Caught a homeowner trying to use drywall screws for a deck build last Saturday

I showed up to fix a loose railing and found 2-inch drywall screws holding the joists together, told the guy those things shear off like toothpicks under load, and he just shrugged and said 'they seemed strong enough' - has anyone else run into people using the wrong fasteners for outdoor projects?

2 comments

2 Comments

kimdixon7d ago

Yeah, read somewhere drywall screws are brittle and snap under pressure, not worth the risk.

averyc947d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree here. Drywall screws are fine for deck stuff if you predrill and don't overload it. I've got a buddy who built his whole back porch with them like 10 years ago and it's still standing solid. People act like everything has to be some huge engineered fastener or it'll explode, but half the decks out there are overbuilt anyway with extra joists and blocking. I'd take 16 penny nails over those fancy coated deck screws too, they've been working for like a hundred years.