A Guide to TEK Screws

Tek Screws Ireland | Fasteners Ireland | Screws Ireland

Tek screws also referred to as self-drilling screws, eliminate the need to drill a separate hole prior to inserting the screw. Their self-tapping thread enables these fasteners to easily drill through materials including metal, wood, and plastic. Not only do these fasteners facilitate the fastening process, but they also provide the perfect solution to affixing metal, which is not possible when a pre-drilled hole is required.

Choosing the right Tek screw

Due to their ability to fasten multiple materials, tek screws come in many variations each one specialized to a specific material, therefore, selecting the correct screw can become difficult.

Here at Toolfast, we have put together a list of design features to consider when purchasing tek screws to ensure you acquire the type best suited to your needs.

1. Drill Point – located at the base of the screw below the threads, the drill point determines whether the screw is suited to the material thickness. If it can drill through the material without the threads engaging, the screw is the correct length.
2. Wings – for larger holes in thicker materials, purchasing tek screws with wings is recommended. These wings serve to increase the width of the hole allowing the remainder of the screw to enter with no contact to the fastened material, preventing it from splitting and becoming separate to the screw (this is particularly common with wood).
3. Head type- different materials respond differently to different head types. At Toolfast we offer a wide range of the most popular head types in a range of different sizes. These include:  

• Pan head tek screws
  • These fasteners are predominantly used to fix light-duty metals together and are used for a multitude of applications across a range of different industries.
•  Hex head tek screws
  • Widely used in the roofing and cladding industry, these fasteners are able to drill through and fasten light and heavy-duty metals.
•  Wafer head tek screws
  • These metal-to-metal screws are perfect for binding any light-duty metal together and their large head provides extra stability and an increased clamping ability.

Material

• Self Drilling screws are available in 3 materials.
• 316 stainless steel which is suitable for all corrosive environments up to coastal.
• 304 stainless steel which is suitable for all corrosive environments up to medium C3.
• Carbon Steel which is suitable for internal use and corrosive environments up to low levels C1 and C2 in certain circumstances .

How to use Tek screws

Regardless of the design features best suited to a certain material, the fastening method is the same and involves following the five simple steps listed below.

1. Self-drilling screws must be installed using a variable-speed screw gun, do not use impact drivers to install self-drilling screws.
2. Ensure your screw gun has the correct adapter and depth gauge fitted.
3. Place the screw into the adapter.
4. Clearly mark where on the material you intend to insert the screw.
5. Maintaining a firm grip on the material, drill through the target until the screw is securely in place, ensure where applicable that the washer is sufficiently compressed without being over tightened.