What are the screws for drywall?

Repair has become an integral part of interior design. We constantly want to equip, repair, improve something. The walls that surround us are no exception. Plasterboard structures are easy to build, but in order for them to be not only beautiful, but also as reliable as possible, you need to choose the right fasteners. It is the screws that can cope with the task. Today we will discuss which self-tapping screws for drywall and other finishing materials are better to use.

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Kinds

A self-tapping screw is an advanced screw that drills itself and cuts the thread in the processed material. Such fasteners come in several forms, of different quality, length and purpose. When using them, it is important to correctly take into account the interval of their fastening on a drywall sheet. Let's figure out what screws to fix the profile to the wall. They are conditionally divided into varieties, which, in turn, are divided into subtypes, depending on the appearance and size of the drill. Below are several types of screws for finishing the most common materials.

Cylinder head screws

Many experienced builders call this type of fasteners “bugs” because of their small size. The main features of this group are the following features:

• The length of the product varies from 9 to 11 mm. This size is enough to connect profiles to each other. We recommend using a short version, as you will not see much of a difference in the reliability of fastening the structure, but you can save a lot.
• With galvanized or oxidized coating. The difference between these products is almost insignificant. Buy what is in stock at the store. If you look at the protective characteristics, then both types of coating have almost the same properties.
• Sharp or drill tip. Again, the pricing policy of the two options presented is approximately the same, therefore, when choosing a specific fastener, be guided exclusively by personal taste. We recommend using sharp screws that are better screwed into the profile, do not make large holes and hold well in plasterboard.
• With or without notches. It is thanks to the notches that the screw head is securely fastened when twisting and does not fall out even with strong bumps and wall vibrations.

Press washer screws

This option of fasteners is used in the same way as self-tapping screws with a cylindrical hat. But, nevertheless, this type of product has a number of features, namely:

• With a wide hat. Its width is from 10 mm and more. Thanks to such a wide top, the self-tapping screw is tightly fixed to the surface and does not create installation difficulties.
• From 13 to 80 mm long. If you plan to use them as fasteners for the profile, then there is no need to use such a large length, for this it will be enough to install screws 13-16 mm long.
• With a sharp or drill tip. Elements are similar to the first case we examined. We also recommend using a sharp mount, due to its convenience and greater reliability. You will not save on a product with a drill, and the fixing strength will be the same. It is worth choosing a more economical first option.

For metal

The drilling steel tip is sharpened so as not to damage the metal structure where the self-tapping screw will be inserted. This ability will protect mounted sheets from corrosion.Here are the main varieties of metal mounts:

• Steel phosphated products with a conical hat for the installation of metal profiles.
• Drywall screw for fastening on a metal surface.
• Self-tapping screw with a small countersunk head.

On wood

If you need to install drywall sheet on a wooden surface, then it will be advisable to use the following types of products:

• With a wide thread pitch. This self-tapping screw is easy to screw into wood, it holds well in it. It is on this basis that we can distinguish fasteners for wood from fasteners for metal.
• With different sizes. Products can have different thicknesses - from 3.5 to 4.8 mm and lengths - from 16 to 152 mm. To do it yourself, it is very important to choose the right length. So, for example, for wall drywall sheets, you need to use screws with a size of 3.4 by 32 mm, and for ceiling panels - 3.5 by 25 mm. If the wood has a rather loose structure, then it is better to take long screws.

Drywall screw for profile

Now we will figure out which screws are needed to fix the drywall to the profile. This type of fasteners has the following features:

• Fine threaded pitch. Use for strong fixing of fastenings in a metal lath. The tip of the screws has only a sharp shape. It passes well both through thick-walled and through thin metal.
• Different sizes. The thickness of the screws can be from 3.5 to 4.8 mm, but the length is from 16 to 150 mm. Do not forget such an important detail: the screws for fixing the drywall sheet to the metal rails should be twice as long as the thickness of the material itself. The most commonly used size is 3.5 by 25 mm, but to install sheets in two layers, you should take dimensions of 3.5 by 41 mm.

Which of the above options for self-tapping screws to fix drywall is up to you.

Important! The screwdriver will facilitate the fastening of screws in a drywall. It costs a lot of money, but it is with its help that a fast automatic screwing of elements into various finishing materials occurs. Do not regret investing in this tool in order to save free time and effort.

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Signs of quality fastening

Experienced builders know that the consumption of self-tapping screws can increase from their improper choice. Yes, sometimes a defective batch of fixtures may come across on the market. Even in appearance, you can determine the quality and reliability of products. So, let's figure out what qualities you should pay attention to in the first place:

• Appearance. All products must have identical dimensions. In the form, thinning or thickening and various bendings are unacceptable.
• The recess under the slot must be clearly defined and located in the center of the head of the product. Inflows, skews or bulges of fasteners are unacceptable.
• Self-tapping screws should be even black or gray-black, the same for the entire batch. This will guarantee that the manufacturer has phosphated or oxidized the products in the right way, which protects the elements from corrosion.
• The cross-section on the head should be free of chips and other irregularities, located strictly in the center. Poor-quality screws can disable a screwdriver, which will make work of dubious quality.

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How to screw a self-tapping screw into drywall?

Starting to install drywall sheets to the profile, it will not hurt you to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of working with similar building material:

• Before starting installation, it is necessary to make preliminary marks on dry plaster, which will serve as a place for making holes. With the help of such a simple technique, you can create a neat and even look of self-tapping screws instead of a chaotic placer. Another plus, which is worth noting, in addition to a beautiful appearance, this order will significantly increase the strength characteristics of the erected structure due to the same load on all fasteners.

Important! The standard consumption of screws per sheet of drywall is 70 units at a step of 37 cm.

• It is necessary to screw the elements first at maximum speed, and reaching half, reduce the speed to control the depth of the self-tapping screw in the drywall. It is extremely important to ensure that the fasteners do not go into the profile completely (with a hat). If this still happened, then you need to unscrew the product, putty the hole, and then screw another screw at a distance of 5 cm from the previous hole.

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Stock footage

From our article, you learned not only about the types of screws, but also familiarized yourself with useful recommendations for installing them. If you do everything right, then you will get a solid plasterboard partition, which will serve you for more than a dozen years.