Hot take: Screws are overkill for most framing work

Got into it with a crew lead who insisted on screws for every joist. Ngl, nails have held houses for centuries and save time.

4 comments

4 Comments

eric_gonzalez261mo ago

Back on a retrofit job, the inspector made us pull out all the screws in a shear wall and switch to nails. He said something about how screws get brittle over time, which kinda echoes what @victoradams mentioned about shear tests. We spent half the day just talking about how codes change but old tricks still work. Ended up with a mix of both, and that wall has been solid for years now. It's one of those things where you see both sides after living through it.

victoradams1mo ago

Check jenny183's shear tests, screws handle twist way better. Nails worked for old houses, but modern codes need that extra grip.

karenc2025d ago

Totally agree with @victoradams. I saw a shear wall test where screws snapped clean under load, but nails just bent. We had to redo a whole garage because the screws got brittle after a few winters. Nails have that give you need.

jenny1831mo ago

Seen a lot of shear tests where screws fail faster than nails. Sure they take more time, but they hold better when things twist. Your lead might be onto something.