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You will often hear us talking about ‘fixings and fasteners’ here at BS Fixings - after all, one of those words is part of our company name! So, why are we not called BS Fasteners instead? Here we explain the reason, and the difference between a fastener and a fixing…

There is actually a great deal of crossover between the two words and the items they represent, meaning the terms can be used interchangeably a lot of the time. This arises due to the different ways the words are used as nouns or verbs and, in relation to products such as screws, nails, nuts/bolts etc, difficulties arise unless the word ‘fixing’ is ONLY used as a verb.

As always, when there is confusion like this, the best place to head for is the dictionary to get a proper definition. But don’t worry, we have done the research for you!

  • Fixing is the process of holding an object securely in place. It refers to the method (often known as the fixing method) and not to the individual item

  • A fastener is the connector that attaches components together (often known as the fixing device)

For example, if a joist is securely nailed into a joist hanger, with the use of extra straps for lateral restraint purposes, ‘fixings’ refers to the entire system, inclusive of all straps and connectors. The ‘fasteners’ in this context are the nails. A further example: if a rafter is attached to a wall plate using nails, the ‘fastener’ would be the nails and the ‘fixing’ the nails centres.

In most cases, uses the terms interchangeably is not a major issue and you will generally be understood either way. Our original question, about why we are not called BS Fasteners, is that we supply such a wide range of products that it makes more sense to refer to the entire systems we supply rather than individual items. Also, BS Fixings rolls off the tongue much nicer in our opinion!

Whatever you need to fix, use our fasteners to fix it. We have got everything you could ever require and, if you can’t see it right away, then our expert team will source it for you to ensure that your project can be completed to the most professional standard.