Shoutout to the guy who told me to stop using deck screws on subfloor

I was nailing down OSB in a basement remodel near Lancaster last month, and this old carpenter walks by my job site. He stops and says 'you're gonna regret those screws in six months when they start popping up.' He showed me how ring shank nails actually hold better under pressure from flooring. Switched to a pneumatic nailer halfway through the job and it went way faster. Has anyone else had a random stranger give you advice that totally changed how you work?

2 comments

2 Comments

rose_cooper22d ago

I mean deck screws are fine for subfloor if you're not installing tile or hardwood on top, they won't pop if you countersink them properly and use the right length. Maybe it's just me but I've seen ring shank nails work loose over time too, especially in basements where humidity changes a lot. Nailers are faster for sure but swapping half way through sounds like you wasted more time than you saved.

the_jenny22d ago

Same here, I switched to deck screws for my last basement subfloor and they've been solid for two years now, no popping at all. Nailers are quick but I'd rather spend a few extra minutes on screws than deal with squeaks later.