For fastening many building materials use special threaded fasteners. Self-tapping screws for the profile for drywall are of various types and sizes. Their choice depends on the type of sheets and place of installation. Knowing which self-tapping screws for attaching drywall are best suited, you will not spoil this material and provide a firm grip.
What are self-tapping screws?
A self-tapping screw is a type of fastener that is equipped with a wide flat head and a sharp threaded rod. The product is made, as a rule, of steel, since it maximally meets the parameters of rigidity and strength.
Self-tapping screws, depending on what material they are intended for, are divided into the following types:
- for profile (metal);
- a tree;
- drywall;
- etc.
Material
The following types of steel are used for the production of these products:
- Stainless.
- Alloyed.
- Less commonly brass. This alloy perfectly resists corrosion and therefore is often used for street work or the installation of drywall in places with high humidity (bath, bath, kitchen).
You can also separately highlight the screws covered with reinforcing compounds. Most often, self-screwing screws and dowels used for insulation are galvanized for better resistance to aggressive external environment. Fasteners for mounting the frame are coated with oxides or phosphates, they are painted black. Products are distinguished by good stiffness indicators.
Dimensions of screws
Imported and domestic manufacturers of fasteners, as a rule, adhere to standard parameters in their production.
Product length varies. It can be 16-152 mm. The normal diameter of the screws ranges from 3.5-4.8 mm. If you have any difficulties when choosing, you can consult with the sales manager.
Before you go to the store, write down the main parameters of the purchased drywall sheets.
What self-tapping screws do you need to fasten drywall?
Self-tapping screws for a profile for drywall can be easily fixed with your own hands, since special tools are not needed for their installation. However, the installation process is much faster when using a screwdriver. The most important thing is to make the right choice of fasteners. It is important to remember that different parts must be used for metal and wood frames.
For wood, the sheets are fastened with appropriate self-tapping screws on the tree, which are mostly shorter. Their length is up to 24 mm. For the metal base, self-tapping screws for the profile for drywall - up to 32 mm. However, this length is not always enough to secure individual sheets. For example, if two levels of cardboard are to be attached to the frame, then the sizes of self-tapping screws 33–35 mm should be chosen.
Thread
In order to screw the screws more easily, they are released with different thread frequencies (frequent or rare). Rare is more preferable, since it allows more reliable fixation of the material. However, it should be remembered that with high brittleness and low quality of the plates, coarse threads can lead to mechanical damage.
Try to assess the type of drywall used as objectively as possible.
The key indicators also include the thickness of the rod. As a rule, this parameter varies from 0.6 to 0.8 mm.
For fastening to drywall self-tapping screws use special types of products having heads of the carob type. With fasteners, they are buried in the surface, due to which the evenness of the initial coating is ensured, which is very important for further correct finishing of the coating.
How to make the right choice?
In order to choose the right type of parts for attaching drywall or profile, you need to familiarize yourself with the distinctive features of each type in advance.
- Self-tapping screws (GOST defines this) for wood are produced with rarer carvings. Due to the fact that wood is a rather fragile building material, fewer turns are used for it.
- The length can vary from 11 to 200 mm, but they are rarely used when performing repair work, only if special decorative elements are needed.
- Self-tapping screws for the profile under the drywall, with which the metal is fixed, can be installed in different metal coatings. They have small threads and a wider head. Self-tapping screws (GOST 11652) also have a large diameter.
Consumption of screws
Before calculating the total consumption of fasteners, you should know how many self-tapping screws are needed per 1 sheet of drywall. It must be remembered that for the connections of different types of materials use a different number of fasteners. The pitch for self-tapping screws of a wooden profile is 35 mm, 30 millimeters, for a metal one - 30 mm, in some cases deviations of several millimeters can be allowed. It is also necessary to consider how many layers cardboard sheets will be installed: in one, two or more. In the latter case, it will be necessary to reduce the distance between some fasteners or increase the size of parts to ensure rigidity of the installation.
Based on the foregoing, the approximate number of self-tapping screws per 1 sheet of drywall is 70-110 pieces.
Parts Installation
- First of all, it is necessary to make markings on the wall, with the help of which it will be possible to easily install the elements in the right place, calculate the required number of them and calculate the approximate number of screws required on one sheet of drywall.
- Next, a small drill should make a hole at the installation site of the fastener. Depending on the size of the fasteners, both large and small drills are selected. Care should be taken to ensure that the depth of the slot does not exceed 3 mm, otherwise the installation location will become loose very quickly.
- To attach the screws to the profile for the ceilings, a special nozzle is used that controls the depth of immersion of the drill in drywall.
After the installation is completed, they must be treated with special anti-corrosion compounds and then puttied, because otherwise after the finish on the surface of the sheets they will be very noticeable. In addition, you need to try not to "drown" the heads of the screws too much so that large furrows do not appear.
You can buy a self-tapping screw for panels and drywall in all construction stores, on the market or on the Internet.
Packaging
The approximate number of attachment points should be calculated in advance. Self-tapping screws, the price of which is indicated below, are most often sold in packages and have a standard number of pieces. As a rule, they are packaged in 100, 250, 300, 400 pieces. If work is carried out on a large area (for example, during the repair of offices), packages of even 5,000 or 20,000 pieces can be purchased.
If you do not know the quality of the goods, it is recommended to buy a small bag first. At the same time, this will make it possible to verify in practice whether the thread is correctly selected.
When buying, you must definitely view it. Recounting the number of pieces, of course, is not worth it, but checking for the presence of a marriage will not be out of place. If you suddenly find rust or broken threads, it is better to choose another manufacturer.
Self-tapping screws: price
The cost of screws depends on their type and size. The average price of one piece will be a couple of rubles. In a pack, which includes from 100 to 500 pieces of self-tapping screws, one copy will cost a little cheaper - about one ruble.