Fastener FAQs | Using Neoprene Washers For Their True Purpose

Washers serve an important purpose in many different applications from manufacturing to structural buildings and plumbing fittings. There are a wide variety of washer sizes and styles that work well in various applications. Neoprene washers are a unique combination of steel and rubber that serve a distinct purpose.

What Does a Washer Do?

Washers are mainly used to provide a bearing surface that is flat. This is especially important on applications where one (or both) of the mating surfaces is uneven. For this reason bevel washers are commonly used on sloping surfaces.

Washers also prevent the fastener from becoming embedded. More importantly, the flat bearing surface offered by a washer spreads the load over a larger surface area, reducing the chance of breakage and strain. Often, the larger the bolt used the larger the washer needed.

Uniqueness of Neoprene Washers

Neoprene washers are steel washers coated or bonded with neoprene, a specific type of durable rubber used in wet suits, hoses and in elastomeric roofing membranes. They are most often seen in plumbing, although these specially formulated washers are also used in the alternative energy industry and with various electronics.

The purpose of these washers in plumbing applications is generally to create a tight fitting seal. The flexibility of rubber means that the bearing surface can be compressed for a tight fit. The neoprene coating also provides effective protection against corrosion, a common problem in these applications.

Neoprene washers are used with polycarbonate panels, most often on roofs and in windows as a replacement for glass. The composition of this washer allows for an effect seal to be created between the panels, around the edges and on any angled corners. They are only part of a system that ensures a polycarbonate roof or window is waterproof. But neoprene washers also play an important role in distributing the load of those fasteners that keep the panels together.

Indispensable in many different applications, neoprene washers still live up to the basic purpose of all washers – to provide a flat bearing surface that allows for better load distribution and prevents embedment.