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My neighbor told me to use a 3/8 inch drill bit for my deck lag screws and I snapped two of them.
He swore by it for years in his own projects, but my treated lumber was way too hard. I ended up switching to a 1/2 inch pilot hole and they went in smooth. What size do you guys normally use for 1/2 inch lags in pressure-treated pine?
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ruby45020d ago
Oh, that's a classic mistake. Treated lumber is so much harder when it's still wet from the treatment process. I learned the hard way, too. For half-inch lags in that wet pine, I always drill a half-inch pilot hole now, just like you did. Anything smaller and you're asking for broken bolts.
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lindab4913d ago
Wait, you drill the same size hole as the bolt? That seems way too big...
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umamartin20d ago
Wait, is it really that big of a deal? I mean, ruby450 makes a good point, but I've used smaller bits on treated wood before and been fine.
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