{"id":16343,"date":"2018-01-26T12:51:57","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T17:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ozcobp.com\/?p=16343"},"modified":"2021-10-21T17:56:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T17:56:46","slug":"screws-nuts-bolts-wont-rust-easy-use-remove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozcobp.com\/dev\/screws-nuts-bolts-wont-rust-easy-use-remove\/","title":{"rendered":"Screws, Nuts, and Bolts That Won\u2019t Rust Are Easy to Use and Remove"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I grew up in one of the most hurricane-prone states. What that means is that I consider storms that are Category 3 and below to be the prime sleeping-in weather. They\u2019re the Florida equivalent of a snow day. Living in this state has also created in me a deep appreciation for quality fasteners.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reason is the 2004 hurricane season, where four hurricanes struck Florida in the span of six weeks. Even the sturdiest structures sustained damage. I spent eighteen months after the storms doing demolition and repair work as part of the recovery effort, and the first month of that period was without reliable access to power or power tools. It boiled down to using two large crescent wrenches to twist off nuts that had rusted onto their bolts. Quite often, the shaft of the bolt would shear through before the rusted nut would budge, and this would still be quicker than trying to get through a 6×6 with a handsaw. The experience left me with a deep appreciation for screws, nuts, and bolts that don\u2019t rust–I learned that something as simple as a nut that would actually turn could save hours of hard work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why Your Project Can Benefit from Rust-Free Fasteners<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hardware that won\u2019t rust<\/span><\/a> is important for more than removing damaged structures in hurricane-prone areas. The reason is that wooden structures don\u2019t decay evenly. There are many factors that affect each element of a wooden structure will last. An owner can find themselves looking at sun-blasted rafters and beams on an otherwise perfectly good pergola, or the inverse, where a post has become unsound while the rest of the structure continues to look good. Swapping out any single wooden element or group of elements should be a relatively straightforward task, but when dealing with damaged, rusted fasteners it becomes an ordeal. To make things worse, modern pressure treated lumber can actually corrode fasteners, so it\u2019s important to choose the right <\/span>fastener for your ACQ pressure treated lumber<\/span><\/a> project.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reason to choose nuts and bolts that won\u2019t rust is the tendency to overuse fasteners. Using lots of screws and bolts might make the builder feel better about his creation\u2019s strength or about potential liability issues, but it makes repairs miserable. When pulling a beam from a post, you may be confronted with three out of five nails having their heads pull off, leaving the shank of the nail stuck in the wood, where it will have to be removed with a pair of pliers since you\u2019re trying to save the beam. This can cause unbelievable delays in completing repairs. The situation is even worse if those rusted fasteners with the broken heads are screws, as they\u2019ll have to be carefully, and time-consumingly, twisted out with a pair of vise-grips. For all of these reasons, any project–not just the ones threatened by hurricanes–can benefit from long-lasting fasteners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding Screws, Nuts, and Bolts That Won\u2019t Rust<\/b><\/h3>\n

Your standard fasteners, be they nails, screws, or bolts, are prone to rust, which is a chemical reaction in which oxygen in the air bonds with a metal. In iron, this is especially problematic because of the rust flakes off, degrading the strength of the fastener and actually expanding its size. This can cause the material it is in to split.<\/span><\/p>\n

To prevent this, most steel is galvanized–coated with zinc–to protect the metal beneath. Zinc acts as a sacrificial coating, protecting the steel as it very gradually wears away. However, certain conditions–such as exposure to salt spray–can create a current between the steel and zinc that causes the zinc to corrode quickly, shortening the life of the protective zinc coating. Once the zinc wears away, the bare steel nail will rust quickly. <\/span><\/p>\n

When builders or homeowners are serious about finding nails, screws, and bolts that won\u2019t rust, copper or stainless steel fasteners are often recommended. <\/span><\/p>\n