using drywall screws

[Forrest747]

Ok reading another post and it was mentioned to use wood screws instead of drywall screws. I have used drywall screws in my build. NeVer thought of using anything else. Also used titebond and gorilla glue. Am I'm danger of my trailer falling apart?

[Martiangod]

If you glued everything thats screwed then you should be good, screws acted as clamps and thats about it.
You see it alot on subflooring, people use drywall screws, but they break off and the floor starts to shift and tiles break. But subfloors are rarely glued.

[CarlLaFong]

Drywall screws are just that. In any application, where there is liable to be movement or swelling, they should be avoided. They are brittle and may/will break. Regular wood screws are soft and will resist breakage. It is just good practice to use the proper fastener. You wouldn't use nails to hold the heads to your engine. Drywall screws have become ubiquitous due to the big box stores and the proliferation of DIY. The average guy sees them on the shelf, sees that a big ol' box of them is way cheaper than a box of, proper, wood screws and figures, "What the heck, a screw is a screw. they hold the walls up on houses, don't they?" If you're going to use these types of fasteners, buy deck screws, they're softer than the black screws

[bobhenry]

Generally anything over 1 1/2 inches long are CONSTRUCTION screws and are a bit tougher than the drywall screws. I haven't used a hand drive nail in 13 years. Each and every project in my home and the 14 x 20 kitchen is 90 % construction screws. (OK I did frame the walls with my pneumatic nail gun)

I even screwed on my vinyl siding with a plastic fiber washer and construction screws and zero problems in over a decade so I wouldn't worry a bit about your choice.

Your mileage (and Other opinions) may vary

[starleen2]

Ok reading another post and it was mentioned to use wood screws instead of drywall screws. I have used drywall screws in my build. NeVer thought of using anything else. Also used titebond and gorilla glue. Am I'm danger of my trailer falling apart?

I'm pretty sure you're OK - unless you camper experiences a shear force that is greater than the drywall screws - if that happens then your camper is pretty much a disaster anyways. Most people over screw a panel anyways. Some use drywall screws as clamps to hold panel in place while the glue or adhesive sets. Try this - get some drywall screws, a 2x4, paneling, and glue. Glue and screw (use about 3 drywall screws) the paneling to the 2x4 and let the adhesive cure. Then Take a hammer and smack the paneling off the 2x4 and see if the screws fail. I suspect that you'll have your answer then. One place I would not use a drywall screw is to hold the floor to the trailer frame - please use bolts for that!

[jonw]

The big box stores sell an exterior grade, self threading drywall-like screws. They're coarser threaded than official drywall screws, but people around here call them drywall screws even though technically they are not.

I used them everywhere in my tear where I didn't use a Kreg joint or a Spax self threading screw (usually with glue). Been using them for years for both interior and exterior applications without any problems, and I'm not expecting any with the teadrop as well.

[CarlLaFong]

Everyone is free to use whatever fasteners they like. I choose to use the correct hardware whenever I build something. I guess it's the journeyman tradesman in me. On a site where people seem to be obsessed, almost to an anal level, about epoxies, resins, 1/8 to 1/4 inch steel frames, grade 8 hardware, etc., etc., it seems somewhat incongruous to say that using the wrong screws is OK. I will admit that catastrophic failure is unlikely. The picture, in another thread that I commented on, showed framing being done with "L" brackets and drywall screws. I did not want to be unkind, but that was very unprofessional technique. A Kreg jig, or one of the knockoffs, is something that every woodworker should have and use. I build cabinets and furniture. When I build my trailer, I will use all of the techniques that I have learned over the years. 90% of it will not show once it is skinned, but I will know what's underneath. There will be pocket screw joints, glue blocks, dados, rabbets, dovetailed drawers and so on. I'll save the drywall screws for drywall

[KCStudly]

+1 on no drywall screws. IMO the reason people like drywall screws for "everything" is because they drive easily without the need to predrill.

Invest in one of these, if you do not have one already. Dewalt Countersink Driver Set

Makes pilot drilling/countersinking and driving standard wood screws go much more quickly with fast effecient change over between drilling and driving using a single cordless drill set up.

That and my biscuit/plate joiner are my two favorite wood wooking tools (...but I have not got a Kregg yet, so that may change soon ).

[IndyTom]

I fully understand the importance of using the right fastener, that is the reason that all the structural members in my trailer are being attached using PL Premium. In wood on wood construction, there is no substitute for a good adhesive. Oh, and for clamping, every where I can, I am using either drywall screws, or deck screws, some of them I may even leave a few in, but the ones I do will never see any appreciable stress unless something else has gone terribly wrong.

Tom

[Forrest747]

The plan for the wood to frame is spit wire and duct tape.


Just kidding. I used 3/8 inch bolts to hold the floor down to the frame. Washers lock washer and stared nuts and nylon nuts.

I do have a bit that recessed heads and starts out the hole yet I still used drywall screws. I am just use to buying drywall screws.

[deceiver]

You want a real treat? Do a search for GRK screws or go to Lowes or HD and get some. They have a torx head that WON'T slip the driver bit ever and they are strong, hold good in wood and some are self drilling. Pricy but oh so worth it. A torx bit or two usually comes in each box.

[working on it]

I haven't used the GRK screws, actually haven't seen them before, but am pleased with the Spax self-drilling screws. I like the dual Square drive/ Phillips drive capability. I don't always have a Torx bit handy, but everyone has a Phillips bit. If I need the non-slip feature, then I use the Square bit. I'll have to check out the GRK's...you can never have too much hardware around.

[whitefishpoint]

Drywall screws are just that. In any application, where there is liable to be movement or swelling, they should be avoided. They are brittle and may/will break. Regular wood screws are soft and will resist breakage. It is just good practice to use the proper fastener.

Hmmm. My experience has been the direct opposite of that. Long wood screws are soft and are easily over-torqued. Once a woodscrew is overtorqued the head will pop off at a later date. I've used drywall screws inside and out for 20+ years. Never a problem. In fact, dry wall screws are
so superior that I have backed them out of wood that has been in the elements for a couple years and was able to reuse the screws. On the other
hand, wood screws are never reusable, they twist and bend and the points go dull so fast you can't even drive them anymore. I've never had a problem with a used dry wall screw either.

[LDK]

I think you will be ok using drywall screws on your build. They are not as good as deck screws but there isn't going to be enough
shear to break them in my opinion. Now if you're gonna build a weight bearing wall I would avoid them. I would avoid all screws and use nails then.

[pjo129]

I 2nd (or 3rd or whatever) the Spax. I used some of those on our swingset/two-tower fort for the kids. They are great!

I also used extensively the exterior grade screws that come in the little plastic boxes from the Jimmie Johnson store. They are torx and include a bit.

I plan on using both of these on my build - hopefully starting soon (almost enough squirreled away for the HF trailer).