wrong fasteners in treated lumber

I doubt the lumber will last a century, what more a millenium...

"May" I'd guess within 6-8 months, year outside. "Will" anything beyond that is becoming pretty certain at least some will. It will depend on just how wet the material was. Overall, I'd guesstimate a couple-three years tops before serious problems, again less if attempting to be structural rather than just holding deck board down, say.

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" snipped-for-privacy@wdeans.com" wrote in news:b867b67c-7d32- snipped-for-privacy@u7g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

Questions detailing the circumstances of the installation are helpful.

Joe

If you don't replace them or add to them with correct fasteners they will only last 1234 years.

Jon

Interesting how you want an uber specific answer only and you didn't even furnish details of the installation.

I think the closest to advice in this case would be:

If this is screws holding cosmetic trim, about 1 year outdoors. If it is for anything load bearing, such as parts of a deck, it needs to be taken down and started over with the correct fasteners before use. It isn't safe starting NOW.

Seriously.

And, to reinforce what my esteemed colleague said. Somewhere between 1233 and 1235 years. Depending on weather, climate, humidity, etc.

Without more info as the application just take some out & inspect.

BQ340 wrote in news:hekg90$mjs$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal- september.org:

You really think, without pulling a number out of your ass, you can give an accurate answer?

No idea what you have done. Structural?

Documented 1/2" diameter j-bolts eaten more than half way through in less than a year. I suspect your drywall thorns are already gone.

As others have hinted- it isn't just corrosion that makes drywall screws poor fasteners for anything other than drywall-- They have very little [aka *no*] shear-strength. So their inadequacy is immediate if they are being relied upon to hold something together that is subjected to shear forces.

Just wait until they fail and replace them a week earlier.

FWIW- I just ran across a couple sheetrock screws that had been in some newish treated lumber for a year or so. They had just started turning white. So if you put some in a treated lumber wall to hold up some pictures- you should be ok for a few years.

Jim

Depends on the use. Drywall screws can break immediately if the structure is stressed. They are brittle and break easily with no corrosion.

If it is a dog house, let it go until you see problems. If it is a deck or stairs, replace them tomorrow before company comes and walks on the structure.

re: How long before they may corrode and fail?

I've got "common drywall screws" in the trim of my deck for holding up Christmas lights. They've been there for years.

I used some "common drywall screws" under my second story deck to hang some items while I spray painted them. They corroded with 6 months.

re: Answers such as 1234 years are helpful.

Are answers such as "it depends" or "never can tell" helpful?

Drywall screws are for drywalls.

Yup!

Before screws, we tossed "blue" nails in our mouth, spit them out as needed and nailed them with a rock hatchet.

Miss a stud - add another nail and/or pull one out.

Or indoor non-structural projects.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news:hek6mi $4et$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

Now there's one my Ex never called me! Pretty much got all the rest though. None were synonyms.

Drywall screws won't last very long outside even in regular wood. Don't even think about using them.