Coop Fasteners & Connectors: Match the Whole Connection
Choose a connection from the drawing and the selected hardware instructions, then buy its specified parts together. A screw that fits a hole is not automatically a substitute for the required fastener. Record the connector model, fastener type and dimensions, connected materials and service exposure. Count each distinct product separately and keep its packaging information. If the drawing leaves a load-bearing connection undefined, a generic box of screws cannot close that gap; obtain the missing connection detail before ordering for that joint.
Start with your situation
- A drawing identifies the connection
- Locate the current connector instructions and reconcile them with the drawing. Resolve disagreements before ordering.
- A supplier offers a different screw or bracket
- Ask for the documented replacement basis, including installation and material compatibility. Keep the substitute pending until the design review accepts it.
- You are fixing mesh or a removable fitting
- Record the actual edge or fitting detail separately from structural connections. Include backing, access and any exposed points in the review.
What to leave withA connection schedule with a separate quantity and compatibility check for every connector and fastener type.
Specify what the material has to do
Split “hardware” into connection groups. A framing connector, a roof attachment, a mesh edge and a removable roost fitting perform different jobs. Give each group a drawing reference and list its parts. This prevents a convenient fastener already in the toolbox from becoming the unexamined choice for every task.
Simpson Strong-Tie publishes fastener types and sizes for its connectors and requires attention to material compatibility. Its corrosion guidance identifies service environment, treated-wood chemistry and dissimilar metals as relevant factors. Use the selected manufacturer’s instructions for the actual system; a coating color or a broad “exterior” label is not the complete specification.
For pricing, retain the product code, size, material/coating, quantity per pack and matching installation document. Count bolts, nuts and washers as separate items unless the listed product is explicitly a complete kit. Keep alternative products on separate quote lines so an unreviewed substitution cannot disappear into a total.
| Connection | What the quote needs | What to confirm before use |
|---|---|---|
| Framing connector | Exact model, finish and each specified fastener type and quantity. | The joint, wood and installation match the reviewed detail and manufacturer instructions. |
| Roof attachment | Roof-system attachment reference, substrate and the required fastener/accessory specification. | Use the attachment layout for the selected roof and site; a generic spacing is not supplied here. |
| Mesh or service fitting | Boundary/fitting detail, backing, fixing method and service access. | Check the completed edge, access for the tool and any exposed points or operating interference. |
From the drawing to a checkable quote
Make a connection schedule
Mark each distinct joint on the drawing and give it an ID. Record how many identical joints occur; do not combine different details.
Ready to continue when: The schedule points to a reviewed detail and current product instructions for each connection.
Resolve the material combination
Collect wood treatment information, exposure conditions, connector finish and fastener specification for the product supplier or reviewer.
Ready to continue when: A documented compatibility decision covers the actual combination, including any proposed substitute.
Count by product, then by pack
Multiply identical joints by the required count of each fastener. Round each separate product to its sold pack size and show unused stock separately.
Ready to continue when: The sum remains traceable to joints; no pack is credited to two incompatible specifications.
Check access and delivery
Plan tool access to the specified fixing positions. Keep supplied labels with the connection schedule and resolve discrepancies before installation.
Ready to continue when: The model, sizes, finish and supplied quantities match; the intended assembly leaves the fixing positions accessible.
One total hides two different fasteners
Illustrative planning exercise · not a reported build or product specification
Illustrative arithmetic only: suppose a reviewed detail calls for four fasteners of type A and four of type B at each of six identical joints. These invented labels and counts are not an installation pattern for any connector.
Keep the types separate
Six joints × four type A fasteners = 24 A. Repeat for type B: 24 B. The combined 48 does not describe a purchasable specification.
Apply the offered pack sizes
If each type is sold in packs of 50, the exercise needs one pack of A and one pack of B, leaving 26 of each unused. A single mixed or unspecified pack does not resolve both lines.
Reconcile the real detail
For a project, replace A and B with the actual product codes and check the joint count, required pattern and compatibility. Add separately specified accessories to their own lines.
Decision and record: The exercise produces two quote lines, not one “48 screws” line. The real worksheet remains Pending details until the actual joint schedule and accepted fastener specifications are attached.
When the materials arrive
- Match product codes, dimensions and coatings to the accepted connection schedule before mixing or opening packs.
- Retain labels and batch information; keep different specifications in identified containers.
- Check that kits contain the listed parts and that unapproved substitutions are isolated for review.
Keep a record you can use for the quote
Record your actual project details below. The worked example is an illustration; it does not supply your order quantities.
- Joint and instruction reference
- Record joint ID, drawing revision, connector model and current installation document.
- Material compatibility
- Record wood/treatment, exposure, connector finish and accepted fastener specification.
- Count and pack basis
- Separate identical joint count, fasteners per joint, total units and packs to buy.
- Substitution and review status
- Describe the proposed change, supporting document and responsible reviewer.
Review status: Pending details · Quantity: __________ · Unit: __________
Next decision: ____________________ · Responsible person: ____________________
Sources and scope
Revised 2026-10-12 · Material note v1.0.0. Sources checked on 2026-10-12. The quote workflow and numerical examples are editorial planning aids. The cited sources support the stated product principles; they do not approve a coop design.
- Simpson Strong-Tie — Product use information
Provides connector notes and the manufacturer’s specified fastener types and sizes. Select the documents for the exact product.
- Simpson Strong-Tie — Corrosion information
Explains exposure, treated wood and dissimilar-metal considerations. This is manufacturer guidance, not a blanket approval for another brand or every site.
Member sizing, foundations, anchoring and site loads need their own resolved design details. The five reference designs remain preparation references; the Walk-In retains its separate construction baseline and open project decisions.
Report a missing condition or correctionContinue your material decisions
- Collect the wood and panel specifications
- Check the complete mesh and closure boundary
- Open the Walk-In material groups and drawing references