STAINLESS STEEL SPAX

SPAX

SPAX is a German manufacturer of engineered timber screws, produced by Altenloh, Brinck & Co, and now stocked by PTS across six product families. Unlike the DIN and ISO standard fasteners that make up most of our range, SPAX screws are a proprietary design: the thread form, the drive recess and the point geometry are the manufacturer's own, developed to speed up fixing into timber and to reduce the splitting, cam-out and pilot drilling that slow a job down. The range runs from general joinery screws through to structural timber construction screws, with decking, facade and roofing screws covering outdoor and building envelope work, plus the matching driver bits.

Materials The range is stocked principally in A2 (304-equivalent) stainless steel, which suits general exterior use and damp interiors, with A4 (316-equivalent) available on selected decking sizes for coastal and chloride-exposed sites. Finishes include plain stainless, BLAX (a black finish, on facade screws), and Antique, a wood-tone finish used on facade and decking screws where the fixing needs to recede visually rather than stand out.

T-STAR plus drive Every screw in the range uses the T-STAR plus recess, a six-lobe (hexalobular) drive taking a T15 to T40 bit depending on screw diameter. The lobed geometry transmits torque through the flanks of the recess rather than trying to push the bit out of it, which substantially reduces cam-out, lowers the downward force the operator has to apply, and cuts the number of heads chewed out on site. Matching SPAX bits are stocked alongside the screws.

4CUT point The 4CUT point is a four-facet tip that cuts timber fibres rather than forcing them apart. In practice this means less splitting, particularly close to board ends and edges, and in many timbers removes the need to pre-drill a pilot hole. Combined with the T-STAR plus drive it is the main reason the range drives faster than a conventional woodscrew.

Quality and approvals SPAX products are manufactured in Germany. Items covered by a European Technical Assessment carry CE marking; the self-tapping screw assessment is ETA-12/0114. When the EU reduced the assessment and verification level for these products from system 2+ to system 3, removing the requirement for external monitoring by a notified body, SPAX continued third-party technical monitoring voluntarily through MPA Stuttgart. Declarations of Performance are available on request for the products they cover.

FAQs

Do SPAX screws conform to a DIN or ISO standard? No, and this is by design. SPAX screws are a proprietary product: the thread form, drive recess and point geometry are the manufacturer's own rather than a standardised profile, so there is no DIN or ISO number to specify against. Where a construction product assessment applies, performance is declared through a European Technical Assessment instead, and the relevant Declaration of Performance is the document to work from rather than a standard reference.

Do I still need to pre-drill? In most timbers the 4CUT point removes the need for a pilot hole, which is a large part of the time saving the range offers. Pre-drilling is still worth doing in dense hardwoods, in very thin sections, and when fixing close to the end of a board where any splitting force has little material to resist it. If in doubt, test on an offcut of the same timber before committing to a run.

Can I drive SPAX screws with a standard Torx bit? A standard hexalobular bit of the correct size will engage the recess, but the T-STAR plus geometry is designed around SPAX's own bits and the fit is closer with the matching bit. Since bit fit is what determines cam-out and how quickly a recess wears, using the matching SPAX bit is worth doing on any sustained run of fixings. The correct bit size for each screw is listed on the product page.

Which stainless grade should I specify? A2 covers most exterior joinery, decking and cladding work, and damp interior environments. Specify A4 where the fixing will be exposed to salt: coastal locations, anywhere subject to sea spray or de-icing salts, and swimming pool or chemical washdown environments. A4 carries a cost premium over A2, so it is normally specified only where the exposure genuinely calls for it.