Can You Use Stainless Steel Screws In Pressure Treated Wood

22 for 1 lb.

Can you use stainless steel screws in pressure treated wood.

Graphus mar 23 18 at 17 28. Anyhoooo about the screws while hot dipped galvanised and stainless screws are both good choices they are not the only ones you can use. There are numerous multi coated screws available that are also fine to use with all treated woods. Mechanically galvanized screws are generally suitable for decks and other outdoor projects made of pressure treated lumber.

Corrosion resistant stainless steel screws nails and bolts in grades 304 and 305 can be used for copper treated wood in most areas while grade 316 should be used in coastal areas. Regarding code issues section r317 3 1 of the 2009 international residential code irc addresses fasteners for pressure preservative and fire retardant treated wood. Hot dip galvanized steel and stainless steel fasteners and industrial consumables. Although it s great for masonry screws fasteners made from it aren t sufficiently corrosion resistant and so shouldn t be used with pressure treated lumber.

See this on the wood magazine site for a little more. Bolts of and greater do not need to be hot dip galvanized steel stainless steel silicon bronze or copper. Stainless steel is much more expensive than steel whether it be bare powder coated or hdg. The 2006 international residential code states fasteners for pressure preservative and fire retardant treated wood shall be of hotdipped zinc coated galvanized steel stainless steel silicon bronze or copper.

While stainless steel screws might be better suited to building projects with much heavier materials that require stronger tensile support. Nevertheless you should not use them with pt lumber in contact with the soil in high moisture areas or in areas with salt content in the air. And unlike other fasteners stainless steel screws nails or bolts cannot be used safely with galvanized structural connectors because of adverse chemical reactions. That said the corrosion resistant nature of zinc makes it a better option if using pressure treated wood or using it for a building project in moister climates.

There are a couple things to keep in mind though. The coating weights for zinc coated fasteners shall be in accordance with astm a153. Because of the high chromium content in stainless steel which prevents corrosion it s also a good choice for any fasteners that you plan to use on pressure treated wood. Grade 410 is designed more for hardness than for resistance to corrosion.