How to Check a Screw Gauge

When doing general maintenance around the home, it is not uncommon to find that you have screws missing from a wall, a door or a piece of furniture. Replacing the screws requires that you know the screws' gauges. The gauge of a screw is the size in diameter of the threaded screw body. Trying to put a screw with a diameter wider than the hole can damage the wood or metal it's being driven into. Luckily, a simple tool is available to find a screw's gauge.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Gauge check tool

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Remove a screw from the item with the missing screw.

   • 2

     Place the screw over the missing screw's hole to make sure it is the right diameter for the hole. Measuring the wrong screw is just as bad as not knowing the screw's gauge.

   • 3

     Slide the screw through the gauge-finding tool. A gauge-finding tool is available at most hardware stores. The tool is a plastic card with a series of holes in it. Next to the holes are marks indicating the gauge size for the hole. Place the screw in different holes along the card until you find the correct gauge size.