Owlett TwinQwik CSK Pozi ZP Woodscrew 10 x 2-200, countersunk pozi zinc plated wood screw, timber screw, chipboard screw, fixing screw, fastener

Hardware is a broad mix of everyday building and household items: screws, coach screws, frame fixings, washers and bolts, hammers, step stools and loft ladders, curtain track, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Most jobs start with choosing the right fixing for the material you are fixing into.

Screws and fixings

• Wood screws: countersunk heads sit flush with the surface; round heads sit proud of it.
• Coach screws: heavy-duty screws with a hexagon head, driven with a spanner or socket, for timber to timber or into masonry with a suitable plug.
• Frame fixings: a long screw and plug made for fixing timber door and window frames and battens through into masonry.
• Repair washers and bolts: large-diameter washers, roofing bolts with square nuts, and similar metric hardware.

Match the screw diameter and length to the load and the material, and use the plug size the fixing maker specifies.

Ladders

Portable ladders and stepladders should be made to BS EN 131, which has separate professional and non-professional classes; loft ladders are covered by BS EN 14975. Ladders suit short, low-risk tasks; for longer work, consider other access equipment.

Alarms

Smoke alarms should meet BS EN 14604 and carbon monoxide alarms BS EN 50291. In England, landlords must fit a smoke alarm on every storey used as living space and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Mains-wired alarms and other fixed wiring may be notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so use a registered electrician.

For more screws and plugs, see fasteners and fixings; for testers and detectors, see alarms, detectors and testers.