Am I the only one who heard a homeowner say they'd just use a nail gun for everything?

I was picking up a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood at the yard yesterday and overheard a guy telling his friend he was going to frame his shed with a nail gun because it's 'just faster and easier than screws'. I've always been taught to use screws for structural framing for the holding power. What's your take on using nails versus screws for a project like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea2461mo ago

My uncle's deck collapsed because he used screws for the joist hangers, they just sheared right off. I get what @coleman.jade is saying about special structural screws, but for basic framing like a shed, nails bend under stress while screws are brittle and snap. That's why every building code I've seen calls for nails in the framing.

wilson.emma1mo ago

Nails are actually the right choice for framing. Screws don't have the shear strength and can snap under load, especially the cheap ones. A framing nailer with the correct nails is the standard tool for a reason. That guy might be onto something.

coleman.jade1mo ago

Wait, isn't that only true for basic drywall or deck screws? What about structural screws or lag screws? I've seen the ones rated for framing, and they're built totally different. They're meant to handle shear force just like nails.