I'm putting some plywood on the floor in my kitchen for a tile job. I am using screws to fasten this to the joists. I am using longer ones as I have to go through 1 1/4" of wood to get to the joists. However, the screws I'm using are hard to get in straight as they wobble when I'm trying to drive them. I have several screw guides but none of them fit over the head of the screws I am trying to use. I can find screws with a smaller head, but then they are not long enough. Can someone suggest either a screw guide that would accommodate larger screw heads or maybe different screws? I would like to use screws at least 2 1/4 long so I get at least an inch penetration in the joists. And I don't want to use the black drywall screws as they snap rather easily. Plus they use phillips heads which I hate as they are always slipping. I would prefer a square drive or torx screw.
Oversize Screw Guide
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Welcome to the forum tonynace.
Drill a pilot hole first. That will be all the guide you’ll need.
Since you found this site check out the flooring section and do some reading on tile installation so you can be sure your heading down the right path for your project.
Drill a pilot hole first. That will be all the guide you’ll need.
Since you found this site check out the flooring section and do some reading on tile installation so you can be sure your heading down the right path for your project.
That is twice the work and since I have to install quite a few, I would rather drive them directly. And I've already checked out the tile section. I posted in this one because my problem is more carpentry related at this point.
Might check out form E30 from American Plywood Association:
http://www.apawood.org/pdfs/download_pdf.cfm?PDFFilename=managed/E30.pdf
They say for underlayment to not be screwed to joists if I read it correctly.
For screws, what about square-drive decking screws?
http://www.apawood.org/pdfs/download_pdf.cfm?PDFFilename=managed/E30.pdf
They say for underlayment to not be screwed to joists if I read it correctly.
For screws, what about square-drive decking screws?
I have to register to read that. I am not screwing down the underlayment, which is Hardie board, to the joists but a plywood subfloor underneath.
If you already have 1-1/4 inches of floor thats plenty for tile. I would just put 1/4 inch hardi backer or ditra down and tile it. In my experience if the screws wobble then the bit doesnt fit them right. I have driven lots of 3 inch screws and the regular number 2 phillips bits never fit the screw heads . the tip of the bits were too pointed and didnt bottom out in the screw head. Once i switched to the drywall screw bits that arent as long the bits fit so good they would stick in some of the screw heads.
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