count.
There are many different screws for a reason. Each and every one of those different screws has different characteristics that make them perfect for a certain kind of project. Do not worry, you should not be overwhelmed. We are going to tell you all you need to know about the different types of screws that you can use for whatever project that you are having.
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Types of Screws
When it comes to choosing a type of screw, you need to know the purpose of each screw. You also need to make sure that the screw you are choosing is suitable for the project that you are doing. That way, you will know that your screw will do whatever it needs to do for your project perfectly.
Another reason why choosing the right screw is important is so that you can prepare the tools that you will need to work with your screw. You are going to need some tools for your screw such as a screwdriver. If you know what type of screw you are using, you will definitely know what tools you will need too.
Screws are differentiated based on several things. Some of those things are the material that is suitable for them or simply their shapes. Well, without further ado, here are several types of screws that you definitely need to take a look at.
1. Wood Screw
The first type of screw is the wood screw. As its name suggests, this type of screw is used to attach pieces of wood together. That is why a wood screw will be drilled into the wood. This type of screw is perfect if your project involves materials that are made out of wood, such as making a dog house or a new desk, DIY style.
A wood screw is usually made out of bronze, brass, steel, or even stainless steel. It can have many types of screw heads like flat, oval, pan, hex, or round. This kind of screw is also often beveled under its head. It also comes in several different sizes and lengths.
2. Concrete Screw
Have you ever wondered if you could put screws in concrete? Well, this type of screw is designed to specifically be used for concrete. A concrete screw is actually the only kind of screw that is strong enough to be able to penetrate through concrete. Since concrete is super dense, you definitely need a screw that is quite strong.
A concrete screw also comes in different sizes and lengths. These screws are able to attach whatever object you like onto concrete very easily. This is simply because they are quite capable when it comes to penetrating concrete.
Something that you need to remember if you are using a concrete screw for your project is the fact that you also need to master the art of drilling the hole inside of your concrete. This is because the depth of your hole will determine the effectiveness of your screw. Concrete often collects dust inside of them. If you do not drill deep enough, your screw will not be able to fasten appropriately.
3. Dowel Screw
A dowel screw is a screw that is has a double end. Its other name is actually a double-ended screw. A double end means that this screw has no screw head. It is also pointy on both ends and has helical ridges that extend on both ends.
This type of screw is often used for wood. It can be used to fasten wood to another wood. It can also be used to create a joint that is hidden between two planks of wood. That way, the two pieces of wood will be fastened to its permanent and appropriate position which is usually apart from each other. You need to pre-drill the hole onto both pieces of wood before you use this screw on them.
4. Drive Screw
Another type of screw from this list of types of screws is the drive screw. A drive screw is a kind of screw that has a round head that is smooth and shaped like a mushroom head. This screw also has a shank that is reduced in diameter.
A drive screw is often used to join materials such as plastic or metal. In order to use this screw on your material, you need to pre-drill the hole first. After that, you can insert this screw into your hole by pounding it with a hammer into the hole. This type of screw is made for permanent fastening so you cannot pull it out after you use it.
5. Drywall Screw
This next type of screw is one that is used for any drywall work. A drywall screw is a screw that you can use to attach wood or metal studs to your drywall. This kind of screw is usually coated with black phosphate and has a bugle screw head.
There are several varieties of a drywall screw. There are various lengths, threads, and diameters that drywall screws have. Before you decide on which type of drywall screw you need, you need to make sure that its length, thread, and diameter will do the job perfectly for you.
6. Masonry Screw – Types of Screws
A masonry screw, as its name suggests, is a screw that is used to fasten materials to masonry. However, it can also be used to fasten things to concrete. That is why it is an alternative to a concrete screw.
In order to be able to fasten things perfectly using a masonry screw, you need to consider a few things. A masonry screw is most effective to fasten lightweight things to masonry. You will also need a pre-drill hole to insert this screw to the masonry. And since masonry can also accumulate dust, it is important for you to be thorough in making your pre-drill hole.
7. Lag Screw – Types of Screws
A lag screw, also known as a lag bolt, is one of the strongest types of screws that you can find out there. It is a screw that people often use to join wood and other things that are pretty heavy. This screw is definitely the one for you if you are looking to connect heavy things.
Before you use a lag screw, make sure that you have already made a pre-drilled hole. That way, all you need to do is to insert your screw in order to secure your heavy material together. A lag screw also needs to be connected with a nut on the other end of the head so that it can secure the material even more perfectly.
8. Decking Screw – Types of Screws
If you are looking for something to fasten your decking boards, a decking screw is what you need. A decking screw is also called a decking fastener. This type of screw is built to fasten your decking board flawlessly. It is the most ideal kind of screw to do the job because of how strong and resistant it is.
Wooden decks are often exposed to the ever-changing weather such as the wind, rain, and so on. A decking screw is usually made of stainless steel. It is also often coated in wax or ceramic. This allows the screw to be able to resist corrosion and withstand any conditions that wooden decks are often exposed to.
Other than being corrosive-resistant, a decking screw is also ideal for decking fastening because it can penetrate decking boards pretty easily. It is going to drive into the material easily and will sit flush with it the way you need it to. This kind of screw also comes in different shapes and sizes for your convenience.
9. Twinfast Screw – Types of Screws
A twinfast screw might be what you need for your home project. You can use a twinfast screw for essentially any fastening job that involves wood to wood. This type of screw is commonly used for assembling work such as assembling a cabinet or a desk.
A twinfast screw comes in many shapes and sizes. It also comes in different types of screw heads such as a flat head or a protruding head. You can just choose whichever type of twinfast screw that is ideal for the job. Because it has two threads, a twinfast screw will be very quick and easy to drive. It is perfect for simple and quick fastening.
10. Mirror Screw – Types of Screws
This next screw is perfect for you if you are trying to fasten things without having your screw exposed. A mirror screw is a traditional screw that you can use to fasten any kind of materials such as wood or machine. It can be used to fix doors, panels, and many other things.
The difference between a mirror screw and other types of screws is the fact that it has an internal thread at the head end of this screw. This thread is built so that you can put a mirror cap on top of this screw once you have driven it into a material. That way, the screw will be hidden. That is why this kind of screw is perfect if you want to fix something up while hiding the screw.
There is a variety of mirror screw caps that you can choose from. Mirror screw caps come in different sizes such as flat, mushroom, and dome. They also come with different finishes like bronze, brass, and chrome.
11. Chipboard Screw – Types of Screws
A chipboard screw, also known as a particle board screw, is one of the many types of screws that you can use to fasten down flooring that is made of chipboard. It is often made of carbon steel or stainless steel. This type of screw is also galvanized in order to prevent it from rusting. That is why it is quite ideal for chipboard fastening.
Because it is self-tapping, you do not need to make a pre-drilled hole before you drive this screw into the chipboard. But do not worry, a chipboard screw is very easy to screw in. Other than that, it will also drive into a material very neatly and fasten it pretty well since it has great strength in holding things together.
A chipboard screw comes in different shapes and sizes. It also comes in various head shapes for you to choose from. It is often used to fasten chipboards that have low, medium, or high density.
12. Security Head Screw – Types of Screws
When it comes to securing things in place, a security head screw will gladfully do the job for you. As its name suggests, a security head screw is a type of screw that will screw anything in place. It is made with a specific head shape that makes it hard, if not impossible, to be removed or disassembled.
The thing about security screws that makes them very secure is their drive. A security screw has a distinctive drive that is quite unconventional. This makes it very hard for you to tamper with it.
A security screw is commonly used to fasten things that need to be secured. That is why it is commonly used for fastening things such as license plates, cars, gutters, boats, and so on. Other than that, this type of screw is also used in areas of food prepping and processing.
Types of Screw Heads
Besides knowing the different types of screws, you also have to know the different types of screw heads. This is because different types of screw heads will also serve different purposes. That way, you will be able to know the type of screw head that suits your project the most.
Screw heads are differentiated based on their shapes. There are several types of screw heads such as pan head, round head, mushroom head, oval head, bugle head, cheese head, dome head, and many other types of head. Each of them is shaped differently, having different functions.
A round or oval, dome-shaped screw head is often used if you want to decorate your screw. A mushroom head has a similar dome shape but with a lower profile. That way, it can prevent any tampering. A flat screw head can be used if you cannot have any raises on top of your screw.
A cheese screw head is one that is shaped similar to a disc with an outer edge that is cylindrical. A bugle head is a screw head that transitions quite smoothly from its shank to the angle part of the head. A pan screw head has a round shape and a high outer edge. It also has quite a large surface area.
If you have knowledge regarding these screw heads, you will be able to decide which screw head that will help you the most. Other than that, you can also make sure that you have the right tools prepared for your work. That is why, aside from knowing different types of screws, knowing screw heads is also important.
Conclusion
Doing a DIY crafting project that needs screws is not an easy task, especially for beginners. You will have to prepare a lot of things such as required tools before you start your project. Other than that, you also have to make sure to calculate everything so that whatever project you are having runs smoothly.
One of the things that you need to consider is the type of screw that you need to use. You will know by now that there are many different types of screws that you can choose from. These screws are often differentiated based on the materials that they are perfect for or the distinctive characteristic that they have.
When it comes to choosing the right screw for your project, it is not only about just fastening your materials. You need to make sure that you use the right kind of screw for your fastening work. That way, you can make sure that your screw will stay flush and hold your materials appropriately. That is why you need to know these different types of screws.