Shoutout to the neighbor who warned me about my deck screws

Last summer I was out on my back porch in Austin grilling up some burgers when the railing just gave way under my elbow. I nearly tumbled off the edge with a plate of raw meat. Turns out the previous owner used regular screws instead of outdoor rated ones and they all rusted through. My neighbor Mike came over after he heard me yelling and showed me how to use a screwdriver to check the rest. I ended up replacing like 60 screws over two days with coated ones from the hardware store cost me about 30 bucks total. Now I check every outdoor fastener twice a year because that was a close call. Has anyone else dealt with hidden rust issues on their deck?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_green20d ago

That 30 bucks is a solid deal but just a heads up, coated deck screws are better than plain ones but they still aren't totally rust proof in my experience. I used some nice zinc coated ones on my porch in Seattle, rain capital of the world, and after three winters I had little rust spots starting around the heads. Your mileage may vary though, Austin is way drier than here. I ended up switching to stainless steel on the last round, cost more like 60 bucks for a box of 100 but those things will outlast me.

robinson.quinn20d ago

Wait, you used coated screws in Seattle and they still rusted after three winters? Dude, that's wild. I live in Phoenix where we get like 10 days of rain a year and I'm paranoid about rust now lol. I put together a raised garden bed last spring with some cheap galvanized screws from Home Depot and they're already looking sketchy around the heads. Three years of Seattle rain though... that's rough. I bet those little rust spots drove you nuts every time you walked past 'em. Stainless steel for $60 a box sounds like the move honestly, even if it stings the wallet upfront.

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