Builders Hardware: Four Practical Tips for Choosing and Using Fasteners
Posted on: 7 May 2019
Proper fastening hardware is essential when building your house. The lack of good fasteners could lead to structural instabilities. In simple terms, these pieces of builders hardware are designed to connect two or more materials. Therefore, if these are not reliable, you might have to deal with accidental disconnections. The right hardware is also crucial if you would like to promote the longevity of your structure. In addition to acquiring reliable fasteners, you should use the units correctly to ensure optimal performance. Here are some important tips for choosing and utilising fasteners for the best building results.
Avoid Mixing Materials
When choosing your building fasteners, you should look for compatible materials. In simple terms, it is important to purchase hardware made of a material which will work well with the pertinent building materials. If two different metals are mixed, there will be a significant risk of premature corrosion. For instance, if you use aluminium hardware to nail stainless steel sheets, you will notice galvanic corrosion due to the contact between the materials. This problem is caused because electrons tend to transfer between metals of different levels of reactivity. Therefore, avoid this problem by choosing compatible materials.
Consider the Environment
It is advisable for you to evaluate the environment before purchasing fasteners. This is particularly important if you are dealing with harsh conditions. For instance, metallic fasteners are vulnerable to fast deterioration in coastal houses because of the saline environment. If you are looking for suitable fasteners for placement in adverse areas, you should think about the most durable metal for use. Under ideal circumstances, you should choose marine-grade steel fasteners. These can withstand a lot of salinity in the air without corrosion. However, if the environment is not very harsh, you can opt for galvanised or standard stainless steel hardware.
Choose the Right Tools
The stability and durability of your fasteners will depend significantly on the types of tools used to drive the hardware. If the wrong tools are used, the hardware might sustain damage, causing the connection in the structure to be unreliable. In other cases, the hardware might cause damage to building materials such as timber. Therefore, it is important to check the manufacturer's specifications on driving in different fasteners. Most mistakes are made in relation to screws. For instance, an unsuitable screwdriver could damage the head of your fasteners. You should avoid this by choosing a suitably sized driver. Also, consider pre-drilling your wood for screw installation to avoid damaging the wood.
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