That depends an awfull lot on what nails, and what screws, doesn't it?????
And can also be very "structural" if properly installed.
4 deck screws in that application is stronger than 2 nails - likely stronger than 3, and won't pull loose nearly as easily. A number 10 deck screw is a pretty hefty screw for the application. If you are not using PT wood, standard "construction screws" will also work, but coated deck screws drive more easily, and are less likely to corrode off.
Screws will produce a more rigid and longer lasting assembly than nails because they are much less likely to work out, or loosesn. (which is why they are used in cabinetry over nails). They also have the advantage of being easily removed for "rework" without totally destroying the framework as is often required with ardox, spiral, or ring-shanked nails (which hold better than common nails, but not as well as screws)
Evan - you are WRONG. Screws can easily accomplish the desired result.. Anything a nail can do, a screw can do - just need the right screw. A carriage bolt can NOT be used to fasten a stud to a plate, and a lag screw would split the 2X4 , for sure..
I've built a lot with screws, and have never had a failure
Here's an update. I found it easy to cut off the bottom of the studs. Just lay mu circular saw on it's face, it takes off exactly 1.5 inch. But the depts of blade does not go into the whole 2x4, so I finished with a saber saw with a special blade made to cut flush to a surface.
I used a combination of many suggestions on here. The parts of the walls (mostly just the front wall) which was still attached to the floor, I used blocks of 2x4 between each stud. On the two ends, I put bottom plates. I only did 6 feet at a time to keep the walls from settling after I cut several of them, and I also wedged a 2x4 under the roof and against floor to keep things in place. I used both nails and screws to toe nail the studs to the bottom plate, and also used both to attach the plate to the floor. While they doubled all the floor joists, the outer ones where the walls attach are single ones, so I can only hit the floor joist off the rear half of the plate. I'm not completely done, but close and it's MUCH stronger now.
I still can not understand how they built this shed. There's no top plate either. The roof joists are screwed to the INSIDE of each stud. But then they added a horizonal 2x4 against the studs on the inside. Only used ONE screw in EVERY OTHER stud...... I added a bunch of 16D sinker nails in each stud. I think I'm gonna add a few of those metal plates that they use to make trusses on a few of those roof connections, just to assist with winds and snow loads. But I still can not understand how they built it like this???? I can only think that they attached the plywood to the 2x4, flipped over the walls, and stoof them up. Nothing else makes sense.
As for fastners, I used nails and decking screws (both) in each stud and to the floor. I prefer nails as far as ease of installation. Much easier to swing a hammer than piss around with drills, cords, stripped tips, and/or dead batteries. I found it easiest to nail everything first, then add screws with a plug in drill to each stud.
PS. What do they call those metal truss plates with the spikes sticking out anyhow?????
You want the floor and the rest of the structure to remain attached to each other and are suspicious of having to rely on gravity. That is, if the shed blows over, you want the floor to go with it.
I don't think a baseplate with do anything to improve structural integrity.
The rafters nailed to the sides of the studs and supported by a ledger was the standard way to attach floor joists to studs in balloon- framing. Floor joists spanning 15' and carrying full loads - mud job bathrooms, etc. - were supported by three or four face nails and frequently only one 20d nail though the ledger into the stud.
More nails is not necessarily stronger, but is more likely to cause splits, immediately and over time.
I am still unclear on how it is that your shed doesn't have rim joists. If there are rim joists the outer half of the stud is directly above the framing and all the work of cutting the studs and adding plates/blocking was unnecessary.
Your last comment about screws clearly indicates you don't have a cordless impact driver. They rarely strip screws unless someone is meat-fisted. You should check one out.
I'm glad you found a solution that worked for you...
I don't remember what the method is called, but it sounds like a "truss" design. Basically, the stud and rafter are assembled on the floor, then the whole assembly is tilted up and braced with the other truss assemblies (much like standard roof truss construction). There was an article many, many years ago in Fine Homebuilding magazine showing small houses being built this way. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to save materials or something.
The spiked connector plates used in roof trusses are usually installed with hydraulic presses in a factory. Not exactly an on-site option. They do make versions with holes that you can nail in place, but I would probably opt for plywood glued (construction adhesive) and screwed to one or both sides of the rafters.
Screws offer a number of advantages over nails. For one, they don't pull out easily like nails can, and can pull joints together tighter, and won't loosen over time. It's also easier to drive screws in tight spaces when you don't have enough room to swing a hammer (though a pneumatic air nailer will overcome that also). Another advantage, it's easy to back a screw out if you need to change something than to destroy the wood trying to pull a nail back out.
Stipping is usually not a problem with square drive or "combi-drive" screws. Deck screws with Torx style heads are showing up in home centers now also. With a freshly charged battery, I can easily drive many dozens of screws with my old 18V Craftsman drill/driver.
The big problem with screws is that they can be brittle. A nail will bend if force is applied to the side, but a screw will usually snap off. Of course, that usually depends on the screw. Drywall screws are basically worthless for anything other than drywall. The shanks are thin, the phillips heads strip out easily, and they snap easily if too much torque is applied. But most deck screws have thicker shanks, and I use them routinely for numerous tasks. In most cases, the wood splits and cracks before the screw breaks or pulls out.
For heavy duty applications, I like to use Simpson Strong Drive screws. They're usually located with all the metal joist hangers and whatnot in the home centers. They look a little like lag bolts, but are self drilling. I discovered them a few years ago when installing seismic hold down anchors in our house. They drive easily with the appropriate socket in my drill, and don't split the wood like lag bolts can.
I dont want it to blow over at all. I'm putting in ground anchors to hold it tight in case of a wind storm. Of course if the floor stays and not the walls and roof, what's the point. Nothing will survive a tornado, but this should survive any strong winds when I'm done.
If for no other reason, that base plate helped get the walls lined up. It was part way off the floor in some places and part too far inward in others. Rather than line up each stud one at a time, I just get attach the base plate and line up the two ends, and fasten it all down. Besides that, I can now fasten the WHOLE stud with toe nails, rather than just the outer 1.5 inches. Yea, the plate is only nailed on the outer 1.5 inches but there's more surface there. Plus I eliminated all the weave in the plywood that was starting to occur between studs (and a lot of rain we have had). The whole shed is stable now, and it was pretty flimsy before, and I still have one wall to do.
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