nails, screws or both for sheetrock
does anyone still use nails for hanging drywall? nails to tack it up and screw it off later? whenever i hang it i screw everything because i absolutely hate nail pops. but i do remodelling so hanging 50 sheets at a time is a big job to me and i am usually not soooo concerned about speed. however, the current job is a whole house and i am too slow to make it worthwhile for me. so i subbed it out to a new guy who seems to do a good job (his first time for me). he is screwing everything because i asked him to but he claims that nails to tack it in place and screwing it off later is much faster. and, in his opinion, better because nails along the edges and butts damage the paper less than screws and will not pop because he puts them where the tape will cover later. anyone else got some thoughts on this? what do you do? this guy is definitely faster than me, even if the screws slow him down, and his work looks good otherwise.
Replies
I use nails on walls and screws on ceilings for stronger grab. All sheets are glued as well. So nothing is coming off either way.
Wood Hoon
Let him do it the way he is comfortable, I believe he has a valid point. Nails are commonly used to hold the edges, and they are less likely to break the edges out than screws.
it makes sense to me about not breaking out the egges. this new guy and his partner are good, tight seams, no joints at corners of windows/doors etc. so i would defer to his judgement next time. for myself, i will stick with the screws since that is what i am comfortable with.
thanks, all, for the input
That's just how I do it sometimes, especially when hanging alone.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
I use two drywall crews. Here in CT, typical construction is a poly VB over the framing, so glueing sheetrock generally isn't an option.
On virtually all jobs, they tack the sheets in place with nails, then screw off.
On work I'm responsible for, if the lumber is green DougFir, I don't want any nails. None. All screws.
If the framing lumber is KD, then I don't mind the "nail then screw" method.
Still, I prefer all screws.
After the Northridge quake, I worked on a condo complex where nails in entire walls had popped. I agree with the concensus, nail first to tack it up (and for corner bead) and screws to finish, 1 5/8 galv. deckers on greenboard in baths & kitchens (yah, I know it's overkill)
WHATEVER WORKS
Jennifer