Can anyone tell me whether drywall screws are suitable for most around-the-house projects? They seem less prone to corrosion and they're cheeper than wood screws, but I'm wondering whether they will hold up if I use them for building a workbench out of 2x4's or furniture repair, or deck repair.

 

I think you would be much better off with deck screws, the thread is much coarser, gives a good bite, and does not require drilling in soft woods.

 

drywall screws are the duct tape of the screw world and will do just about anything -come in fine and coarse threads -but id not advise you to use them for deck repairs as none ive ever seen are galvanized or zinc plated and will rust--------hope this helps josh

 

Hey Josh,

Deck screws ARE galvanized.

 

Just for the record, I too use drywall screws for many common jobs around the house, most usually hanging pictures. I don't suggest them for heavy duty jobs because they have a lower shear strength than regular wood screws. If you're using a square drive screw (drywall), you can snap it in two driving into almost any wood.

PS - While all screws I'm familiar with for decking are weather resistant in one way or another, they're not all galvanized. Some are stainless steel, some have a coating of zinc dichromate - which is generally considered better than galvanized..

 

arkayassoc

my point was that normal drywall screws are not corrosion resistant and should therefore not be used for decks

however i have recently found galvanized drywall screws and these could be used for decking but not the standard black ones

hope this helps-----josh

 

if any of you are looking for weather resistant exterior nails i recommend MAZE nails they are twice galvanized and seem to last forever

hope this helps-----Josh