Simpson Strong-Tie: A Quality Inspector's Straight Answers on Black Screws, Angle Brackets & Anchors

I'm a quality/compliance manager at a structural fasteners distributor. I review every connector and anchor shipment before it goes to contractors—roughly 200+ unique SKUs per year. In 2024, I rejected about 3% of first deliveries due to coating irregularities, dimensional tolerance issues, or missing load markings.

So when contractors ask me about Simpson Strong-Tie products, I've got opinions. Here are the questions I hear most, answered straight.

What Actually Makes Simpson Strong-Tie Different from No-Name Brackets?

The biggest difference isn't just the steel—it's the engineering and testing behind it. Simpson Strong-Tie connectors have ICC-ES evaluation reports that spell out exactly what loads they carry and how to install them. No-name brackets don't. They're stamped steel that "looks close enough."

The most frustrating part of inspecting structural connectors is how many lookalike brackets show up with thinner steel than the spec calls for. You'd think written specifications would prevent that, but interpretation varies wildly. I've seen a knock-off angle bracket fail at roughly 60% of its rated load—a partial deck collapse almost happened over a $4 bracket.

Are Simpson Strong-Tie Black Screws Worth the Premium?

Short answer: for treated lumber applications, yes. The black coating on their Strong-Drive connector screws isn't cosmetic—it's a corrosion barrier designed for ACQ-treated wood that eats standard fasteners. Plus, the head design seats flush in the connector, which matters more than you'd think.

Conventional wisdom says "any screw from the hardware store works." My experience inspecting failures says otherwise. One contractor used ACQ-treated lumber with regular deck screws; by month 18, corrosion had compromised every connection. The redo cost $22,000. Upgrading to Simpson Strong-Tie black screws would have added roughly $300 to the material line. That's the difference between unit price and total cost.

Which Simpson Strong-Tie Angle Bracket Do I Need?

Depends on what you're connecting and the load it has to carry. The A35 is probably the most common angle bracket—an 18-gauge connector for rafter-to-plate or joist-to-beam ties. Need more capacity? An A44 or A63 steps up the gauge and load rating. But the part number isn't the whole story. You also need the right fasteners.

We run blind tests with our crew sometimes: same bracket with the listed screws vs. whatever was in the jobsite bin. When we don't tell them which is which, they consistently describe the listed screws as "sturdier"—and yet generic ones still end up in the trash. The bracket is only as strong as the fastener that holds it.

Is an Anchor Screw Assortment Worth Buying?

If you're a contractor doing mixed work—a concrete anchor job here, an anchor for a carport there—then basically yes, an anchor screw assortment is a no-brainer. Instead of buying five boxes of one size you'll never finish, you get a range of diameters and lengths (think Titen HD assortment) that covers most of what a crew actually runs into. The per-screw cost is a bit higher, but the time saved—not sending a guy to the supply house mid-job—pays for the difference.

I wrote about this on our company blog back in 2023: the hidden cost of not having the right anchor on site isn't the screw price; it's the crew standing around. That's total cost of ownership, and it's how I review specs.

Okay, "300 Series Washer and Dryer"? Or 300-Series Washers?

For anyone who searched "300 series washer and dryer" and landed here—wrong washer, sorry. But 300-series stainless steel washers are a real thing in structural hardware, and they matter more than most people think. In coastal environments, 304 or 316 stainless washers prevent galvanic corrosion when used with stainless bolts or anchor rods. Zinc-plated washers in that same setting? Streak rust in under a year.

We ran a side-by-side salt-spray test: same stainless bolt, one with a 300-series washer, one with zinc-plated. After 90 days, the difference was obvious. The 300-series cost us about two cents more per piece. On a 50,000-unit run, that's roughly $1,000 for dramatically better long-term performance. Honestly, cheap insurance.

What Is a Nail Gun Used For—and When Shouldn't You Use One?

Nail guns drive nails fast—framing, sheathing, trim, roofing. You'll rarely see a professional crew without one, and for good reason. But here's the catch: a nail gun doesn't turn generic nails into an engineered structural connection.

Connectors like joist hangers and angle brackets are load-rated with specific nails or screws. Simpson Strong-Tie tests and lists exactly which fasteners make their connectors work. If you load up a gun with generic clipped-head nails and "nail" the hanger, the connection can look right but fall outside the tested assembly. We've seen failed connections where the nail size, spacing, and type were all wrong—the gun worked fine; the connection didn't do its job.

So use nail guns for speed in framing. But structural connections get the engineered fasteners listed for the connector. That's the bottom line.