A washer is a thin plate with a concentric hole that’s typically used to evenly distribute the load of a threaded fastener. They can also be used as spacers, as is common in industrial and domestic applications. Nylon flat washers also may provide electrical insulation.

Before a threaded fastener (such as a screw) is driven into a surface, a washer may be placed over the fastener for greater protection to prevent the fastener head and/or nut from scratching or indenting the surfaces of the two fastened parts, which could ultimately loosen the fastener or damage the surface of the part.

Additionally, driving a screw into wood might cause the wood to crack around the surface and a washer helps to reduce this from happening. It can also prevent dimpling of thing gauge metals.

Behind the hex nut, the flat washer is the second most common fastener there is. Washers come in steel (many grades and plating), stainless (many grades), brass, bronze, nylon, neoprene, aluminum, titanium, and many more metals. They can be fabricated in any size you might ever need.

Talk to Hardware Everywhere’s knowledgeable customer service team for help choosing the fasteners that match your application. Call us at 1-800-432-8979 or contact us online.