Parting note about wall plugs: Be aware that not everyone follows the colour ‘rules’, one leading brands plugs are all grey for example, and others are, well they can be any colour under the sun (as the above photo of my box shows). How deep does a wall plug need to be? I talked about this a lot on another post, here’s the link: How to Properly Use Wall Plugs For example an 8-gauge screw has an 8mm wide head….handy huh? The metric screw equivalent size is approximate, but since we’re heading that way, we need to learn and get used to them!īy coincidence, the size of an imperial screw head also roughly equates to the gauge. Metric screws are simply measured and the thickness is given in millimeters. Incidentally, gauge relates to the thickness of a screw’s shank or body and only relates to imperial sized screws. In masonry you always have the option to re-drill the hole one size bigger (drilling through the existing wall plug) and use a bigger plug, red up to brown for example. Then you’ll need to consider whether to use a smaller gauge screw or drill a larger pilot hole if it’s in wood. Screws should be tight, but not crazy, “sweating to get them in” tight! Simply hit reverse and take it out. In fact, if any screw starts to get very tight, it’s best to stop and have a rethink before you break the screw or burst the material. If the screw starts to get too tight, then it’s advisable to back out and re-drill a larger pilot hole rather than risk breaking a screw (you’ll be having a very bad day if you snap a screw….). Hardwoods may well need a slightly larger pilot hole. The pilot hole recommendations in the chart are typical for softwoods. If you’re not sure what all these holes do here’s a brief explanation…. (click to download and print the screws explained table as a PDF to keep for reference) Pilot holes and clearance holes in more detail… (you can download a free PDF of this table at the bottom) Gauge Which size plastic wall plug to use with each screw size or gauge.What size clearance hole to drill through the timber being fixed.What size pilot hole to drill in timber substrates for the best screw grip.I’ve explained this screw data in an easy to understand table because I find manufacturers recommendations are often vague and general, I mean why not be specific? I understand there’s a ‘range’ but why not give us the ‘ideal’ measurement, because mostly we have a choice?
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