Timber Construction Screw – We Take a Deeper Look

Timber construction screws – types and applications

Unlike ordinary wood screws, which come in handy when performing assembly work, for instance, setting up furniture or building garden structures, construction screws are intended for working in structural timber, used in the construction of buildings, e.g. roof framing components. This is precisely why they are typically longer and thicker, which enables them to form durable, effective, and secure joints. 

The wide selection of screws dedicated to timber structures includes models of diverse characteristics. They can be classified according to the following characteristics:

• screw head type: conical (countersunk), flat (wafer being the most common), cylindrical,
• thread type – featuring full or partial, as well as double threads,
• material – they can be made of stainless or zinc-plated (being the most common)

Did you know that…?

• Construction screws are sometimes interchangeably referred to as purlin (or joinery) screws
• Some manufacturers use a color-coding system for their screws to identify their size, eg the 160mm screw might have a blue head, the 120mm a yellow head, and the 80mm a white head. The screw colour coded heads assure correct installation, particularly to identify length and size of the fastener which is not visible once they are installed.

Applications for construction screws

Timber construction screws are used most typically in jobs such as the following:

1. Construction of timber frame houses – timber screws are crucial when it comes to joining the structural components of timber frame houses.
2. Installation of roof trusses – they are commonly used to join roof truss framework members.
3. Installation of beams and columns in timber structures – timber screws are used to fix floor beams, ceiling beams, and columns.
4. Refurbishment and renovation work – timber construction screws are used in renovation and structural reinforcement works in existing buildings, where additional stability and mechanical strength are required.
5. Interior load bearing structures – they are also used to reinforce load bearing structures inside buildings, for example, when building partition walls or stairs. 
6. Terrace and deck construction – these screws prove perfect for fixing decking boards to the supporting structure.
7. Fencing construction – e.g. for fixing panels and boards to wooden posts.
8. Construction of garden furniture and building exterior development – on account of their strength and resistance to external conditions, they are used in the construction of garden furniture, gazebos, tool houses, and other outdoor structures.

The construction screws are normally available with large wafer head providing maximised setting force and pull-through capacity and comes in two diameter variants: 6.0 or 8.0 mm, and lengths ranging from 40 to 400 mm.