Euro Screws vs Wood Screws: Which Screw for the 32 mm System?

February 21, 2026

A Euro screw is specially designed for pre-drilled 5 mm holes in the 32 mm system and features a blunt end as well as a flat thread for maximum holding power in chipboard. A classic wood screw, on the other hand, has a pointed tip, cuts its own thread, and is used for bespoke, non-standardised fixings in furniture construction.

What are Euro Screws and Wood Screws Exactly?

In industrial and trade furniture manufacturing, both screw types fulfil fundamentally different roles. The Euro screw (also known as a special screw or fitting screw) is the standardised fastener for the 32 mm system. It is characterised by a thick core and a flat, widely spaced thread. Because it has no pointed tip, the workpiece must be pre-drilled. Like a precisely fitted dowel, the Euro screw creates an interlocking fit in the accurately pre-drilled hole, whilst the traditional wood screw cuts its own path through the material like an icebreaker.

The standard wood or chipboard screw is self-tapping. It displaces the material as it is driven in and anchors itself with a sharp thread. It is always used when components must be secured away from standardised hole lines or when individual adjustments to the carcase are required.

Dimensions, Standards, and Typical Values

For a permanently stable connection, the dimensions must be precisely matched to the base material (usually chipboard or MDF).

Specifications of the Euro screw:

Drill hole diameter: Must be 5 mm.
Outer thread diameter: Typically 6.3 mm.
Lengths: Common sizes are 11 mm, 13 mm, or 14 mm (depending on the material thickness of the fitting).
Drive type: Almost always PZ2 (Pozidriv) or more rarely PH2 (Phillips).
Head shape: Flat countersunk head that sits flush in the fitting.

Specifications of the wood screw:

Diameter: Flexible depending on the load. In furniture making, wood screws 3mm, wood screws 3.5mm, and wood screws 4mm are the standard.
Lengths: From 15 mm for thin back panels up to 60 mm and more for structural joints.
Drive type: Depending on the diameter. Smaller threads often use PZ1, whilst from 3.5 mm up to 5 mm, mostly wood screws PZ2 or TX (Torx) are used.

Application & Selection: Which Screw for Which Fitting?

The choice of the right screw determines the pull-out strength of the fitting.

Euro screws are primarily used for mounting load-bearing fittings within the hole grid. These include cruciform mounting plates for concealed hinges as well as cabinet profile runners for drawer systems. Since the thread of the Euro screw is precisely matched to the 5 mm hole, it provides significantly higher tensile strength in porous materials such as chipboard than a standard screw.

Wood screws are used for the free positioning of components. For instance, if a runner needs to be fitted outside the line of holes, the installer reaches for classic wood screws and furniture screws. A slightly thicker wood screw (e.g. 6 mm) can also serve as an emergency fix when repairing stripped 5 mm holes.

For visible fixings inside furniture, aesthetics also play a role. Depending on the finish of the carcase, zinc-plated versions or black wood screws are used to complement the design of the furniture.

If two complete cabinet units need to be joined together (for example in a run of wardrobes), a standard screw joint into the wood is often insufficient. In this case, the 5 mm hole is drilled completely through and replaced with special sleeve screws (carcase connectors), which lock from both sides to absorb extremely high shear forces.

Related Terms

32 mm System: International standard in furniture manufacturing. Describes rows of holes spaced 32 mm apart and 37 mm from the front edge.
Chipboard screw: Self-tapping screw with a sharp thread for engineered wood materials.
Pull-out strength: The force required in Newtons to forcibly pull a screw out of the base material.
Cruciform mounting plate: The counterpart to the hinge, which is fixed to the carcase (usually with Euro screws).