Our experienced staff are always happy
to provide expert advice and help with your hardware needs.
Here are some of the questions we frequently hear:
1. Why do plated fasteners rust and stainless
or brass do not? Answer
2. Why do we carry two types of stainless screws? Answer
3. What is the controversy surrounding treated lumber and
traditional fasteners? Answer
4. What does "lifetime" warranty mean? Answer
5. How do I anchor items to a wall? Answer
1. Why do plated
fasteners rust and stainless or brass do not? The
rusting process is Mother Nature’s way of bringing
stability back to the world. Steel is a man-made product
that is inherently unstable. It has to be protected from
oxygen and moisture which is what causes steel to rust.
A plated fastener has a zinc coating that delays this process
by preventing, for a while, oxygen and moisture getting
at the carbon steel. As this coating is scratched or wears
away, the rusting process starts. Stainless and brass however
are also man made but more stable. They do not react with
water and oxygen to rust. However, be warned that there
are many grades and some stainless will still rust in aggressive
environments. There are also coatings that are now stronger
such as the “CRX” coating on our exterior hinges
and the double coatings on our deck screws. We search the
market to find the fasteners and hardware that are best
for the applications of our customers.
2. Why do we carry
two types of stainless screws? One type we carry
is self-tapping. In this case the threads go all the way
to the underside of the head. These make them ideal for
boat builders or anywhere that the two pieces of wood being
joined are already in tight, intimate contact. There are
no voids resulting in a tighter joint. A contractor building
a deck however, needs a screw with a shoulder so that the
screw pulls the two pieces of wood together. For these construction
projects we also carry a shouldered stainless wood screw.
3. What is the controversy
surrounding treated lumber and traditional
fasteners? The “preserved” wood lumber
we used to buy was treated with arsenic, a known carcinogen.
Today the use of arsenic is banned. The replacement chemicals
react with the galvanized coating on fasteners resulting
in their rapid deterioration. Ensure that the fasteners
you buy for your treated wood project are suitable. We ensure
ours are so you can buy from us with confidence.
4. What does “lifetime”
warranty mean? Lifetime in this case is used as marketing
tool, it has all kinds of conditions attached although the
consumer has forced the manufacturers to live up to it’s
simpler, implied meaning. Regardless, lifetime always refers
to the designed life of the product, something that is hard
for a consumer to judge. We cringe when we see this bold
warranty claim as we know it means different things to different
people. We tend to side with the consumer’s viewpoint
and endeavour to honour replacements. We will also warn
the consumer if we believe the item is not designed for
the use the consumer has in mind. Regardless, lifetime warranty
does not cover abuse either accidentally or out of frustration
with failure of the item to work properly.
5. How do I anchor
items to a wall? Depends on the item – its
physical design, it’s weight, the weight it needs
to support, the wall structure. We carry anchors to cover
most home applications and some industrial applications.
Please ask the staff how to best achieve your installation
project.
