How to Prevent Screw Corrosion on Metal Buildings

Why Screw Corrosion Occurs

To prevent screw corrosion, it’s important to understand why corrosion occurs. Corrosion is the breakdown of metal by chemical or electrochemical reactions within its environment. When we talk about screw corrosion on metal buildings, this is typically due to water.

Screw corrosion results in different types of fastener failures, including cracks in the fastener, loss of mechanical strength, or causing the material around the head of the fastener to break down. Any of these issues can upset the structural integrity of the building, so it is critical to take the necessary steps to prevent screw corrosion.

The Importance of Preventing Screw Corrosion

Screw corrosion may just seem like a cosmetic problem. When rust occurs on metal buildings, particularly in the fasteners, it often causes streaking on the metal panels. While unsightly, this signifies larger problems.

Metal buildings with screw corrosion can have major structural problems. Rusty screws often cause leaks due to poor-quality washers. These leaks can cause significant damage to your building’s insulation and even damage other areas of your building and its items.

Corrosion also causes screws to weaken over long periods of time. While some rust is unavoidable and normal, particularly on roofing screws, it’s important to inspect them regularly and take steps to avoid serious issues. To avoid structural damage to your metal building, it’s critical to take the proper steps to prevent screw corrosion. Here are some preventive methods.

Choose the Right Screws

Quality is everything when it comes to screws and other types of fasteners. Fasteners are the backbone of your building, so it’s critical not to cut corners and use low quality screws in your project. Birmingham Fastener takes special measures to ensure metal screw quality, including 1000 hour salt spray tests and pull out/pull over testing.

When planning your next project, take the appropriate steps to choose the right materials that will help you prevent screw corrosion and ensure the longevity of your metal building. 

Use the proper screws and fasteners. Keep in mind that metal to metal screws and metal to wood screws are not the same. If you need recommendations, contact your engineer and reach out to Birmingham Fastener’s team for advice.

Consider coatings to maximize screw lifespan. At Birmingham Fastener, we’re partial to B-Kote, our high-grade metal surface technology that prevents corrosion. B-Kote consists of three layers:

• A metallic zine layer
• A high grade anti-corrosion chemical conversion film
• A baked ceramic surface coating

The layers are bonded together through chemical reactions, which results in a rigid combination of the coating films, providing a superior corrosion resistance.

There are many other coating options for your metal building screws. To learn more about the quality of our metal building screws and how you can increase the lifespan of your metal building by choosing the best fasteners for the job, contact us today.

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Prevent screw corrosion by using quality fasteners! Call or contact for a quote today!