Top 5Factors to Consider when Buying Fixtures and Fittings
The construction industry has many fasteners for use in your construction and renovation activities. Whether you are a manufacturer, an experienced or inexperienced contractor, or an individual wishing to do minor house or office repairs, you will run into hundreds of fittings and fixtures. This would be a tough and confusing shopping session.
As daunting as it is, you still have to pick the best. This means that you’ll have to know the best quality in the market, the credible brands and the strength of each. You will also need to consider the environment where these tools will be used.
Many factors influence your choice of the best fastening tools besides their costs and the vendor’s word. These are some of the points to consider when selecting the best fasteners:-
- Environment
Consider where you will use the fastener.
Marine Environment
Planning to set up an aquatic tank for your restaurant? You will be advised to select stainless steel. However, you should know that all metals except gold, palladium and platinum rust. Therefore, you should pick fasteners that won’t rust leading to various effects on the state of your beautiful creation.
Plastic fasteners would be a better choice for such an environment. The plastic used is considerably cheap and not harmful to marine life. Otherwise, the fish and the exotic marine animals you will have bought at a high cost will die off. This not only makes you depressed but also, you might run into debt.
PH
The location you intend to fix matters a lot. A salty environment will hasten corrosion of any metallic materials. Select materials that will withstand PH changes and sustain your project for long.
Temperature changes
Daily heating and cooling is a big factor to consider when selecting fasteners. Fasteners used in a bridge are metallic and they must be fixed a little loosely to accommodate the thermal changes.
- Strength/ Durability
There are different fasteners in the market varying in strength. A fastener will only last long if it is strong and durable. This saves you constant and unexpected costs of repairing and buying new fasteners. A durable fastener or any other fixture might cost you a lot at the beginning but eventually, it will be cheaper. Cheap is expensive!
- Reinforcement
A plastic fastener reinforced with a steel core is the best fastener you can employ for your innovations and construction needs. They are not only rust-free but also UV resistant and durable.
- Use
Fixtures and fasteners vary depending on their use. The ones used in aeronautics, as well as sub-marines and ships are not the same as the ones to be used in homes or offices. The pressure applied during use should be able to counteract any resistance that will be faced.
- Security
Sometimes, you want to have the fasteners put in place in such a manner that they can’t be removed, or that they can only be removed by a few parties. A control box to a potentially sensitive and dangerous piece of equipment requires the strongest and the most reliable fasteners to curb intrusion.
The next time you plan on buying a fastener for whichever use, consider reliability for longevity and a good return on your investment.
Author Bio
Jane Johnson is a Construction Consultant and has worked with the top Companies in designing and advocating for use of Plastic fasteners. She has runs a Building and Construction Consultancy firm. Visit their website for more.