What are the two most expensive fasteners in the world?  You might have one of them on your shelf right now, the other I know you don’t have.  The first most expensive fastener in the world is the wrong one.  I still see enough guys using the wrong fastener or at the very least one that is a poor choice for the job.  For instance, wedge anchors in hollow wall, lead or zamac anchors overhead and the wrong length Tapcon anchors to name just a few.  Usually, they become expensive right away when you try to install and find out they won’t hold and you have to find something that will.  Sometimes, they become very expensive down the line if they fail!  The expense can range from sending a tech to reattach something to much, much worse.  Read up on the Big Dig Ceiling Collapse for some sobering information on what the wrong anchor can cost.  Make sure the anchors you install are correct for the application or they be much more expensive than you thought.

The second most expensive fastener in the world I know you don’t have.  That’s the fastener you don’t have but you need now.  It always amazed how one or two boxes of anchors can bring a multi-million dollar to a screeching halt.  I have driven up to sites with five or six techs sitting on boxes of cable waiting for the fasteners to start the install, because they didn’t have the fasteners needed to work!   Fasteners are such a small percent of the budget that many times they are often overlooked, or assumptions are made of how the install will be done or who is supplying the fasteners.  So now the scramble begins.  We ship many packages each week via UPS air to get the fasteners to a site to keep the job going.  While it’s not my money being spent on the shipping, it still pains me to see cost to ship an item rival the cost of the product itself.  And it can get even more expensive when you find what you need has a lead time or is on a nationwide backorder.  Extra shipping, techs not being able to work and unexpected product delays start making the fastener you don’t have very expensive.

The Takeaway.  So how do you avoid spending money on the two most expensive fasteners in the world.  Know what the right fastener is for the job.  Partner with a supplier that knows the application or is at least willing to do a little research and make sure you are using the right fastener.   Keep a stock on hand or in your guy’s trucks.  Again, not having what you need on hand can get expensive very fast.  And don’t’ just keep the standard items on hand.  If you see a tool or fastener that you think you may need someday, or you could have used on that one job, buy it!  It will be much cheaper now than when you don’t have it.

Find the right fastener for your application at ConstructionFastening.Net