Choose the Right Screw or Bolt

Stainless steel—also known as inox steel—is widely used for construction and manufacturing applications: from refrigerators to buildings, tools to fasteners. In construction, it can be used for its notable corrosion resistance as well as it architectural aesthetic appeal.

On buildings that feature stainless steel, there is a growing demand for any visible fasteners to visually integrate into the panelling and at any joins between beams or framing. To accommodate this, stainless steel screws and bolts are available in a variance of sizes and head types.

Make sure you are getting the genuine article. Here’s how to identify stainless steel when you see it.

• Distinctive colour – stainless steel is often a certain shade of grey, and can appear to have a light to dark gradient when viewed from different angles.
• Finish – close inspection can reveal a very fine ‘brushed’ pattern, and is satin to the eye and touch.
• Stainless steel, in most cases, is non-magnetic.
• With bolts, stainless steel can be identified by the head marking. These markings indicate steel grade and tensile strength.
  
  

When installed, stainless steel screws and bolts are known for their longevity. Again, the resistance to corrosion makes the material a recommended choice for construction within 5km of the ocean, and lowered likelihood of staining due to airborne acids makes stainless the best choice the construction of commercial environments like shopping centres and kitchens.

Care should be taken, however, as the use of stainless steel fasteners in conjunction with some non-stainless metals can result in galvanic corrosion to that metal.

If you’re thinking of using stainless fasteners and are unsure of the compatibility with your chosen steel framework, it is advisable to engage with a supplier who has worked with the product. In Australia, that supplier is Allfasteners, the leaders in All Things Fixings.