Had a framer yell at me for not pre-drilling deck screw holes

I was building a deck in Cleveland last fall and a guy walks over from the next site, says I'm gonna split every board and be back here in two years replacing them. He was right, been pre-drilling everything now even with those fancy self-tapping screws. Anybody else have some old timer give you a tip that actually saved your work?

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3 Comments

emma_burns963mo ago

Stop using self-tappers for decking too, they snap off way easier than regular coated screws and leave rust trails if the coating chips.

7

lunaw723mo ago

Stop using self-tappers for decking too, they snap off way easier than regular coated screws and leave rust trails if the coating chips.

0

walker.robert3mo ago

Count me as skeptical on this one @emma_burns96. I've used self-tappers on two decks now and never had one snap or leave a rust mark.

10