🧰 Xcat – DIY Help, Tool Advice & Real Solutions
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I'm fixing decking boards and the screws keep splitting the timber.
What drill bit should I use for a 6mm screw?
For a 6 mm wood screw, the pilot hole size usually depends on the type of timber.
• Softwood: around 4 mm pilot hole
• Hardwood: around 3.5–4 mm pilot hole
Drilling a pilot hole helps prevent the wood splitting and also makes it easier to drive the screw straight. If you're working with decking boards, pilot holes are especially important near the edges of the timber.
A good tip is to match the drill bit roughly to the core diameter of the screw (not the threads).
If you're unsure about different screw sizes, we also have a pilot hole calculator that quickly works out the recommended drill size for common wood screws:
👉 https://xcatalogue.co.uk/calculators/pilot-hole/
It’s useful if you're switching between different screw sizes or working with hardwoods where splitting can be a problem.
