No more galvanized bolts/nuts at my TSC ???

[s219]

I am putting a roof over my pier and stopped into TSC the other day to buy some galvanized bolts, nuts, and washers. In the past this has been a great place to buy that stuff because it was priced by the pound and would cost 2X to 3X less than buying by the piece at Lowes/HD. Well, they no longer carry galvanized at my local TSC. The whole hardware section was changed around and all the galvanized stuff was gone.

The clerk didn't seem to understand the significance of galvanized hardware until I told her it was a code requirement for treated lumber. They sell quite a bit of treated posts at TSC, and it's a shame they no longer have hardware to go with them.

I ended up going to Lowes, but they didn't sell bolts in 1/2" length increments, and they only put threads on the last 1" of the bolt. So one size was too short and the next size was going to be long so that the nut would run out of threads by the time it was snugged down (making beams from 3 or 4 2x10's bolted together and notched into a post, so the bolt needs to be pretty long to get started before everything snugs up). I then went to HD and they had bolts in 1/2" increments with full threads, which worked perfectly but cost a lot more.

It's already annoying how expensive hardware is (I'm spending $40-60 on bolts for each beam I put together) but now it's also a pain to find the right bolts. :confused3:

 

[flyerdan]

You might try the yellow pages under Industrial Fasteners and see if you can find them locally by the box. It will probably be cheaper than buying them by the piece if you require a lot of them. If you can wait a few days there's always McMaster-Carr as well.

 

[George2615]

What about stainless bolts and nuts. TSC sells them.




Edited to correct smartphone auto correct which changed what I typed.

 

[roadhunter]

Bolts with threads the whole way? Are you talking carriage bolts or hex head?

 

[s219]

Bolts with threads the whole way? Are you talking carriage bolts or hex head?

Hex head (carriage bolts are not acceptable for structural use under code anymore, so I have shied away from them for building projects).

 

[s219]

What about staliniens. TSC sells them.

I don't believe TSC carries large bolts in stainless, but to be honest, I am not sure how stainless rates for structural use, code, and cost. I just know what passes inspection for treated lumber in this area and it's galvanized.

 

[oldnslo]

Is galvanizing being phased out due to to being RoHS compliance concerns. I know this has effected parts with zinc dichromate finishes.

 

[George2615]

I don't believe TSC carries large bolts in stainless, but to be honest, I am not sure how stainless rates for structural use, code, and cost. I just know what passes inspection for treated lumber in this area and it's galvanized.

I'm glad you were able to decipher what my smart phone auto corrected to what it thought it should be. Apparently my phone thinks staliniens is a better word than stainless. I know how to spell, I just wish I knew how to disable auto correct on the phone.

Don't know about your local store. Only mentioned it because I know my local store does.

 

[Soundguy]

my phone auto miscorrect kills me.. that and the small keys.

our tsc used to sell the double dipped galv which i loved for fence bolts and stuff. now just the brite zinc wash stuff.

 

[roadhunter]

Hex head (carriage bolts are not acceptable for structural use under code anymore, so I have shied away from them for building projects).

Interesting. You dont' see the hex head bolts with threads the whole way very often.