My neighbor's dad swore by drywall screws for decking

So my neighbor's dad, Bob, he's been building stuff since the 70s. He told me drywall screws are fine for a deck if you pre-drill. I figured what the heck, saved $20 on deck screws. After 3 months, half the boards were popping up because the heads snapped off. Now I'm redoing the whole thing with proper structural screws. Anyone else have a shortcut that backfired big time?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby1mo ago

My dad did the same thing with drywall screws on a shed ramp back in '03. He pre-drilled and everything, but after one winter the salt and moisture turned them into rusted matchsticks. @gavin_clark, it's not just a few popping boards - when those heads snap off, you've got a safety hazard hiding under the deck. I'd rather spend the extra $20 on coated structural screws than deal with someone's foot going through a rotten board later.

gavin_clark1mo ago

Is it really that big a deal though? A few popped boards and some snapped screws sound more like a minor inconvenience than a total redo.