Types of Screws and Screwdrivers

Featured Pro: Eric Stromer
Category: Home Improvement
Time: 4:42


ERIC STROMER: Hey, I’m Eric Stromer, and this is your GMC Trade Secret.

I’m on my way to the hardware store to talk about all the different types of screws you can use.

I’m with my friend Jason here at Crown City Hardware.

You know, there’s a whole lot more to screws than meets the eye, isn’t there?

JASON: Yes, there is.

ERIC: So tell me about these brass screws, for example.

JASON: Well, brass screws normally are used for decorative. These screws right here are not very strong. They’re basically for beauty. If you try to use this screw on an outdoor fence, it’s just going to break.

ERIC: Okay, good. So the application really for brass only is decorative -

JASON: Is decorative.

ERIC: - not structural.

JASON: It’s going to age. It’s going to darken. And that’s what it’s for. Now, as you can see on the different heads of these screws, you have Phillips that are countersync. You have slotted that are countersync. And that all goes to the look that you’re going for.

ERIC: By countersyncing, you mean the tapered head so that it sits flat or slightly below –

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: - the surface of what you’re screwing into.

JASON: Yes. And you’ll be using a particular tool to do that as you’re installing this particular screw.

ERIC: Great. And then from there we get into something a little more structural.

JASON: Well, you’re getting into your machine screws. That means that it’s threaded and that it’s going to go into an area where it’s threaded or you’re going to use it with a nut, a washer and a split washer, which is like this. And that’ll prevent the screw from loosening for whatever it is you’re using.

ERIC: So if you’re fastening two pieces of wood or metal together, this is the system you would use.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: And the key to keeping the bolt from twisting is this split washer here.

JASON: Yes, correct.

ERIC: Great. So, you know, it really is important, when you’re going in to buy bolts, screws, anything where you’re fastening, to kind of have a grasp, an understanding, conceptualize what you’re doing.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: Correct?

JASON: Yes. As we move over, we here at Crown City Hardware, we carry the truss head screw, which is for knobs and pulls.

ERIC: You’d see that in the back of a kitchen cabinet knob situation –

JASON: There you go, yeah.

ERIC: - like that.

JASON: That’s because it lets the homeowner use either a flat slotted screw or a Phillips. It’s giving you both choices, whatever tool you have.

ERIC: And, you know, it’s really important, before a homeowner comes to buy screws, that they measure the thickness of their cabinet door –

JASON: Correct. Correct.

ERIC: - because these come in so many different variable lengths.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: You can actually get it perfect, can’t you?

JASON: Yes. Yes.

ERIC: Great. All right, cool.

Jason, this is a number 12 three-and-a-half-inch slot head screw. So when you say that, number 12 means the thickness of the screw.

JASON: The thickness of the screw.

ERIC: So four to 14 is your screw circumference sizes.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: And then the second number, two and a half, three and a half, all that and so on –

JASON: Would be the length.

ERIC: - is the length. Great. So that’s a nice slot head screw. What would that be used for?

JASON: That would be used for outdoor wood. As we go down the aisle here, you’re going to see that we have this particular screw. This is called a self-tapping screw. It goes in the sheet metal. It can go in the fencing, square metal, what the fences are made out of. And basically this screw, you would put a hex head on your drill.

ERIC: Yeah.

JASON: And you would drive the screw in. See how it has a particular tip?

ERIC: Yeah.

JASON: That tip’s going to go right into the metal and self-tap it for you.

ERIC: So by self-tapping, you mean it drills its own hole –

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: - and it starts the screw on its own.

JASON: Starts the screw on it, and it’ll tighten up. You won’t need a nut on the other side or anything like that.

ERIC: So these are some variations in the screw head.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: You’ve got your hex head. You’ve got your slots we were talking about.

JASON: Slotted.

ERIC: And then here, with these deck screws –

JASON: Now, these deck screws right here are very particular. They’re stainless steel screws. They’re normally used for decking. They’re very decorative as far as the head.

ERIC: Yeah.

JASON: As you can see, it has a square slotted head. That also gives you more speed –

ERIC: Yeah.

JASON: - as you’re working at installing the deck.

ERIC: And stainless steel obviously impervious to all weather conditions.

JASON: Yes.

ERIC: Great choice for outdoor decking.

JASON: Moving along, we’re here at the pan head Phillips. As you can see, this particular screw is threaded all the way to the head.

ERIC: Okay.

JASON: It’s not like your wood screw where it has a blank right under the head; it has a blank space.

ERIC: And what’s the purpose of that?

JASON: Because this is going on metal, you need it to be more secure.

ERIC: I see.

JASON: When you’re going into wood, you’re basically wedging two pieces of wood together with the screw.

ERIC: Right.

JASON: The blank side on the screw is what’s helping you wedge.

ERIC: I see.

JASON: Now, this particular screw, sheet metal. And as you can see, it’s threaded all the way up.

ERIC: I see. So that really fastens two flat pieces of sheet metal together –

JASON: Yes. Yes.

ERIC: - and sucks them close and tight.

JASON: Yes. Here’s a hex head sheet metal screw.

ERIC: And again, you can see the threading goes all the way up to the top.

JASON: All the way to the top.

ERIC: Built-in washer. You’ve got your hex head or your slotted.

JASON: Slotted.

ERIC: That gives you two options.

JASON: Two options to fasten this particular screw.

ERIC: I see. Great. All right.

JASON: And as we finish up, we finish up with a countersync screw, which is going to give you a clean, flush finish.

ERIC: Flushes down into the surface you’re screwing into with the Phillips head.

All right, there you go. Make sure you pick the right screw for the right job.

I’m Eric Stromer. That’s your GMC Trade Secret.

Say goodbye, Jason.

JASON: Goodbye.