An Introduction To Tek Screws

A Tek screw is a type of self-drilling screw. It is essentially a type of self tapping screw with a drill point at the end. This eliminates the need for a hole to be pre-drilled and enables the fastener to be fixed in one operation.

TEK SCREW

How do I use a Tek screw?

The easiest way to install a Tek screw is to use a drill, or electric screwdriver. You can make a small pilot hole if you choose but there is no real need as that is the job of the drill point on the screw.

Hex head Tek screws are probably the easiest to use as the hex head being securely located in the driver bit adds stability when drilling.

Drive Tek screws as slowly as possible, which will help them drive straight even without a pilot hole. Tighten the screw, but make sure it’s not too tight. Tightening too much can lead to the head stripping, which will make it difficult to remove the Tek screw if necessary.

How do I know what size Tek screw to use?

The drilling point of a Tek screw is given a number - the higher the number the thicker the material it is able to self drill into.

As a guide, if you don’t know the number of the drill point on the screw you can measure the length of the drilling tip and this will give you an approximate maximum thickness of material it can drill through. We would recommend caution when using this method as if the thickness of the material being drilled exceeds the length of the drilling tip it can cause the screw to jam and tear the head off – it is always best to choose a screw with a drilling tip that is slightly longer than the material being drilled.

What is the difference between light and heavy Tek screws?

Hex head Tek light self-drilling screws are used when fixing into thinner grades of steel and they have a more coarse thread than the heavy option.

Hex head Tek heavy self-drilling screws are used when fixing into thicker grades of steel and they have a finer thread than the light option.

What are Tek screws made of?

The metal that Tek screws are made of has been hardened to ensure that it does not deform. The most common material used is 410 Stainless Steel, which is a hardened stainless steel with a high chromium content.