SHIPPING - U.S. DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL

In most cases, orders placed by Noon Eastern Time will ship the same day. We offer the lowest shipping rates available in our industry on the internet. Don't forget to ask about freight costs when shopping different online suppliers! 

U.S. DOMESTIC SHIPPING

Ground and expedited packages are shipped via FedEx and USPS.

ALL customers in the 48 contiguous United States will receive 20% off shipping charges when using expedited services such as:

       FedEx Priority Overnight by 10:30am next day

       FedEx Standard Overnight by 3:00pm next day

       FedEx 2nd Day Air

       Fed Ex Express Saver (by 4:30pm third business day)

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Packages and freight 150 lbs+ are shipped via Fed Ex International.  We ship to every country in the Fed Ex International system.  Shipping terms are DDU (duties unpaid by shipper)

HOW MANY FASTENERS WILL I NEED & WHAT LENGTH?

The rule of thumb when considering what length of fastener to use is to double the thickness

of material being fastened.  For example: When fastening 5/4" (1-1/4" approximate) decking,

you will want to use a 2-1/2" long fastener.  When fastening 2" (1-1/2" approximate) decking,

you will want to use a 3" long fastener.

SCREW TERMINOLOGY

Screws are sized by the gauge and length respectively.  For example, an 8 x 2" screw would 

have these specifications:  The 8 represents shank gauge and the 2 represents length, 

sometimes nominally.  A lower gauge number would represent a smaller shank diameter and 

a larger number would represent a larger shank diameter.

Coatings

Fasteners are often coated to protect against corrosion.  Resistance to corrosion is measured

by salt spray tests (ASTM B117) or the Kesternich test.  Salt spray testing is a method

developed by the automotive industry for salt corrosion to vehicles subjected to winter road

salting.  The Kesternich method was also developed by the automotive industry in Germany

for Volkswagen.  This test is a more advanced way of testing coated metals.  Each Kesternich

cycle simulates varying temperatures, wind, water, and salt within the acid range, whereas

salt spray testing merely uses saltwater (sodium chloride).

Listed below are some of the most common fastener coatings and their performance issues:

      Electro--       Coating method by applying Zinc to metal via electric charge.  This is the basic

      Galvanized    corrosion inhibitor for all fasteners and is better suited for interior applications.  

                          Resistant to 24 hours salt spray.

     Hot dipped--   Method of dipping steel in molten Zinc (842° F).  At this temperature, Iron

     Galvanized     and Zinc share great affinity allowing an alloy to form where pure Zinc prevails

                          on the outside.  This coating is susceptible to chipping when hit or shearing 

                          when driven, exposing unprotected metal that can oxidize. Resistant to 48 hours

                          salt spray.

     Black/Grey--   Commonly found on drywall screws and should only be used for interior applications.

     Phosphate      Resistant to 40 hours salt spray.

     Yellow Zinc--   Coating made up of Zinc Phosphate with a yellow Dichromate finish.  Found on a

                          number of exterior grade nails and screws.  Resistant to 100 hours salt spray and

                          1 Kesternich cycle.

     Dachrotized-   Process of applying Dacromet^® to fasteners in a liquid bath where the excess is

                           spun before oven curing. Dacromet^® consists of metal oxides, zinc, and aluminum

                           flakes. After oven curing, the zinc and aluminum platelets align in multiple layers

                           forming a metallic silver gray color.  Resistant to 200/300 hours salt spray and

                           1 Kesternich cycle.

     Ceramic--        Process consisting of electrically applying a green Irridite base coat and dip/spinning

                           a Ruspert top coat. In screw applications, this coating may shear when driven

                           resulting in exposed metal.  Resistant to 500 hours salt spray and up to 10 Kesternich

                           cycles.

     Climatek--       Four layer coating consisting of proprietary elements.  Resistant to 1,000 hours 

                           salt spray and over 20 Kesternich cycles.

Stainless Steel

Stainless Steel fasteners provide better corrosion resistance than coated fasteners

due in part to their alloy composition.  There are different grades of stainless steel

available for varying applications.  There are also different sub-classes within the

grades that are relative to the alloy percentages in the composition.  A key element

in corrosion protection is the percentage of Nickel in the fastener's composition.

Listed below are some of the most common Austenite stainless steel grades and their 

performance issues:

            304--The standard "18-8" stainless, this grade is the most widely used and versatile stainless steel.  

                    It offers slightly better strength, but lower corrosion resistance to saltwater (sodium chloride). 

                    Anti-corrosion components are 18-20% Chromium and 8-10.5% Nickel.

            305--Type 305 is similar to type 304 with respect to corrosion resistance. It offers better protection  

                    from a variety of solutions and possesses a higher nickel content. Anti-Corrosion components 

                    are 17-19% Chromium and 10.5-13% Nickel.  

            316--This grade is usually regarded as the standard "marine grade stainless steel." Molybdenum 

                    gives 316 better overall corrosion resistant properties than grade 304 & 305. Anti-Corrosion 

                    components are 16-18% Chromium, 10-14% Nickel, and 2-3% Molybdenum.

Wood composite decking is becoming a very popular alternative to wood because 

of it's longevity and low maintenance characteristics.  Wood composites are

produced from a percentage of wood fiber/dust and certain plastics, such as

polyethylene, PVC, or polypropylene.  The two types of profiles available are

solid and hollow:  Solid profile decking emulates the shape of real wood lumber,

but also has more expansion/contraction properties because of it's mass.  

Hollow profile decking has an engineered look and less mass than it's counterpart.  

It possesses lower expansion/contraction properties, but is more susceptible to

yard or job site damage.

TrimTite™ screws are an excellent fastener choice when installing wood composite 

decking.  The tiny head will produce a slight bump when countersunk resulting

in an inconspicuous or non-fastener look.  This is a cost/labor effective method 

compared to hidden brackets or joist fastening systems. CLICK HERE for more info.