Hot answers tagged screws
48
Screws are a "superior" fastener over a nail (they have far superior tensile strength) - especially if you're talking about screwing down decking.
However there are many scenarios where a nail is the proper fastener for the application (attaching joists is one example - screws are brittle and will fail when subjected to the forces of a shear loaded ...
44
There is absolutely no reason to use nails in this day and age. I urge you to use 1 5/8" drywall screws. There are several reasons. Screws have much better holding power, they are actually faster to install, and they can be slightly counter sunk during installation to make mudding a lot easier ( especially with a drywall screw gun or a decent drywall bit ...
34
Damaged screws are extracted by drilling into the screw with a drill bit, then using a special screw extractor bit that is tapered and has threads which turn opposite to those of the screw.
The extraction process should be done slowly and carefully because the extraction process is more fragile than the normal insertion of a screw.
I found this to be a ...
31
"6" is a #6-size screw. Screw gauges are a measure of the head size and shaft size, and are roughly linear but not quite a 1:1 relationship (a #8 screw is a little less than twice the diameter of a #4 screw). There isn't a good system for converting gauge to a calibrated measurement, so you're best off consulting a table like this: ...
26
I'm not an authority, but start with this:
Keep the bit inline with the screw's direction of penetration. Most times I see newbies struggle with that. If the drill/chuck is cocked in relation to the axis of the screw, it creates all kinds of trouble.
Firmly push inward, not letting the bit slip back out of the screwhead.
Bits are consumable. They don't ...
23
Shamelessly ripped off from here, looks like the primary reason why we still have "bad" screws (flat head and Phillips) is that the "better" types of screws are simply more difficult/expensive to manufacture:
The reason for the different styles is
cost and torque.
The slotted head screws are cheap and
easy to make. But they're completely
...
22
There is also a kit called a Pro-Grabbit that is made for stripped out or broken screws. I've used it before, using a portable drill with one tip to drill it out and fip the bit and it will extract the screw. It has worked for me on the couple times I've needed it and suggested for work when there is a need.
This is the Pro Grabbit.
Here are the ...
19
Nails are considered an "elastic connection". They handle wood movement much better than screws. Many times if you have severe wood movement with nails you will see things like nails that tilt or seem to back out. This is actually a good thing. Many times if a screw had been used in that case it would have caused the wood to split as it moved.
18
A few suggestions:
Are you using a wood glue such as Elmer's to hold the toothpicks in place? The top hinge on my front door used to pull loose; I repaired it with toothpicks and wood glue (pretty much filling the screw hole) and haven't had any problems in several years.
How long were the original screws, and what did you replace them with? When I ...
18
Screws:
It doesn't sound like you're reattaching the entire floor; this is more like strategic intervals to solidify the fastening. Your nail/screw rate is not as important as if you were attaching a new subfloor from scratch.
Glue and screw is popular for more reasons than just rhyming
You're going through this effort to make it right. So do it right.
17
For tight spots, they make Offset Screwdrivers.
They're manufactured by many different companies, with many different drive variations.
16
It sounds like you need a screw primer.
Strength is of very little importance here. There will be no serious loads on these screws. So anything that goes through the 2x4 into the existing framing. Since 2x4 stock is only 1.5 inches thick, you need a screw at least 1/2 inch longer than that. A really long screw is a detriment here, since it takes longer to ...
16
Brass screws are soft. You can easily twist the heads right off. This means you MUST be careful.
Pre-drill pilot holes for the screws.
Lubricate the screws. I use a stick of beeswax that I keep on hand. Just draw the threads across the stick to get a bit on them. You will be ASTOUNDED how easily a lubed screw drives. Some use soap on screws, which is ...
13
Flat-head / slotted screws come in many sizes. Having a correctly-fitting bit helps a lot. Too narrow or too thin and you'll damage the head. Too wide and you'll damage the work. Too thick and it won't fit. Fingernails, coins, and knives are non-optimal. Make sure your bit is properly aligned in the the slot. Keep the drill directly in line with the screw.
...
12
They are not actually zinc, but zinc-coated steel, also known as galvanized steel.
The treated-wood industry recommends the use of hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel fasteners for use with treated wood. Electroplated/electro-galvanized and mechanically-galvanized coatings should not be considered to be hot-dip galvanized. (Class 55, or higher, ...
12
Here's another type of adjustable box that you can use. Just mount the box approximately where you want it and after you find the correct depth you can move it, even after drywall has been installed.
Here's the cut sheet on it. Here.
12
A good lube is beeswax. It lubes the screw, but does not retain moisture. I have also been known to use a stick type of teflon, used for lubing drawer guides. Or a chunk of paraffin is fine too.
You don't want to add water, so spit is a poor idea. Why encourage the screw to rust???? This is the same reason why soap works poorly. Soap is hydrophilic. Soap ...
12
The paper is a key part of the drywall structure. Just as when you cut the paper on the drywall it's easy to snap, when you screw past the paper it's easy to blow out the back. Plaster and paper are a lot like concrete and rebar, the plaster based core of drywall resists compression, while the paper resists tension.
It's not essential to pull the old ...
10
First, I really like Eric's answer for practical reasons. But there is another side to screw head diversity: Security.
In the end, it's usually a temporary measure. Once a company invents a new screw, some third party will start selling tools to remove them. But for a time, any new screw design means the only people who can open your parts are ...
10
There are a few places where nails are backing out of the drywall in my house, particularly on the bathroom ceilings. I don't know the cause (movement? house is about 40 years old), or if "doing it correctly" would have mitigated against this in the first place. But it looks terrible; and I'm using screws as I repair areas to prevent this from occurring ...
10
There are several approaches to hanging loads on drywall/plasterboard.
Light Duty - The most common anchors for used for light loads are expanding tubes that grip the sides of the hole they are in and flare lightly behind the hole
Others like yours, have a wide thread to grab more surface in the drywall itself. Some of the these threaded anchors have a ...
10
My intuition is that the quarter inch of steeply pitched fluting is designed to ream out the passage in the outer member being joined, or at least ream out the outer 3/4" of 'hole'. Conceivably, this might reduce friction when driving in the screw over the final 3/4" ... or it could be a gimmick.
.
EDIT 2013-05-11:
Here is a related patent ...
9
It's always better to attach it to studs - which should certainly be possible with something that big. That said though, you might be surprised how much a drywall anchor can hold.
How well they work depends on the load though. They will work best with a static downward load - a fixed weight close to the wall pulling directly downward.
They will work ...
9
If you're okay with leaving part of the screw in the work (the shaft, not the head) you have the option of drilling out the screw without recourse to any special bits. Simply take a high-carbon (or harder) drill bit, one size smaller than the screw shaft, and apply to the center of the screw head at your drill's maximum torque setting. If you have trouble ...
9
For the record, they make adjustable depth junction boxes like this.
They allow you to mount the box to a stud, and then adjust the depth at which the box sits on the stud.
They also make Old Work boxes, that can be connected directly to the drywall using clamping tabs.
The tabs pinch the drywall, and hold the box in place.
Here is what NEC 2008 ...
9
I prefer working from under the floor when possible. Although it is easier to screw loose flooring down from the top, it is often difficult to fill the holes and make the color and finish match. Using the top down method is a last resort, especially if you have a large area to secure. The Counter Snap screws mentioned in the previous answer are great ...
9
A
If you choose B you will dimple the steel, ruining the look while creating a penetration point for water because expansion and contraction of the metal due to heating and cooling will create an open access point for water to enter, and a big opening behind it to receive it.
A, however, will give you a tight seal against the wood, wood-steel-screw in a ...
8
There are several kinds of drywall anchors and they each have their own weight rating. Some work by drilling a small hole and tapping in a plastic sleeve and others work by drilling a bigger hole and screwing a plastic sleeve and there are others where you drill a hole and the metal butterfly expands behind the drywall know as molly bolts (thanks comments!). ...
8
Technically when using joist hangers, a specific kind of hardened galvanized nails are supposed to be used. This is because regular deck screws probably don't have the necessary shear strength. For a deck though, I've used screws before without any problem. Although if you were planning to put a lot of weight on the deck (say, a hot tub) I would be a bit ...
8
I thought it would be useful to include an image/link to some drive types found on screws and bolts (obtained from bontool):
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