Can I use roofing nails to hang drywall?

I have a roofing nail gun and a box of long roofing nails. Are they much different than drywall nails?Can I use roofing nails to hang drywall?
Yes, they are very different - Drywall Nails are thin and threaded to prevent it from pulling out. Roofing nails have a large head to prevent liquid from getting into the nail hole, since they lay flat there is little chance to pull out - so less precaution is taken to prevent this. Drywall nails carries the weight of the drywall, in the least. Roofing nails don't.


Roofing nails are designed to be covered by a thick coat of tar(not water soluable). Drywall nails are disigned to be covered by a thin coat of plaster ( water soluable).


I would not use roofing nails to hang Drywall. Plus don't forget the obvious one, Drywall has a thickness that most roofing nails do not have to support.


In the end, you will be expecting roofing nails to support a weight that they were not designed to do and lack the threads necessary to do this. With this larger head it is also probable they will crush the drywall in that area ( cause cracks) promoting weakness of strength. it will not hold long at all. The strength of the roofing nail head comes from the thick coat on top of it - applying pressure to hold This is not the same concept to hold drywall.Can I use roofing nails to hang drywall?
Back in the day they used to use drywall nails, which looked simmilar to roofing nails.





The problem is that the roofing nails will pull out and damage the drywall once its finished.





Unless your covering the drywall with paneling, I would not do it!





They do make screw guns just for this purpose :)
You can but I would'nt.Drywall nails are adequate but drywall screws are best.Also,your nail gun will probably shoot the nails right through the paper on the drywall into the gypsum.Not much hold.
Try shooting one of those long nails in a stud.......
yes they are different. Buy some drywall screws please.
if you use a nail gun you may have problems being nails need to be set specifically for sheetrock and drywwall screws must be coated for a reason so they dont pop i would think so i say no screws are the way to do the job
Do not use roofing nails to hang drywall. Drywall nails have a ring shank on them that help hold drywall better. Most roofing nails are smooth and you will have problems with nail pops.