I have found that galvanized screws, equivalent to drywall
screws, can rust away. I don't think the problem is so much
the rust per se as the thinness of the screws. They can't
afford *any* rust. I wouldn't use them at all for joist
hangers because they have little shear strength.

I have always used galvanized nails that are made specifically for joist
hangers. They're short (maybe 1.25 inches) but thick (like a 16D nail).

I believe Simpson makes screws specifically for joist hangers (Strong
Screws). They're harder and are designed for high sheer strength. I've
used the larger versions of the Strong Screws for seismic tie downs and
they are very strong. I've used them many times as a quick substitute for
lag bolts.

I don't believe codes allow anything else for hangers, certainly not
drywall screws or deck screws. Not only are they weak and brittle, but
they can have galvanic reactions with different metal hangers that will
cause them to corrode prematurely.

Similarly, I like to use coarse drywall screws for
light framing because they're easy to remove and
a lot less work than hammering. But I wouldn't use
them where strength is needed. They just don't
have anywhere near the shear strength of a 16d
nail.

Drywall screws are incredibly weak and brittle. Heck, they break quite
often just installing drywall. Very thin shafts and no rust resistance.

I do use the gold screws (essentially a pretty drywall screw) for quick
little projects though, like jigs or to temporarily hold something
together.

The coated screws are heavier guage, though
they haven't been around long enough to know
how they hold up.

I've been using coated "deck" screws for at least 15+ years. Some brands
are good, others don't seem much better than drywall screws. The newer 10
gauge screws with torx heads seem quite sturdy. I wouldn't use them for
building a house (too slow to drive all those screws), but use them
frequently for decks and other small framing projects.

I don't have a nail gun. Sometimes I think I should
buy one, but there seem to be 3 sizes to cover
all nails.

I have a framing nailer that I use for both 16D nails for framing, and 8D
nails for siding. One gun basically covers all of my framing needs.

Of course, when I move indoors to trim work I need another gun to drive
16 gauge finish nails.

For woodworking, I use a third gun for smaller 18 gauge brad nails.

I've thought about getting a pin nailer too, but just haven't had the
need. The three guns I have seem to work fine for everything I've wanted
to do.

I can see where a palm nailer would be handy too...

Time and again I see where a nailgun was used to put in
twice the typical number of nails, yet they're not
holding well because they've essentially pre-drilled
a nail-size hole on their way in.

I find the nail gun is far less likely to split thin boards than if I try
to drive a finish nail by hand. Speed is a bonus too, as is being able to
hold a board with one hand and nail it with the other. Strength is rarely
an issue for trim work, and can actually be a benefit when you need to
remove the trim for repairs or other tasks.

For framing work, you can get much better holding strength by using ring
shank nails. They probably don't have the same pull resistance as a rough
galvanized nail, but either nail is relatively easy to pull straight out.
It's best not to rely on the withdrawal strength and more on the sheer
strength. Framing nails hold things together, but nailing sheathing and
subflooring to the faces of the framing is what really keeps them from
pulling apart.

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com