Woodscrews

Wood screws can be used indoors or outdoors for many purposes including attaching hinges, door hardware and locks. Woodscrews have mainly a slotted head or a crosshead Phillips type, these are the standard heads for wood screws. There are a couple of newer head types now, one has a square head and the other a square-headed Phillips type. These newer wood screws have better gripping power and are less likely to strip the wood as they are screwed in. Wood screws can also have round, oval or flat heads.

Wood screws are often made with hardened steel but are sometimes made from brass and steel, some wood screws have special coating layers to help prevent rusting or corroding, but this coating can sometimes stain the wood, so are best used on darker woods. Woodscrews are available in different lengths and sizes. You can choose the right wood screw for the depth of the wood you are using, longer ones for thick wood and shorter for thinner wood or more exact work. It is preferable to use woodscrews instead of simply nailing the wood as they are easier to remove if needed, without causing damage to the wood.

Wood screws are available in a single thread or a twin thread which are faster to drive into place and are ideal for chipboard and softwoods. Most wood screws have a strong thread to grab the wood well. To make woodscrews easier to drive in, look for ones that have a countersunk top as this helps stop the screwdriver from slipping. Some wood screws are designed to help prevent the wood they are driving into from splitting or cracking, this also saves time as you won't need to pre-drill the wood either.