As such, if you are screwing through a hardwood piece, you will want to either go with a thinner screw or drill a pilot hole through the hardwood board. Type of wood: Hardwoods (walnut, etc.) are more prone to splitting than softwoods (pine, etc.). Grain orientation: If you are joining two boards face-to-face, you will not need screws as long as when joining screws face-to-end grain. If it needs to be able to withstand lateral load (twisting), make sure to use thicker screws or nails. Type of load: If your joint will need to be able to withstand a lot of withdrawal load (the two boards pulling apart from each other horizontally), make sure to use longer screws than you normally would.
Also, if it’s a larger job, make sure you are following your local regulations. If it’s structural, make sure to use stronger screws, or even consider using nails. Structural importance: You should consider whether your application is cosmetic or structural. In other words, you can place the screw deeper in your top piece. If you want to change the ratio of the length of the screw in the two pieces, you can use counter-sink holes.
Size of workpieces: Obviously, you cannot have a screw that is longer than the sum of the widths of the two pieces you are joining. There are some criteria that are more important than others, and so I sorted them roughly in the order of importance. There are several things that you need to consider when choosing the right wood screw size for your application. Factors to Consider When Picking Wood Screw Size However, you have to be careful not to have a screw that is so long that it sticks out of your workpiece. The longer and the thicker a screw is, the stronger it holds two pieces together. Gauge: It’s typically denoted in a simple number (4 gauge, 5 gauge, etc.) and it determines the thickness of the screw’s thickness.Length: It’s typically denoted in inches and consists of the length of the screw’s shank (the unthreaded part) and of the thread.There are two things that determine the size of a screw: After all, while a picture frame falling off the wall would cause relatively minor damage, a shed you built in your garden falling apart could have more serious consequences. The more structural of a joint you are doing, the more important it becomes to pick the right screw. Keep in mind, though, that it’s just a rule of thumb.Īfter all, if you followed it literally, your screw would be sticking out of your workpiece anytime you tried to join two pieces of the same thickness. Of that, 1.5 inches would go through the 2×4 being attached with the remaining 3 inches would anchor the board into the main piece. It says that the anchor length of a fastener should be twice that of the workpiece you are fastening.Ĭonsidering that rule and the fact that a finished 2×4 is 1.5 x 3.5 inches, you would need a 4.5 inches long screw to attach it to another piece of wood. Before that, though, here’s a quick rule of thumb you can refer to. However, even if that’s the case, I recommend reading through the whole article before you commit to that size.Ī Rule of Thumb for Choosing the Right Screw Sizeįurther down, I’ll get into a more systematic approach to choosing the right screw size for your application. If you are looking to join 2x4s, the best screw size to use in most cases is 2.5 inches long, gauge 8 or 9. And, while there is no one-size-fits-all formula, there are some general rules to follow and factors to consider.īefore jumping in, though, a quick answer in case you are looking for an answer to the most common situation.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing the right screw size for a wide range of situations. The second most important question is what size of fasteners to use. One of the most important questions to answer before joining two boards is what kind of fasteners to use. Handyman's World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to.
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