screws for outdoor furniture project

[Dan Bundy]

I'm building a bistro table and some stools from western red cedar for our covered deck from a Wood Magazine plan. The plan calls for stainless steel screws. Just yesterday I saw something that said galvanized should be used on an outdoor project. Is one better than the other? Or is some other kind even better than those two? Thanks.

[Rick Moyer]

IMO, I would always choose stainless steel over galvanized for weather applications.
I've had good success with these, although I didn't purchase 4000!
https://www.mcfeelys.com/8-x-1-5-8-self-drilling-wood-screws-305-stainless-steel-bugle-head-square-drive-qty-4000.html

[Wayne Lomman]

Both will resist corrosion in the outdoors. Stainless steel will have a better appearance. Galvanized fasteners can be made from higher strength steel which only matters for critical engineering. In your case go for stainless. It will look better and perform well. Cheers

[Jim Becker]

Stainless steel is good for outdoor projects not just because the fasteners themselves handle the environment better, but because some of the wood species used for such projects will discolor from galvanized fasteners and that can be very unsightly.

[Lee Schierer]

You don't want galvanized in western red cedar. When the zinc wears off, and it will, you will get iron staining in the cedar. Use the stainless steel screws as recommended. I have an out door western red cedar swing that I built almost 20 years ago that has stainless fasteners at all locations and none show any corrosion and there are no iron stain marks around the fasteners.

The blue borg has a pretty good selection of stainless steel wood screws (https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=stainless+steel+screws).

[Wade Lippman]

I use coated deck screws. Much cheaper than SS and I have never had them rust.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Stainless is the way to go with cedar. The coating on the galvanized screws will wear off and the wood will stain at the screw locations because of the chemical reaction.

[Doug Garson]

Consider how much work you will put into the bistro table and stools and how much you would save by using cheaper fasteners. I think the answer will be obvious.

[Dan Bundy]

Thank you gentlemen! DB