Fixture for drywall: types and their features

Drywall - one of the most popular building materials. It is used to align wall surfaces, as well as for the formation of partitions and other drywall systems. One of its drawbacks is fragility. Therefore, it is necessary to use special fasteners that are designed to work with such products. The correct choice of fasteners will allow you to get a reliable and durable design that can withstand significant loads.

Special features

Technical characteristics of drywall differ from the parameters of other materials. This is due to the fact that the product consists of loose gypsum, which is held using external paper sheets.Therefore, to work with such a product should be very carefully and carefully. Today, various fasteners and bolts are used to solve these problems. Externally, these products do not differ from standard screws on wood or metal and consist of several main parts.

Dowel

This element is not mandatory, it is used in the case when you need to create a strong bond between fasteners and drywall. Externally, such a product may have a different shape. It is adapted to the material in which the cap is located. Almost always they are used when you need to fix a sheet of plasterboard to the wall.

Self tapping screws

Make these products from metal or plastic. The form of such hardware may be different. This is due to the fact that each of these screws must withstand different loads. In most cases, they are used in pairs with a certain type of dowel.

Kinds

Technically, the fixture for drywall is adapted in such a way as to obtain a system that distributes the load as evenly as possible and is also unable to destroy the product under high loads. Hardware to work with drywall differ in several technical characteristics.But in most cases, classic screws are used here that hold wood or metal together. Conventionally, such systems can be divided into screws and dowels. They are independent elements, but often are combined to create a strong connection. You can fix a drywall sheet or work with it using several types of screws.

Tn

This class of self-tapping screws is the most common. Such products are conventional fasteners that are used to work with wood or metal. They differ only in pitch and color. In most cases, the systems are complemented with classic plastic dowels. Use them recommended in cases where a sheet of drywall is fixed to a wooden or concrete base. In most cases, this involves covering the walls or ceiling.

Lb

These products differ in small length. In most cases, such fasteners are used to fasten the metal profile from which the entire plasterboard system is formed. A distinctive feature of the product is the presence of a kind of drill at the end of the screw.Therefore, it is not necessary to drill holes for them in the metal, since they destroy the material well themselves.

Ln

Screws of this class are used to fasten the metal parts of which form the frame. They are small in size, the tip of these products is sharp. Therefore, experts recommend stitching metal profiles with sheet thickness not exceeding 1.2 mm using screwdrivers. In another case, these products will not be effective.

As for dowels, they also come in several types.

Butterfly

This fastener is used to fix products with low weight directly on the plasterboard surface (for example, lamps, paintings). Butterflies are made of special types of polypropylene. Technical dimensions of the dowel may be different. A feature of this product is the presence of opening elements. When screwing the screw the dowel is compressed, forming an additional plane.

Driva

A dowel of this kind resembles a self-tapping screw, since there are self-tapping elements on its outer surface. This allows you to significantly speed up the installation of such structures. They are made of plastic and metal.Use this dowel to fix the drywall to the base.

Molly

The principle of operation of this dowel is similar to the butterfly species. The screw-in screw causes the frame to contract, forming an additional support. A distinctive feature of this fastener is the fact that it is made of metal. Therefore, Molly is able to withstand fairly high loads.

Dowel-nails

This type of retainer is most common. This is a classic dowel, which for fixing is driven into a previously drilled hole. The presence of special unclamping does not allow it to slip out of the hole. To obtain a reliable fixation, the diameter of the hole must be smaller than the corresponding size of the dowel. In another case, the design is easily out of the groove.

The fixing of chandeliers and other similar hanging systems in most cases is produced to the main ceiling. If you need to fix a not too heavy lamp, use a special anchor. They are equipped with carvings and complemented by various types of dowels. Technically, they can be considered a variety of screws. Often when installing plasterboard systems use metal auxiliary structures (for example, a sliding corner).In their own way, they are also fasteners, but for their fixation to drywall, almost always the previously described types of hardware are used.

What to choose?

The type of fastener is one of the main factors affecting the reliability and quality of fixing plasterboard. Therefore, special attention should be paid to their choice.

Buying screws, it is desirable to consider a few simple rules.

  • Prefer countersunk tapping screws. This will make it easy to drown them in the structure of drywall. It is undesirable to use for such works hardware, which have a head in the form of a hemisphere.
  • The self-tapping screw has to approach under type of the basis. For example, in a log house, wood fasteners are used, which will easily enter the tree and fix the sheet. A similar algorithm can be used for wooden frames, which are formed during the roofing of the ceiling or walls.
  • The length of the screw is selected individually for a specific situation. It is important that it goes into the frame not less than 2-3 cm. This is especially true for self-tapping screws, which are not supplemented with dowels and constitute the main fixing element.
  • Material matters. Almost all screws are made of steel, but the structure of the metal may be different. The cheapest are black hardened screws. They perfectly withstand the load, but over time can rust. These changes may affect the decorative finishing layer.

The choice of dowels for drywall constructions is an important step and involves the evaluation of several parameters.

Purpose

Today, dowels can be used for fixing drywall to the base or fixing other products on top of this material. If you need to attach a baguette or plinth in the kitchen, then a butterfly or driva can be the solution. Dowel-molly copes with fasteners shelves or plumbing.

Mounting technology

Screw-in dowel-driva is not difficult. If you need to use other types of structures, you should understand that they need additional space. This is due to the fact that when the butterfly is opened, the support systems move. Therefore, if a drywall sheet is attached tightly to the main wall, it is technically unrealistic to use such fasteners. The solution to this problem is the usual dowel-nails and the correct size of the screw.

Load capacity

Virtually all varieties are used to fasten structures over drywall. Fixing heavy products (for example, massive chandeliers, shelves, cabinets) is carried out only with the help of special anchors or molly dowels. These systems are able to withstand weight up to 50 kg. Driva has worked well when fixing structures weighing up to 30 kg. The most simple and unreliable are butterflies, with which you can hang designs weighing up to 11 kg.

How to calculate the flow?

The number of fasteners affects the reliability of fixing the gypsum ceiling or partition wall. Therefore, it is important to carry out the calculation of all components before starting work in order to pre-purchase them. There is no universal formula for calculating screws or dowels. The last elements are not used without hardware. By calculating the number of screws, you can find out the volume of auxiliary products.

In order to correctly calculate the amount of hardware, you should be guided by several rules:

  • Consider the fastening pitch between the screws. A distance of 35 cm is considered optimal. Note that the end fasteners should not be fixed close to the end of the sheet.It is desirable to leave a gap of at least 1 cm around the perimeter.
  • If you are mounting a two-level ceiling or a multi-layer structure, then on the first layer the screws are fixed 60 cm apart. On the top sheet, the hardware is placed with a step of 35 cm.

It is important to properly form the crate, which often acts as a framework for fixing drywall. If the dimensions are not multiples of the previously specified values, you can slightly reduce the distance between the elements to get the desired quality of fixation.

Tips

Working with drywall is optimally simple, but requires adherence to some nuances. Especially often it concerns hardware.

To get a high-quality and durable construction, you should follow the basic rules:

  • Fasteners during installation should be located only at a right angle to the base. This applies to screws and dowels. If the latest products are incorrectly mounted, screw the hardware into such a system will not work.
  • If you screw the screw at an angle, it is necessary to remove it and install it correctly. Experts do not recommend placing the screw in the same hole. The best way would be to deviate from it to the side by 5 cm.
  • All fasteners must be completely hidden deep into the sheet of drywall. In this case, they should not be deepened much, since the material can be destroyed.
  • When mounting the sheets, ensure that there are no third-party objects between them and the frame. In another case, they can cause deformation of the structure or the appearance of cracks.

Fixture for drywall is the main element on which the life of this material depends. Use for these works only unique and high-quality hardware proven brands that are well proven in the market. Do not forget that the work must be carried out very carefully so as not to damage the drywall.

About what fasteners to use when working with drywall, described in detail in the video.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

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