Can we talk about using drywall screws for deck boards?

I let my brother talk me into using coated drywall screws on a 400 sq ft deck in Portland last summer because he swore they'd hold fine, and within 6 months half of them had snapped off from all the rain and expansion, so who else has learned the hard way that you really need proper deck screws no matter how much your buddy insists?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma21d ago

Coated drywall screws just don't have the shear strength for deck boards. Grab some Simpson or Spax deck screws next time, or even a stainless steel option if you're in a wet area. Your back will thank you when you're not crawling around in the drizzle replacing snapped heads.

patriciah5121d ago

...and now my deck looks like a game of whack-a-mole with all the popped heads, right? I feel your pain, I really do. I used those same coated drywall screws on a little step project once (you know, thinking I was being clever and saving a few bucks) and they snapped like toothpicks the first time someone actually stepped on it. I guess the lesson is that "coated" doesn't mean "waterproof" when you're dealing with Portland's constant drizzle and the wood doing its seasonal shrink-and-swell dance. I'm just glad I didn't have to crawl under there and replace them in the rain.

brian32821d ago

Three out of my six deck boards had screws pop within a month of using those same coated ones. @the_emma is spot on about shear strength, it's just not there for stuff that has to take weight. I switched to Spax after that disaster and haven't had a single one snap, even through a Portland winter. The coated ones are basically just for hanging drywall where nobody's stepping on it. Save yourself the headache and grab something rated for actual decking.