Heard a GC say 'just use drywall screws for decking' yesterday. Is that really a thing people do?

I was grabbing supplies at Rona on 137 Ave and overheard some general contractor telling a homeowner that drywall screws are fine for deck boards. Said they hold just as good as deck screws and cost half as much. Made me wonder how many decks in Edmonton are held together with brittle black screws that snap under snow load. I've seen what happens when cheap screws shear off after three freeze-thaw cycles, and it's not pretty. But maybe I'm just paranoid from working in kitchens where everything needs to hold up to abuse. Is this actually common practice here or was that guy just cutting corners?

2 comments

2 Comments

lane.cameron12d ago

Can't believe a so-called professional would say that with a straight face. Drywall screws are made of hardened steel that's brittle as glass, they'll snap clean off the first time a -40 windchill hits that deck. I've pulled up more than a few rotted decks held together with those things and the screws just crumble in the wood like crackers. That guy's either lazy or hoping the homeowner calls him back for a expensive repair job in a year or two.

samjohnson12d ago

Preach it man, I've seen the same thing a dozen times. Pulled apart a deck once that was only two years old and the drywall screws just snapped off like chalk when I tried to back them out. Whoever suggested that on the original thread clearly doesn't spend time in the actual cold or wet.