New screw dares to be square

Just when you thought the square drive screw had disappeared, it surfaces with new and improved features.

Square drive screws, also known as the Robertson head, were developed in Canada during the early 1900s for the industrial and commercial markets. They were commonly used in the furniture and mobile home markets, but eventually failed in retail due to poor marketing and low consumer awareness.

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"It's the Rodney Dangerfield of screws; it doesn't get any respect. (Our) new screw and marketing will change this," says a spokesperson for Prudential Building Materials, Atlanta, Ga., which is introducing a square drive ceramic-coated exterior deck screw.

Squate drive screws have many advantages over the traditional Phillips head screw, including the elimination of head spin-out. maxirnum positive drive and, if needed, easy screw backout.

Phillips head screws can strip or spin out during installution, removing the head's weathcr-resis(ant coating and exposing bare metal which can rust and corrode. A square drive head enables the square bit to better engage in the screw head for increased torque to the screw for a tighterjoint. It also becornes quite difficult to remove a stripped Phillips head screw.

Prudential took the square drive screw concept and added feltures: a flat head with countersinking nibs to aid in a neat, flush countersinking application; a 2-to-l thread ratio lbr draw tight installation; high coarse threads for superior holding power; a slotted shank tip to aid in wood penetration, and a platinum green ceramic finish to provide an extra layer of corrosion protection.

The screw is ideal fbr pressure treated lumber and even plastic composite lumber. In species where appearance is of prime concern, stainless steel fasteners should be used.

To increase consumer awareness, Prudential has created a point-of-purchase shelf-talker and color-coded packaging that shows the proper size bit to use.