Does Particle Board Furniture Need Special Screws (Vs Regular Wood Screws)?

Particle board is a tricky material to fasten.

Tear-outs can happen frequently, and screws will loosen out of position…if you don’t use the correct ones for the job.

So, in this post, we reveal why specially designed particle board screws make it easy to fasten this manufactured wood. You will also find out if your typical wood screws will work on particle board or not.

And keep reading to discover why something called a ‘Confirmat Screw’ works so well with particle board.

particle board screws vs wood screws

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Do You Need Special Screws For Particle Board? Or Will Wood Screws Hold?

Standard wood screws aren’t going to be able to bite into and hold onto particle board well (if at all).

Even with a pilot hole, wood screws can churn up particle board material.

So, you need specially designed screws, if you want to fasten particle board firmly in place.

Related Post: What You Need To Know About Sealing A Particle Board Countertop

So How Do You Screw Particle Board Without It Ripping Out?

You will need to use screws that have a blunt point (rather than a sharp point).

On top of that, you should drill a pilot hole (of the right size) before you turn those screws in.

This combination will prevent the drill-style churn effect that regular wood screws have on particle board.

Related Post: Can You Really Stain Particle Board? (+ How You Can Make It Look Great!)

So What Are The Best Screws For Particle Board?

You will need a particular type of cabinet screw, called Confirmat screws.

Image Of Confirmat Screws

This type of screw is specifically designed for furniture made from materials such as particle board and MDF. That is why you should get yourself some of HighPoint’s Confirmat Screws.

Specially designed for tricky-to-fasten manufactured woods, such as particle board and MDF, these screws have a clever blunt tip.

This design allows the screw to turn into (and out of) particle board, repeatedly. And with next to no material churn.

This allows you to insert and remove these screws, without damaging the screw hole.

However, you must always make a pre-drilled pilot hole first, before you use these screws.

Do Particle Board Screws Really Need Pilot Holes?

Pretty much. Using pilot holes is essential with these types of screws.

Besides, the pilot hole makes sure you can insert the screw precisely where you need it.

You can learn more about pilot holes (and why they are sometimes all important when securing wood) by popping on over to our post here: Why Finishing Nails Keep Bending (And What You Can Do To Fix It)

To Wrap Up, Here Are The 3 Key Takeaways From This Post…

  • 1). Particle Board furniture needs special screws to fasten it into place. These screws are called Confirmat screws.
  • 2). Regular wood screws will only end up stripping the screw hole — even with a pilot hole to guide it.
  • 3). You should always drill a pilot hole before you screw in Confirmat screws.