Choosing Screws for Decking the Loft

[MrSurly]

Building the loft, I’m installing 14ga steel purlins; I plan to deck it with 3/4 Sturd-i-floor with no other treatment just bare plywood will be the final floor.
I’m looking for ideas for self-drilling, self-threading screws to be driven from the top, of course, to drill and thread through the plywood and purlin and with a flush head.

What have you guys used for this?





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[Jlarson]

You want a wood to metal tek screw, they have little wings above the drilling tip that clear the wood out then break off as they go into the metal then the threads grab.

Lowes, HD or any fastener supply house has them.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

This is what I've used. Nice big button head with robertson driver. Should be ok with 14ga metal. I found if the steel is to thick they tend to snap off. some have wings on the end right before the thread starts. this bores the hole in the wood larger than the screw diameter, and snap off as it starts to thread into the metal. this stops the screw from threading the wood and raising the plywood off the steel framing before the hole gets drilled through. Any good fastener supplier should have them, comes in various lengths. BCD

 

[DCarr2]

More pics of your garage please =)

 

[matt_i]

The ones BottleCapDigger posted are the exact ones used to hold the decking to my gooseneck trailer, also with cross-channels, with the exception of a Torx drive (which I would prefer). I'm guessing there is a specific pilot drill bit size to make the job faster then they are self-tapping. (iow, I would think a sharp drill bit would make the pilot hole faster than the drill-bit edges of the fastener in "heavy metal")

 

[NUTTSGT]

Like Matt and BCD said, those screws. I was going to say look for a local trailer manufacturer or their supplier and grab a few pounds. Those are the screws that are used in my enclosed trailer as well.

 

[pattenp]

This is what I've used. Nice big button head with robertson driver. Should be ok with 14ga metal. I found if the steel is to thick they tend to snap off. some have wings on the end right before the thread starts. this bores the hole in the wood larger than the screw diameter, and snap off as it starts to thread into the metal. this stops the screw from threading the wood and raising the plywood off the steel framing before the hole gets drilled through. Any good fastener supplier should have them, comes in various lengths. BCD

It's not my intension to nitpick but that is not a button head. I think it's called a Wafer head, it's more like a bugle head.

 

[My Old Tools]

Sheetrock screws for metal studs will work

 

[MrSurly]

The ones BottleCapDigger posted are the exact ones used to hold the decking to my gooseneck trailer, also with cross-channels, with the exception of a Torx drive (which I would prefer).

I've used similar as well, many years ago on a trailer build, also Torx but I recall we had to pre-drill for them, though.