Concrete screws are the perfect fastener for speedily anchoring light- to medium-weight objects to concrete. Just as with any concrete anchor, you still have to drill a hole in the concrete. But with a concrete screw, the hole can be smaller and you don’t need a separate anchor. You drive the screw right through the material you’re attaching and into the concrete.
While you can’t use concrete screws to mount things that vibrate, like motors and door frames, or to attach a heavy load like a deck ledger board, they’re plenty strong for most household uses. In this article, we’ll tell you how to choose the best concrete screw for the job, and how to drill pilot holes and drive screws quickly and easily.
Buy a Variety of Lengths So You Have the Correct Screw Size On Hand
Select a screw length to penetrate the concrete at least 1 in. Add 1 in. to the thickness of the material you’re attaching to get the minimum length of screw needed. In hard, dense materials like concrete or stone, this minimum 1-in. screw embedment will work fine. But for maximum strength, use longer screws, up to 1-3/4 in. embedment, in soft brick or other less dense materials. You may have to experiment with a few different lengths to find a screw that you can drive fully and that holds securely.
You’ll find concrete screws at home centers, hardware stores and lumberyards, or you can order them by phone or on-line. Depending on the size, screws cost about $6 for eight screws, $15 for 25 screws or $24 for boxes of 100. A drill bit is usually included in boxes of 25 or more. It’s worth having a couple of screw sizes on hand if you do a lot of projects. See the Buyer’s Guide for sources.
