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Old carpenter told me to stop using drywall screws for everything
Back in 2018 I was building a deck and this retired carpenter walks by my job site. He saw me using drywall screws to attach the deck boards and told me straight up I'd regret it in two years. I laughed it off because hey they held everything fine. Sure enough by summer 2020 those screws were snapping off like toothpicks when I tried to replace a rotten board. Had to drill out a dozen broken screws and redo the whole section. Guy was dead right. Anybody else learn a hard lesson from ignoring old timer advice?
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johnflores27d ago
Did the old guy also hand you his business card and say "told ya so" with a smirk? I swear those retired tradesmen have some kind of spidey sense for bad work. I once watched my neighbor use drywall screws to hold up a mailbox post, and I'm pretty sure the screws just gave up and went to sleep within a month. The thing literally fell over during a light breeze. I mean, maybe it's just me but I've learned that drywall screws are basically the junk food of the fastener world - they get the job done in a pinch but leave you with a mess later.
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the_patricia27d ago
Oh man, drywall screws for a mailbox post? That's just asking for a DIY disaster movie. I half expect the post to send a resignation letter before it falls over next time. Those retired guys have superpowers, I swear. They can spot a bodge job from across the street like a hawk spotting a mouse. And yeah, the smirk and business card is part of the initiation. You're not a real homeowner until a retired plumber hands you his number with a smug look.
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abby_black27d ago
Laughing at "drywall screws are the junk food of the fastener world" because that's exactly it. They're like potato chips, they seem fine in the moment but you're definitely paying for it later. I swear those retired guys have a sixth sense for it too, like they can hear a drywall screw from a mile away and just show up with a toolbox and a knowing look. It's almost worth doing a bad job just to see if one of them pops out of the bushes with some advice lol.
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