I get the appeal of stainless, but honestly, I’ve had mixed results with it near the coast. Some of the cheaper “stainless” stuff still rusts after a year or two—guess it depends on the grade. The price stings too, especially if you’re doing a bigger job. I actually tried those ceramic-coated screws last summer when I ran out of stainless halfway through a shed roof. Wasn’t expecting much, but they’re holding up better than I thought. No rust yet, and we’ve had some nasty storms roll through.
Only thing is, you gotta watch out for chips in the coating when you drive them in. If you strip the head or over-torque, that’s where rust can start. But for the price, I’d say they’re worth a shot, especially if you’re not looking to drop a ton on hardware. Just my two cents—sometimes the “fancy” stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but sometimes it surprises you.
That lines up with what I’ve seen. Stainless is great in theory, but unless you’re shelling out for the higher grades (like 316), it’s not immune to the salt air. I’ve had some “marine” labeled stuff pit out faster than expected. Ceramic-coated fasteners are a decent workaround, especially if you’re careful driving them—like you said, once that coating’s gone, rust sneaks in. I usually run a pilot hole or use an impact driver on low to keep the heads from chewing up. Not perfect, but it stretches your dollar when you’re covering a lot of square footage. Sometimes the fancy label isn’t worth it, but a little extra care goes a long way.
- Totally agree on the “marine” label not always meaning much. I’ve had some so-called marine screws rust out in under two years, especially on jobs right by the beach.
- Pre-drilling’s a must, and I’ll sometimes dab a bit of sealant on the heads for extra insurance. Not perfect, but it helps.
- Stainless 316 is great if you can swing it, but yeah, price is rough when you’re doing a big roof.
- Ceramic-coated stuff holds up okay, but once you chip that coating, it’s game over. I’ve seen guys get a little too aggressive with impacts and ruin a whole box of fasteners.
- Honestly, regular rinsing (if possible) helps too. Salt just loves to sit and eat away at everything.
- At the end of the day, nothing’s totally rust-proof out here... just gotta slow it down as much as you can.
- Preach on the “marine” label. I swear, some of those screws just see the ocean and start rusting out of spite.
- Stainless 316 is the holy grail, but my wallet cries every time I price it out for a full green roof install.
- I’ve started using a dab of eco-friendly grease on fastener heads—messy, but seems to buy me a little more time before the orange fuzz shows up.
- Rinsing helps, but who’s hosing down their roof every week? Not me... unless it rains, then I claim credit.
- At this point, I just accept a little rust as “patina.” Gives the place character, right?
Is anyone else a little skeptical about the “patina” approach? I get that a bit of rust isn’t the end of the world, but I’ve had a couple properties where it started as “character” and ended up with fasteners failing way sooner than expected. Has anyone tried switching to coated screws instead of full stainless? I’m curious if the cost savings are worth it, or if it’s just kicking the can down the road. Grease sounds clever, but I’d worry about dust and grit sticking to it over time... does that ever become an issue?
