It's one of the age-old carpentry questions: when to use screws? When to use nails? And sometimes there's no consensus. The DIY experts at at Stack Exchange are here to help. Is there a case where ...

Measure an equal distance from each end of the deck, allowing for an overhang (if desired), and snap a chalk line as a guide ...

It’s time to settle an age-old debate: nails vs. screws. Both are a form of ancient wood-fastening technology that still get the job done today. But how do you know which one to use for any given ...

Recently, a deck collapsed near where I live, and people were seriously injured. The report blamed the failure on the use of nails that had corroded and couldn’t hold the weight. Could this be right?

Many years ago I wrote a blog post detailing one of the most common deck defects that I find: improper joist hanger nails. The issue detailed in that blog post was the use of 1-½" nails in places ...