Warning: Stop using drywall screws for decking, they will snap on you

I saw a guy last month in Austin put up a whole deck with drywall screws because they were cheaper. Three weeks later I walked on it and two heads popped right off under my foot. The shear strength just isn't there for outdoor lumber shifting in the heat. How many of you have had to fix someone else's shortcut like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_henderson10d ago

Right, the heat cycling in Texas is brutal for that. Did the guy even use coated drywall screws or just standard zinc ones? Because I've seen people try galvanized drywall screws thinking that fixes it. Just makes them rust slower before they snap. The core metal is still too brittle. I'm guessing he didn't pre-drill either, which cracks the heads even faster. What did he say when you showed him the popped screws?

lee_bailey6510d ago

@abby_henderson you just nailed the whole problem with cheap labor in general. It's not just drywall screws either, I see this same pattern everywhere now. People grab whatever is cheapest at the big box store and call it good, but they skip all the little steps that actually make things last. Like you said, pre-drilling alone stops half the cracking, but nobody has time for that these days. It's like the whole culture of "good enough" has taken over, where if it holds for a year that's considered fine. Those standard zinc screws are trash in any climate with real temp swings, but people just blame the materials instead of their approach.