Driving 3″ lag screws for mounting hanging garage storage racks is a point of frustration for many people. They often end up having them breaking. In this article I will offer techniques for how to prevent this problem.
The ideas here may be relevant to just about any use of longer lag screws, however my expertise comes from mounting ceiling brackets for overhead garage storage racks. These shelves depend on 2″ penetration into the stud. These shelves come with 3″ screws as they have to clear the sheet rock and thickness of the mounting bracket.
Always predrill a hole for the screw. This is the first and most important thing to do. I use a 3/16″ drill bit because I use 5/15″ lag bolts. Drill down to the full length of the drill bit. This isn’t a pilot hole just to get the screw started. This hole will reduce the pressure and resistance between the wood and the lag screw going into it. There is a chance you will hit a knot in the wood, as it is a natural product. This may force you to relocate you hole.
Using a socket wrench to turn the lag screws is laborious. Use an impact driver instead. The task can be accomplished with a cordless drill, but the impact driver is the easiest. It’s my experience that the cordless drill requires two hands and I have to be standing squarely behind the tool. While with the impact driver, I am comfortable reaching out and using only one hand. This is great because that is often the case while working on a ladder.
Another problem is that people crank down on the lag screws. Don’t over tighten the screws! If you crank on the head once the it’s flush with the drywall, you risk breaking off the head and getting the threads stuck in the wood. You may not want or be able to relocate your mounting bracket and create a new hole, so drive the screws only until the head contacts the surface. They don’t need to be wrenched on any more than that.
Applying soap or wax on the threads could make it simpler to turn the screw. You would be better off using candle wax if possible, because with time the soap can cause the threads to rust.
If you’re dealing with poor quality screws, think about making a visit to the hardware store for better quality screws. The material and grade of lag screws are marked on the head. No marks means the Grade 2 and has the lowest tensile strength. Three radial lines means grade 5, a medium carbon steel that’s quenched and tempered. This grade ought to install successfully and not have frequent breaks. The final and strongest rating is Grade 8 with six radial lines on the head.
Stainless steel lag screws don’t have these standard markings on them, but have roughly the same tensile strength as grade 5, however they may bend under less force – more regarding bending later. Stainless will probably have something printed on the top of the head, therefore you won’t mistake them for grade 2. Stainless is also non-magnetic.
My last bit of advice to avoid breaking lag screws is to not reuse screws. A lag screw becomes stressed by driving into the wood. This means it’s weakened and is more likely to break if reused compared to a new screw. Do not force a screw down by running it back and forth into the wood, either. A previously used screws may also have a small imperceptible amount of bend in it, which cause extra resistance when you try to drive it into the wood.
Read more articles by Joseph Kraehenbuehl about attaching a shelf to your garage ceiling and other ways to organize your garage.
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Tips For Driving Lag Screws Without Breaking Them
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