screws or nails?

[Eigenvector]

When you guys do wood repairs, do you use nails or screws? Obviously I'm not talking about trim molding but rather things like hanging drywall, repairing damaged boards, mounting fixtures to framing, heck even building shelving and bookcases??

I'm one of those screw kinds of guys, mostly because my skill with a hammer sucks pretty badly. Its simple to put in a screw and in my mind a lot more secure and reversable with minimal damage to the wood. Again that might be based on my sucky stills with the ol' hammer but give me a power drill and I can hang drywall all day. Give me a hammer and I can break my thumb on the first hit, the second hit breaks the drywall, the third hit puts the nail just inside of the stud and bends the head.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, It all depends. Mail? Nowadays most uses nail gun. Screw? Power driver as well either air driven or battery driven. I also use adhesive with either fastener.

[Richard Thoms]

I'm just like you. Last home job I did was flooring the attic space and I used hammer and nails and must have bent and trashed more than I put in!

I did use screws on the deck I built outside because, like you said, I think they are stronger and hold better (not to mention the thumb thing). But I must say that I sometimes think that they hold too well. Much of the decking is relatively long runs (say 10-12ft) and with the temperature and moisture expansion of the wood I seem to have a lot of splits and more open grain then I would like. I think that may be from the screws binding up the wood too much but I don't know for sure.

If you have a nail gun, that's probably the way to go. I rented one for a fence project and that made all the difference.

Hope that helps.

[Lawrence]

I usually use drywall screws and keep a collection on hand. I also keep a selection of exterior screws on hand. These types of screws have a sharp point which is self-starting. Cordless drivers have made driving screws fast and easy. I usually just pound them in but it is worth it to learn how to correctly install a screw.

For example, when attaching some plywood (or solid wood) you can drill a 3/16" hole in the plywood to accept the shank of the screw and this will make things easier. Then you can pound them into the substrate without having to worry about starting the hole. It also makes a better connection. Drilling pilots in the substrate is usually only necessary when building or repairing furniture and the like.

If the screw is splitting the material then it is better to drill the shank and the pilot. The shank is drilled to the diameter of the screw (3/16") and the pilot is drilled slightly smalller than the diameter of the screw threads. You can also counter-sink the screw head. There are drill bits which will drill it all in one pass. It is the correct way to install a screw even though I don't usually bother if I don't have to.

I also use nails for some things. They can be quite a lot faster than screws esp for rough work and framing. I have air nailers I use and rarely hand nail. I do keep a hammer and a selection of nails on hand nevertheless for the occasional situation which requires them.

Lawrence

[homeguy]

[Thomas Kendrick]

[scott21230]

I use stainless steel screws.

[Kyle]

It really does depend on the job for me.

For drywall, yeah, screws are the only way to go. In fact, I've discovered the joys of drywall screws for so many repairs and jobs.

There are times when nails are simpler to deal with than the drill and screw bit. And there are times when I don't want to see a screw head and must use finishing nails. If someone could come up with finishing screws, I'd probably be there in a second.

In fact, I was replacing baseboards the other day, and because the plaster wall is warped the finishing nails wouldn't hold properly. I resorted to Liquid Nails and some heavy objects to brace the 1x4, but "finishing screws" would have been the perfect thing.

[Larry Jaques]

On 15 Jun 2006 10:30:33 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "Kyle" quickly quoth:

Here ya go! Look at their trim head screws.

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[maradcliff]

Nailing is good because getting hammered is fun. However, screwing is the most fun of all !!!! :)

[Kyle]

And then Larry Jaques replied:

And so I say "Woot!" Once I get the fastener organizer back up on the wall, I am SO gonna order a slew of those. Thanks for the lead!

[Larry Jaques]

On 6 Jul 2006 17:52:44 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "Kyle" quickly quoth:

Jewelcome. But woot is at

;)