6 TYPES OF SCREWS Every DIYer Needs To Have! (Plus Which Screws NOT TO BUY!)

so the hardware aisle is packed with fasteners of every kind and they all serve their purpose but if the homeowner really just needs to keep a handful around which ones should they pick that's what I'm talking about today on the honest Carpenter show so I'm actually going to start with some real quick tips on just collecting Fasteners first off if you're only going to keep a small number of screws around avoid buying decorative screws or basic wood screws in other words anything with a strong silver or bronze patina or finish they often come in small packs which makes them enticing to buy but they're not very multifunctional some of them are softer metals that deform easily when driving and some are good wood screws but they're sort of specialty and often pricey so you can get more bang for your buck by just buying one pound boxes of more generic screws also in general avoid buying screws with strange head patterns like pan heads truss heads or oval heads again many of these are specialty and therefore not as useful but if extra screws or Fasteners come with something you buy like a piece of furniture keep all of them just toss them in a single jar because stuff like this can be really annoying to Source if you lose it alright that said let's get on with our list super useful screw number one is the three inch deck screw this screw is the Workhorse of much Pro work and DIY work deck screws are often gray or tan because they tend to be either stainless steel or copper coated in an epoxy layer that layer is what gives them this paint looking finish deck screws are great for all sorts of exterior applications because this epoxy layer makes them resistant to corrosion and three inches is just a great catch-all length they can attach rails defense posts and handle a wide variety of other duties with bulky exterior Lumber and they work just as well for a quick interior shop framing if you're working with Kiln dry to buy materials for projects you can just use three inch deck screws you may sometimes have to toenail them a little bit to avoid punch through but that's not too hard and they don't have quite as much Shear strength as Nails which I've talked about in other videos but for most lightweight framing projects they're extremely useful nonetheless for that reason useful screw number two is the two inch deck screw just a shorter version of the first the two inch is a necessary step down from the three inch this length catches a wide range of applications that three inches may be overkill for like attaching treated one by which has become very common for fencing and exterior decoration really any material thinner than two by is eligible for use with two inch screws because you're getting about three quarter inch of Fastener in the top material and one and a quarter in the bottom material so a pretty decent hold useful Fastener number three is the two inch trim screw I've talked about trim screws before because they're frequently overlooked By Di wires but the two inch trim screw is perfect for more delicate operations trim screws are often Torx or Square Drive and they have a much narrower head than other screws this lets them enter stock without splitting it or leaving a big entry hole so if you have quick trim repairs coming up or even installations this is just a great screw to use two inches is enough to get through trim drywall and still get almost one inch into studs perfect Drive depth for light duty and speaking of light duty useful screw number four is the one in 5 8 inch coarse drywall screw try eyeball screws get much more lined because they're brittle and the heads can separate under heavy pressure but for my money they're still highly useful for Di wires and here's why one they're not that brittle they can take a good amount of pressure before they snap furthermore they're thin with a fine bugle head so they're really easy to drive and sink they can handle all sorts of light duty wood projects plus they're obviously great for drywall repair one in 5 8 is a great catch length because they can handle half inch drywall and 5 8 which you often see on garage ceilings and in some bathrooms and for really thin applications I like our fifth option the one inch coarse drywall screw sometimes you're only attaching really thin stuff like paneling on the back of a lot of cabinets you need shorter Fasteners here in the one inch drywall screw is as good as any again they're so thin that they dry very easily and that bugle head lets them lie very flat in a slight countersink so they won't bulge your wood or stand out you need a good tiny screw alternative and I'm yet to see a better more widely available one than this and for super super thin materials you come to our sixth option the half inch gutter screw very few screws work well with sheet metal but these little guys are great you can drive them through metal gutters and downspouts and they pin components together just like a rivet would the hex heads in particular are easy to drive and the short links are more appropriate for these applications and really gutter screws are sort of tied for this spot with self-drilling screws which have cutter heads it can bore through even thicker types of metal and fasten to them without pre-drilling I did a whole video on those as well so check it out because they're really useful but those are my six or so must have fasteners for homeowners and Di wires what do you think do you agree or disagree would you add any others let me hear about it down in the comments I'll link as many of these Fasteners as I can find in the description so feel free to check those links out if you're interested as always thanks for watching be sure to check back soon for more videos coming up and I hope you'll consider subscribing driving I'm Ethan James with the honest Carpenter I'll see you next time [Music]

Channel: The Honest Carpenter

Views: 796,498

Keywords: deck screws, wood screws, fasteners 101, best screws for metal, best screws for aluminum, how to choose screws, deck screws 3 inch, deck screws vs wood screws, wood screws vs drywall screws, drywall screw, trim screws, which screws to use, the honest carpenter, nails vs screws shear strength, woodworking for beginners, diy tips and tricks, diy tips and hacks, carpentry 101

Id: SG6FJCWYeRU

Length: 5min 26sec (326 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 22 2023