Drywall - a popular finishing material, characterized by versatility and environmental friendliness. In addition, it is absolutely non-toxic and does not conduct electric current. Its installation is not complicated and does not require serious financial costs, while the result is stunning.
As you know, any repair and subsequent finishing work leads to significant financial costs, therefore it is especially offensive if the purchased materials remain unused and turn out to be redundant. Therefore, when they are purchased, everyone tries to calculate their quantity as accurately as possible so as not to overpay. But if with large elements it can be done simply, then determining the number, for example, of self-tapping screws for attaching drywall sheets so quickly will not work. There are many of its nuances.
What self-tapping screws are used when installing gypsum plasterboard?
Self-tapping screws are reliable and inexpensive fasteners made of brass or stainless steel. These hardware differ in thread, coating, purpose and shape of the tip. Everyone who decided to make repairs in the house with the help of gypsum plaster, wonders how many self-tapping screws are needed per 1 m2 of drywall. There is no unequivocal answer to this question, since their number is calculated depending on the step of attaching the GCR to a wooden or metal profile.
The basic rules for calculating the number of necessary screws
Most often, GCRs are attached to the profile using self-tapping screws. In this case, the step of the self-tapping screws is observed when attaching drywall to the wall, equal to 30-35 cm. If it is necessary to increase the strength of the structure, the step is reduced to 10 cm.
It should be remembered that in order to avoid cracking, these elements must be fixed from the edge of the sheet at a distance no closer than 10 mm.
To determine the consumption of self-tapping screws per 1 m2 of drywall, you need to consider some parameters.
Drywall Sheet Size
GKL are available in standard sizes - 2500 x 1200 mm. In addition to this, there are also non-standard panels with a size of 2000 x 600 mm. In order to calculate the approximate number of screws, it is necessary to take into account the first option, since it is more common.
- Mounting step. Most experts recommend making the distance between the screws when attaching drywall to a vertical surface in increments of 35 cm. This indicator can provide reliability and durability of the finished structure.
- The distance between the screws when attaching drywall to the ceiling is 10-20 cm.
- The number of layers of GCR. When deciding to mount several layers of drywall at once, fasten the screws with different steps. For example, the first layer will be attached after 60 cm, the second layer - after 35 cm.
So, having decided on the main indicators, you can accurately calculate the consumption per 1m2 of drywall screws. Approximately 70 pieces will take on one sheet of this material, at least 110 on two layers. By choosing the required number of panels for the future design and a specific fastening step, you can easily calculate the consumption of hardware.
Consumption of screws
If you draw a plan of the frame, you can easily calculate the consumption of self-tapping screws per 1 m2 of drywall. For example, to attach one standard GCR to the frame on a vertical surface (wall), with a distance between racks of 40 cm, you will need:
- 11 hardware per rack (sheet length 2.50 m, mounting pitch 25 mm);
- 4 racks will need 44 screws;
- plus 6 - for attaching to the lower and upper horizontal jumper (three for each);
- total on one sheet of drywall will leave 50 pieces.
Let us further consider with which self-tapping screws to fix drywall to the profile. We also learn their features.
Types of screws
Before considering what self-tapping screws to fix drywall to the profile, we learn their main types. Fasteners are distinguished by their size, coating features. There are several main types of them, among which:
- wood screws;
- for metal;
- butterfly dowels;
- dowel nails;
- and many others.
For metal and wooden profiles, different self-tapping screws are used. Distinguishing them is very simple: fasteners designed for working with metal have a more frequent thread.
For wood screws, the pitch and angle of the profile of the thread is greater than for hardware designed to work with metal. Thanks to their design, they firmly fasten the drywall sheet to the wooden blocks. Wood screws can not be replaced with analogues for metal, as this will significantly weaken the finished structure.
To find out which self-tapping screws to fix the drywall to the profile, you need to know the features of these hardware.
- Protects self-tapping screws from corrosion with a special coating that gives products a black color.
- Due to the pointed spiral of the thread, the hardware penetrates easily into the metal profile, and it is held there securely in the future.
- The conical head of the self-tapping screw is completely recessed into the GCR and does not interfere with further decoration.
- A deep cross-shaped slot located on it allows you to screw the hardware with a screwdriver or an ordinary screwdriver.
Metal screws
When assembling a structure from a metal profile, special hardware is used - metal screws. Their size is:
- diameter 9.5 and 3.5 mm;
- lengths 11 and 9.5 mm.
The protective coating can be of two types: zinc and phosphate. Their head has a semi-cylindrical and hemispherical shape.
On the thread side, the base of the heads is provided with notches to provide protection against possible self-loosening. For such self-tapping screws, the thread pitch is frequent, which is how they differ from other representatives of fasteners that are intended for fastening drywall. These hardware are also called self-tapping bugs. They are considered the most popular among the products on the modern construction market.
Bedbugs come in several forms:
- Products with a drill for fastening a profile, 2 mm thick. With the help of hardware, fastening is carried out without serious problems. The main thing at work is to adjust the twisting force of the tool (screwdriver) in order to prevent tearing in the thread profile. To get the best result, you need to use a high-quality bit-nozzle, which will ideally combine the axis of the self-tapping screw with its own axis. The documentation from any manufacturer for each type of hardware used for both wood and metal profiles provides information on the recommended twisting forces.
- Self-tapping bugs with a sharp end allow you to drill holes in a metal profile, up to 1.2 mm thick. If such elements are used, the material of the metal profile is not destroyed, so that its structure is preserved. The tips for choosing the appropriate tool and nozzle are the same as in the previous case.
In order to better fix the GCR, sometimes they use an additional magnetic nozzle, which comes complete with a bat. This provides a more reliable and high-quality retention of the hardware on the axis of the tool used.
What you need to have for fastening GKL
For the installation of drywall on a wall with a profile using self-tapping screws, a large set of tools is not required. Only needed:
- screwdriver;
- wood or metal screws;
- bit;
- special magnetic nozzles.
To attach a drywall sheet to the frame in one layer, you need to use wood screws with a length of 32 mm or metal, 25 mm long.
The head of such fasteners is a carob type, countersunk. When screwing such a hardware, the upper layer of drywall does not tear, since it presses the edges of the cardboard into the hole. If, when mounting drywall on a wall with a profile, it is not possible to screw a self-tapping screw (or it is bent), it needs to be unscrewed and simply replaced with another. It is very important to remember that it is impossible to twist the self-tapping screw into the same hole twice. You must indent a distance of at least 5 cm.
What are the requirements for GKL fasteners
So, we examined what self-tapping screws for drywall are used. The installation of fasteners for GKL has some mandatory requirements:
- Hardware in the frame must enter strictly at right angles. At the same time, it should deepen by at least 1/3 of its length. To the frame from a wooden profile to a depth of not less than 20 mm, from a metal - 10 mm.
- The distance from the edge of the drywall to the fasteners should be a minimum of 10 mm.
- The head of the self-tapping screw must be deepened into the gypsum sheet by about 1 mm.
Conclusion
If you understand the installation technology, it is easy to accurately calculate the consumption of self-tapping screws per 1 m2 of drywall. It will depend on the frequency of the frame itself and the step between the screws