Drywall or deck screws

Have the chance to remove some squeaks and replace a water-damaged section of plywood subfloor and several places recommend drywall screws. Why not deck screws?

Reply to
terphenyl
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Drywall screws are made for drywall. I'd use deck screws. Drywall screws go in easier because they are thinner, but they also break easier.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I use drywall screws for a variety of reasons. Yes they do break easier then deck screws but they are chaeper. If ou don't torque on them you shouldn't have a problem. For your purpose I would use fine thread drywall screws.Remember they are drywall screws, they screw through the drywall and into WOOD studs. Deck screws are also made to resist the weather hence decking. If your fix is not affected by the weather then I wouldn't worry about it. I put an entire wooden two man tree stand together using drywall screws, that was about 12 years ago. Its still there and capable of holding two people.

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Reply to
Shopdog

Thanks for the quick replies. I've also had drywall screws snap, and getting out the screw is problematic. And for what I'm going to do, the cost difference isn't all that much, considering I have some deck screws from another job.

Reply to
terphenyl

According to :

Entirely aside from the issues about brittleness etc., deck screws come in square drive. Even in Canada you can't get square drive drywall screws. Driving hundreds of phillips screws? Ugh, gack, ptui.

Secondly, drywall screws are thinner and a bit more subject to stripout than #8s (or #10s if you really want to make sure).

Plywood subfloors refastened down in with standard 2 1/2" #8 deck square drive screws - _no_ squeaks, and a lot less hassle to drive.

[As each room in our house gets its flooring redone, we set aside time to drive lots of deck screws.]
Reply to
Chris Lewis

Cheaper is a poor excuse for not using the proper fastener.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Hmmm, Drywall screw has lesser pitch which won't bite into wood well. Made for drywall not wood. When my house was built sub floor was glued to joists, and screwed down by myself. No squeaks what so ever.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

You can get square drive drywall screws, you just have to order them:

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Reply to
James "Cubby" Culbertson

According to James \\"Cubby\\" Culbertson :

Ordering square drive screws from the US? For a Canadian, where square drive (Robertson) was invented, that's about as unpatriotic as you can get

Reply to
Chris Lewis

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