11 Tips to Make a Screw Go in Easier from Expert Contractors

We've been building decks, fences, and timber structures for 28 years. We've driven thousands of screws. And we've watched a lot of DIYers struggle with the same problem over and over: screws that strip, snap, or just spin in place when they should sink smoothly into the wood.

But here's what we know: The right screw choice, the right tool, and proper technique eliminate about 90% of these problems. And in this guide, we're sharing exactly what we do on every single project—11 specific, actionable tips that will make your next project faster, easier, and actually last.

Tip #1: Choose The Right Screw Head Type

When you're driving a Torx screw into hardwood and it gets tough, you can actually push that impact driver without fear of stripping the head. With Phillips? You're constantly worried you're going to slip and destroy the fastener.

Professionals avoid Phillips heads entirely for fastening work that requires real torque. We stopped using them years ago.

Why Torx/Star Drive Changes Everything

Torx heads have six straight points instead of Phillips' crossed slots. This simple geometry change means everything about how force transfers to the screw changes too.

Key Advantages:

• 2X the torque capacity: Torx can handle twice the twisting force without the bit slipping out
• Parallel-walled design: The sidewalls are nearly perpendicular, creating way more secure contact
• No self-ejection tendency: The bit stays engaged even under heavy pressure

After 28 years, we can tell you with certainty: If you're not using Torx heads for anything structural or any outdoor structure, you're making the job harder on yourself.

Tip #2: Choose A Screw With A Type 17 Point

The point design (that sharp end that first contacts the wood) is absolutely critical to how easily a screw drives.

Type 17 screws have a distinctive sharp point with an auger-like thread design. Here's how it actually works:

The Mechanism:

• Cuts instead of forcing: Instead of forcing wood fibers apart (which causes splitting), the point cuts and removes small wood chips
• Reduces friction significantly: Because it's cutting a path rather than compressing material, there's way less resistance during driving
• Self-drilling capability: In softwood, you can often skip pre-drilling entirely
• Prevents splitting: The gradual fiber displacement means less internal stress on the wood

We use Type 17 on every outdoor installation—decks, fences, trim work, everything. The difference shows up immediately. Screws sink smoother. You get fewer splitting issues, especially near edges. And here's something DIYers don't expect: Type 17 reduces the actual torque you need to apply by 15-25% compared to standard points.

Tip #3: Choose Coatings and Materials That Drive Easier

Coated screws often have smoother surfaces during the driving process. Here's why they can actually drive more easily:

The Driving Advantage:

• Reduced friction initially: The coating on zinc or ceramic-coated screws provides a slicker surface as you're driving
• Less resistance in the first stages: The smooth coating means less material resistance during initial penetration
• Faster initial grip: For softwood applications, coated screws can feel like they drive more smoothly than uncoated options

Why Stainless Steel Drives Easy Too (Different Reason)

After building decks with the best stainless steel deck screws, we know this well: stainless steel fasteners don't drive "harder"—they drive with more give.

What Actually Happens With Stainless:

• It doesn't snap as easily: Stainless is softer than carbon steel, so it flexes instead of breaking. When you hit resistance driving into hardwood, stainless bends slightly instead of snapping
• No heat brittle problem: Carbon steel gets brittle and breaks when heat builds up. Stainless doesn't have this problem—it stays flexible no matter what
• It's actually easier in dense wood: Because stainless won't snap, you can keep driving with confidence. In oak, hickory, or hardwoods that would snap a carbon steel screw, stainless just keeps going
• No coating means no problem: Since stainless is naturally corrosion-resistant, you don't have to worry about damaging the coating during driving. If you scratch it—who cares. It's not going to rust

We've installed thousands of stainless steel screws in hardwoods. Yes, you need to be careful. Yes, you need pilot holes. But once you understand how it works, stainless steel is actually easier to drive in tough materials because it won't break on you.

Tip #4: Choose Screws with Smooth Shanks

Stop making your drill work harder than it needs to. By picking a screw with a smooth shank, you eliminate drag, stop your boards from pushing apart, and keep the metal from overheating. The result? A faster drive, a tighter fit, and zero broken fasteners.

Why Fully Threaded Screws Are Harder to Drive

If you grab a screw that is threaded from top to bottom, you are signing up for a battle against physics every time you pull the trigger.

• The Drag Issue: Think about what is happening inside the wood. A fully threaded screw has to chew through the top board for the entire length of the drive. That constant grinding creates a ton of unnecessary friction, which kills your battery life and generates enough heat to weaken the metal.
• The "Jack-Sinking" Struggle: If threads grip the top board and the joist at the same time, they can actually hold the two boards apart. To close that gap, you have to over-drive the screw with excessive force, which is exhausting and risks breaking the fastener.

How Smooth Shank Makes Driving Easier

The smooth shank—the unthreaded portion below the head—solves both problems instantly.

• Slides, Don't Grind: Once the threads pass through the top board, the smooth shank slides through effortlessly. You aren't fighting friction for that last critical inch. The drill puts 100% of its power into driving, not fighting the wood.
• Automatic Clamping: Because the shank doesn't grip the top board, the screw head pulls the decking board tight against the joist automatically. You get a tight gap without having to force it.
• Prevents "Heat Seizing": Less friction means less heat. On fully threaded screws, heat expansion can cause the metal to seize in the hole and snap. A smooth shank keeps the screw cool, so it drives smoothly all the way home without binding or breaking.

Tip #5: Pick The Right Power Tool For The Job

If you've never used an impact driver for fastening, you're missing something that actually changes the experience of the work.

An impact driver doesn't apply continuous rotational force like a drill. Instead, it delivers force through rapid pulses. This pulse mechanism is what makes it so effective:

Why Use Impact Drivers to Drive Screws Easier:

• Less likely to strip heads: If your bit is even slightly misaligned, a continuous drill tends to slip. An impact driver's pulsed force prevents that misalignment from translating into head damage
• Handles large fasteners: We can drive 3" deck screws or lag bolts without the tool stalling
• Reduced user fatigue: Your wrist isn't fighting constant resistance. The tool does the work
• Speeds up production: On jobs with 200+ fasteners, an impact driver cuts time roughly in half

Cordless Drill: The Precision Tool

A cordless drill isn't going anywhere. It's still the right tool for specific fastening applications.

Where it excels:

• Small screws
• Drywall applications
• Softwood where you need fine control
• Variable speed and torque settings provide precision

Low Torque Settings:

• Most DIYers don't realize their drill has a clutch that limits torque output
• On the lower settings (usually 1-3 on most drills), you can drive fasteners without over-driving them
• This is essential for composite decking and delicate materials

Tip #6: Use Your Body Weight to Make Driving Effortless

Driving screws shouldn't feel like an arm workout. If your forearm is burning after five screws, you're making it harder than it needs to be.

The "Elbow-Behind" Technique

The easiest way to drive a screw is to let gravity and body mechanics do the work for you.

• The Mistake: Holding the drill with your elbow bent out to the side (chicken wing style). This forces your wrist muscles to fight the rotation of the drill.
• The Fix: Align your shoulder, elbow, wrist, and drill in one straight line directly behind the screw.
• Why It's Easier: When you lock your arm straight, you transfer your body weight directly into the screw without using muscle power. You're literally just leaning forward. The screw drives faster because there's zero wasted energy fighting to keep the drill straight.

Save Your Deck (and Your Patience)

Proper alignment doesn't just save your arm; it keeps the bit locked in the head. Misalignment is the #1 reason bits slip and gouge your expensive decking boards. Line it up, lean in, and let your body weight drive the screw for you.

Tip #7: Apply Pressure Before You Pull the Trigger

This sounds backward, but pressing harder actually makes the drill's job easier.

Most people start spinning the drill and then push. That's the hard way.

• The Easy Way: Lean your weight onto the drill before you even touch the trigger. You want the bit fully seated and under pressure first.
• Why It helps: That initial heavy pressure creates immediate traction. The screw bites instantly instead of spinning on the surface (walking).
• Follow Through: As the screw sinks, keep that steady pressure right to the end. If you let up, the bit slips. By maintaining pressure, you're essentially forcing the screw to do what you want without it fighting back.

Let the Clutch Do the Thinking

Trying to "feather" the trigger to stop at the perfect depth is mentally exhausting. Make it easy on yourself by using the clutch (the numbered ring on your drill).

• Set and Forget: Dial it to a medium setting (10-15). Now you can just hold the trigger down. The drill stops itself when the screw is flush.
• Why It's Easier: You stop worrying about over-driving or stripping. You just push, pull the trigger, and let the tool do the thinking.

Tip #8: Use The Right Lubrication For Hardwood

Pre-drilling is important, but lubrication is what makes it easy.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin is the tool that lives in our job box on every hardwood and composite installation.

How to use it:

• Rub the screw threads through a paraffin block before driving
• Takes 2 seconds per screw
• Available at supermarkets in the canning aisle for about $5 per block

Why it works:

• It's a dry lubricant that reduces friction without introducing moisture
• Works with both carbon steel and stainless steel fasteners without any corrosion concerns
• 40-60% reduction in insertion torque in hardwood—that's measurable, you can feel the difference
• Multi-purpose: Also use it on saw tables, fence rails, and any sliding surface

Beeswax (The Premium Option)

Beeswax does the same job as paraffin but with advantages:

• Cleaner to handle
• Smells better
• Satisfying traditional woodworking feel

Disadvantage: Costs 2-3X what paraffin does for equivalent lubrication benefit.

Use beeswax for fine woodworking or furniture assembly where cleanliness matters. For framing or deck work, paraffin is the practical choice.

Bar Soap (The Traditional Method, But...)

Soap on screw threads is literally one of the oldest tricks in construction.

Here's the problem: Water is chemically attracted to all soaps. If you like your screws rusty, use soap.

With carbon steel fasteners, soap introduces moisture that causes corrosion. We've seen screws all rusted to the point where the threads are no longer usable.

Our Recommendation: Paraffin for general use. Beeswax if you want to be fancy. Skip the soap.

Tip #9: Master Pre-Drilling For Each Material Type

A pilot hole essentially tells the screw exactly where to go. It eliminates alignment issues, reduces required driving torque, and prevents splitting.

Here's what happens without a pilot hole in hardwood: You're applying maximum pressure to drive a screw into extremely dense material. The screw isn't just cutting threads—it's compressing material sideways. That creates stress on both the screw and the surrounding wood. Often, one of two things happens: the screw breaks, or it creates internal stress that eventually causes the wood to split.

Use Starborn Smart-Bit to Make Pre-Drilling Easy

Drilling a pilot hole is one thing. Drilling a perfect pilot hole with a clean countersink for the screw head is another, especially when you have to do it hundreds of times on a deck. This is where a specialty tool like the Starborn Smart-Bit comes in handy. We use it on all our high-end hardwood and composite deck projects.

It's a single bit that does two jobs at once: it drills the perfect-sized pilot hole and creates a flawless countersink for the screw head. The result is that every screw sits at a perfectly consistent depth, giving the project a clean, professional look. It saves a ton of time compared to using separate bits for drilling and countersinking.

Tip #10: Change Your Technique Based on the Wood

Driving a screw into Ipe feels completely different than driving one into pine. To make it easy, you have to adjust your attack plan for the material.

Softwood (Cedar, Pressure-Treated, Pine)

This is the forgiving stuff. The fibers separate easily, so you don't need to overthink it.

• Make It Easy: Use a Type 17 point screw and you can skip pre-drilling 90% of the time. Just aim and drive.
• Watch Out: If you are within 1.5" of the edge, pre-drill it. Even soft wood will split if you force it there.

Hardwood (Oak, Hickory, Ipe)

This is where driving gets tough. These woods are 3-4X denser than softwood and will fight you every inch of the way.

• Make It Easy: Pre-drilling is non-negotiable here. If you try to force a screw in raw, you will snap it.
• The Pro Trick: Use paraffin wax on the threads. It reduces friction by nearly half, turning a heavy-duty struggle into a smooth drive.

Composite Decking (Trex, Timbertech, PVC)

Composite loves to trap debris, which creates a "hydro-lock" effect that binds screws up halfway down.

• Make It Easy: Run your drill bit in and out once to clear the sticky plastic shavings before driving. If you clear the hole, the screw glides right in.
• Tool Swap: Switch to a standard drill with a clutch, not an impact driver. It gives you the control to stop flush without "mushrooming" the surface.

Tip #11: Use Professional Tools For Large Spans of Decks

If you're doing occasional fastening, you don't need these. If you're installing decks or doing repetitive fastening work, this tool absolutely earns their cost through saved labor time.

Simpson Strong-Tie Quik Drive System

What it does: Auto-feeds pre-collated screws, eliminating manual loading and dramatically speeding up installation.

Why It's Make Driving Screws Easier for Commercial Projects:

To install 24 screws into a 5.4-meter deck board takes about 10 minutes with manual loading. With the Quik Drive system, that same job takes 3 minutes. 7 minutes per board—that's hours of savings on a full deck

How it works:

• Load the magazine strip of pre-collated screws
• Point the attachment
• Pull the trigger—system automatically feeds the next screw after each drive
• No fumbling, no dropped screws, no hunting for the next fastener

Benefits:

• Ergonomic design lets you work from standing position (reduces fatigue)
• Built-in depth adjustment for consistent countersinking
• Eliminates fastener waste (pre-collated, automatic feeding)
• One person can fasten 1600 sq ft in 1.5 hours

We use Simpson Quik Drive Pro to make building large spans of decks faster. The productivity difference is dramatic.

Trade-off:

• The attachment is bulky, so it doesn't work in tight spaces
• High initial investment ($300-500), but if you're a pro, it pays for itself on the first deck. You knock the job out faster, which means you're on to the next paying client sooner.
• Only economical for projects with 100+ fasteners

How to Make a Screw Go in Easier Every Time

Driving screws shouldn't be a struggle. If you use the right head type, the right point, and a little bit of technique, you can cut your fastening problems by 90%.

We've been building for 28 years, and these aren't just theories—they are the exact systems we use daily. They work. And now you know exactly why.

If you aren't sure which screw is right for your deck or fence, just ask us. Contact us and we'll point you to the exact fastener that will make your job easier.

If you're a pro deck builder or fencer, sign up for a contractor account today. You'll get exclusive discounts on the high-performance screws we use ourselves.