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I finally gave up on using regular drywall screws for everything after a ceiling patch fell down.
For years, I thought a drywall screw was a drywall screw, and I'd grab whatever was cheapest at the hardware store for any job. That changed when I patched a small hole in my kitchen ceiling with some generic screws I had lying around. About a month later, the whole patch just dropped out, taking a chunk of the old ceiling with it. A contractor friend came over, picked up one of my screws, and said, 'Paul, this is for hanging pictures, not holding up drywall. You need coarse-thread for wood studs and fine-thread for metal.' I felt like an idiot. I went back and bought a box of proper coarse-thread screws for a few bucks more, redid the patch, and it's been solid for over six months now. It's a tiny detail that makes a huge difference in holding power. Has anyone else had a project fail because of the wrong type of screw?
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the_christopher6mo ago
What kind of screws did you end up using?
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dakota_webb236mo ago
Went with some basic drywall screws from the hardware store. They were cheap and got the job done for hanging that shelf. Honestly, I was just glad I didn't strip the heads like last time. That project was fighting me the whole way.
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ross.kelly5mo ago
Yeah drywall screws can work in a pinch but I read they're actually pretty brittle for holding weight long term. They're meant for just drywall to metal studs, not wood. I switched to basic wood screws or even deck screws for shelves. The threads are different and they don't snap as easy if something shifts.
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