Overheard a guy at the hardware store telling his buddy 'just use drywall screws for everything'

I was picking up anchors for a basement job and this older guy was dead serious telling his friend that drywall screws work fine for framing. I almost choked on my coffee right there in the aisle. Ngl, I wanted to butt in so bad but I just kept walking. Have you ever overheard some DIY advice that made you cringe?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyrodriguez7d ago

That kind of advice drives me nuts because it's part of this bigger thing where people treat shortcuts like they're pro tips. Everyone's in such a hurry these days they forget some things are meant for one specific job and that's it. Drywall screws are brittle, they snap under load, and using them for framing is basically asking for trouble down the road. It's like using a butter knife to cut a steak, it might sort of work but you're gonna end up frustrated and probably hurt yourself. Just take the extra five minutes to grab the right fastener, your walls will thank you later.

leep337d ago

A 2x4 with a drywall screw in it might hold for a while, but what people don't think about is what happens when a house settles. I've seen it happen where the building shifts a quarter inch and the brittle screw just snaps clean in half. A 16d nail or a proper structural screw will bend before it breaks, so you get a warning. With drywall screws you get no warning, one day you just have a loose wall. I've pulled apart decks built with drywall screws and they were practically falling apart after two winters. The shear strength on those things is way lower than people realize. It's not just about holding weight, it's about what happens when things flex.