Types of Concrete Screws
Manufacturing
Concrete masonry screws are manufactured in the United States under the brand name Tapcon® and are sold by Concrete Fastening Systems™, Inc. The threads are designed with Advance Threadform Technology™ to allow for easier installation and less required torque for installation. The Tapcon® is coated with a long life coating called Climaseal®, is Miami-Dade County approved and has been tested by ICC-ES with report number ESR-1671. Most other concrete masonry screw is manufactured and imported into the United States and does not meet the same specifications as the original Tapcon®. The imported screws are less expensive and, as with most things in life, you get the value that you pay for.
Materials
Masonry or concrete screws are manufactured from steel. The standard blue Climaseal® coated Tapcon® is made from low-grade carbon steel. The stainless steel Tapcon® is manufactured from a 410 stainless steel that is coated with silver Climaseal®. The standard large diameter Tapcon® or LDT has an anchor body made from Grade 5 hardened carbon steel that is zinc plated. The stainless steel LDT is made from a 410 stainless steel with no added coating. The unique feature for all of the Tapcon® is that the threads are hardened allowing them to cut into very abrasive masonry without hardening the anchor body.
Diameters
Both the standard blue and the stainless steel Tapcon® come in two diameters of 3/16” and 1/4”. They require a predrilled hole in the masonry to be 5/32” and 3/16” respectively. The Large Diameter Tapcon (LDT) carbon steel come in diameters of 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8” and 3/4” with bit requirements of 5/16”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 5/8”. The stainless steel LDT is available in diameters of 3/8” and 1/2”, requiring a 5/16” and a 3/8” bit. The hole in the masonry must be drilled using a bit that meets ANSI standard B212.15-1994.
Lengths
| Diameter | Length | Diameter | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16” | 1-1/4” | 1/4” | 1-1/4” |
| 1-3/4” | 1-3/4” | ||
| 2-1/4” | 2-1/4” | ||
| 2-3/4 | 2-3/4 | ||
| 3-1/4 | 3-1/4 | ||
| 3-3/4 | 3-3/4 | ||
| 4 | 4 | ||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 3/8” Standard | 1-3/4” | 3/8” Stainless | 1-3/4” |
| 2-1/2” | 2-1/2” | ||
| 3’ | 3’ | ||
| 4” | 4” | ||
| 5” | 5” | ||
| 1/2” Standard | 3” | 3” | |
| 4” | 4” | ||
| 5” | 5” | ||
| 6” | 6” | ||
| 5/8” | 4” | ||
| 5” | |||
| 6” | |||
| 3/4" | 4-1/2” | ||
| 5-1/2” |
Head Configuration
The 3/16” and 1/4” Tapcon® come with a hex washer head and a flat countersunk Phillips, while the LDT is only available in a hex washer head and is serrated.
You can view Tapcon screws here.
Check-out CONFAST concrete screws here.
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