For long-term, safe performance of any structure, the right fasteners are as important as the right timber. Which means, for structural stability across the life-span of the project, you need a material that can stand-up to the elements – and, for that, you really can’t go past stainless steel.
When you’re selecting your fastener, the top priorities have to be holding power and corrosion resistance. And it’s not just the elements you have to watch out for when it comes to corrosion – some of the chemicals used in the pressure treatment of wood, including copper azole and alkaline copper quaternary, can be highly destructive to metals.
Similarly, while rusting is clearly a problem for screws – making the material brittle and flaky – the chemical reaction involved in the rusting process can also weaken and stain the surrounding wood.

Durable and corrosion resistant

While stainless steel does tend to be a bit more expensive than other materials, it’s a shoo-in for a lot of exterior projects, simply because its chemical properties make it much more durable and resistant to corrosion. And, in coastal areas, where the impact is magnified, it’s an absolute ‘must’.
Research has shown that, even in the most severe conditions, stainless steel experiences minimal degradation. Take for example our stainless steel wood screws – they’ve actually been used in the Antarctic to as part of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust’s (UKAHT) ongoing conservation projects. When it comes to harsh environments, the Antarctic is right up there!!
Stainless steel has a lower tensile strength than carbon steel, but are actually more suited to hardwood structures because they gain much of their structural integrity from the weight of the timber itself. Stainless steel also yields more readily, and is less prone to breakage when drilling into extremely hard timber substrates.
But because no material is ever perfect – stainless screws tend to be torsionally weaker than their carbon steel counterparts – we’ve taken steps to enhance our screws’ shear and torque performance. What that means, in practical terms, is that we’ve found ways to offset the ‘snap’ potential of stainless steel in fixings. In effect, we’ve taken the best attributes of stainless steel, and bolstered its points of weakness through thoughtful engineering. We use heavier gauge steel, a shallow countersink and our thread angles and pitch diameters are intentionally specified to ensure the perfect thread profile for your projects – no snapping, no corrosion, no waste and no disappointment.

Engineered by carpenters, for carpenters

That’s the benefit of using products engineered by carpenters, for carpenters – we understand the UK climate and the materials used across every project, and we create products to fit.
Historically, you might have had misgivings about driving stainless steel screws directly into hardwood, but not with Carpenters Mate. Our self-drilling screws make it possible – in fact, they make it easy!
So, if you’ve been avoiding stainless steel for any of these reasons, it’s time to think again!
Take our stand-out stainless steel deck screws for a test-drive by grabbing your free sample today.