I thought pocket screws were just for quick fixes until a job in Portland last month.

I was building a set of built-in bookcases for a client in an old craftsman house, and the walls were all over the place. My usual method of just shimming the back wasn't cutting it. Another guy on site showed me how he uses pocket screws to pull the case tight to the wall at specific points before securing it. It took me an afternoon to get the hang of it, but the final fit was perfect. Anyone else use them for tricky installs like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

abbyd3617d ago

Portland's old houses are a special kind of nightmare! You used pocket screws to fight those wavy walls? That's actually brilliant. I've spent whole days trying to force plywood backs to bend in those places. The idea of screwing straight into the framing to pull it all tight is a game changer. I need to try this on my next old house job.

barnes.shane17d ago

Just don't tell the house inspector!

black.jordan16d ago

Portland's framing is too soft for that.

david70116d ago

Portland's old growth fir framing is actually pretty solid, black.jordan. The softness you get is from decades of settling, not the wood itself. I've used pocket screws to pull cabinets into those wavy plaster walls by hitting the studs. You just need to pre-drill the stud to avoid splitting that old lumber.