Gearing up for your next project — whether it’s building an entertainment center, shelving for your shop or a larger construction project — requires a bit of pre-planning. You have to think about what materials you’ll need and what fasteners you’ll use. Bolts and screws are two standard options, which brings us to a common question:

When should you use bolts instead of screws?

When it comes to the bolts vs. screws debate, you’ll find they have different advantages because they’re designed for different applications and materials.

Screws are a versatile fastener, which makes them a favorite choice. They provide a secure grip thanks to their threads and they meet the needs of numerous do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. They come in a variety of sizes and types for wood, metal, drywall and even concrete applications.

Screws are designed to be self-tapping, but in many cases you may still want to drill a pilot hole. If you drill all your pilot holes at once, this process is a little less time-consuming, since you limit how often you’re changing out your drill bit.

While you can rely on the DIY "hack" of using a nail to drive your pilot hole, a cordless or corded power drill provides better results. Drills also make the installation — or even removal — of screws easier compared to a handheld screwdriver.

Screws are a versatile fastener, which makes them a favorite choice. They provide a secure grip thanks to their threads and they meet the needs of numerous do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. They come in a variety of sizes and types for wood, metal, drywall and even concrete applications.

Bolts provide the best holding strength compared to screws and other fasteners. Thanks to their threads, bolts can provide an unparalleled level of holding power. They do require a nut and a washer for their installation. The washer helps to spread the load over a larger surface area, which reduces the wear and tear as well as the loosening of your bolt over time while the nut secures the bolt in place.

Like screws, bolts come in many sizes and types. They’re also usable with several materials ranging from metal and wood to concrete.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BOLTS VERSUS SCREWS

1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOLT AND A SCREW?

Bolts and screws can both provide a secure hold in fastening applications. However, these fasteners are not the same. Usually self-tapping, a screw features a helical groove wrapped around a shaft. The threads of the screw mate with the material it is turned through to hold the screw in place. A Hex Bolt, on the other hand, is not self-tapping and requires a nut to stay secure.

Screws and bolts also differ in shape and cost — screws are often tapered, while bolts are not, and bolts tend to cost more than screws.

2. IS A BOLT STRONGER THAN A SCREW?

Yes, bolts provide greater holding strength than screws. This is partly due to the presence of the Washer, which spreads out the load over a larger surface area. Because bolts offer increased strength, they work well for heavy-duty, load-bearing applications.

3. IS A MACHINE SCREW A BOLT?

A machine screw has threads that spiral up the entire cylinder. This type of fastener works with a nut or threaded hole, which technically makes a machine screw a bolt. As a result, some people call them machine bolts.

4. WHAT IS A NUT, BOLT AND SCREW?

A Nut is a component that fits over the end of a bolt and helps it hold objects in place. A bolt is a non-tapered fastener that uses a washer and nut to hold objects together. A screw is a tapered fastener that mates with an existing thread or creates its own thread in a material as it turns.

5. WHAT DO YOU CALL A SCREW WITHOUT A HEAD?

A screw without a head is sometimes called a blind screw. Two types include dowel screws and set screws. Used for joining wood, dowel screws feature threads at both ends. Set screws are fully threaded and usually driven using an internal wrenching drive. These Self-drilling Screwss work well when you need to secure an object against or inside another object.

6. WHAT DO YOU CALL A BOLT WITHOUT A HEAD?

There are several types of bolts that lack the head found on typical designs. A hanger bolt has two threaded ends, with one end shaped like a wood screw. You might use one of these fasteners if you want to secure something overhead or fasten metal to wood. Another bolt without a head is called a stud bolt. You can use these fully threaded fasteners to create flange connections with Hexagon Nuts on either side of the bolt.

7. WHAT ARE ALLEN KEY SCREWS CALLED?

Other names for an Allen key screw include Allen bolt, socket screw and socket head cap screw. These fasteners have a hexagonal drive hole sunken into the head. To tighten this type of bolt, you will need to use a compatible Allen wrench.

8. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOLT AND A HEX HEAD CAP SCREW?

Bolts look similar to hex head cap screws. The main difference between them has to do with how you install them. A bolt works in tandem with a nut to secure objects or materials together. To install a cap screw, you need to turn the screw inside a tapped hole.