Standard 1 2 inch thick drywall calls for 1 1 4 inch or 1 5 8 inch drywall screws while 5 8 inch thick drywall panels call for 1 5 8 inch or 2 inch drywall screws.
How many screws should go in a sheet of drywall.
If you use drywall adhesive you may reduce the number of screws to one every 16 inches.
If you are using 1 2 inch thick drywall use 1 1 2 inch long screws or nails.
Use screws made specifically for attaching drywall to wood.
Space drywall screws approximately 12 inches apart when installing drywall on standard wood studs and metal studs on walls and ceilings.
Screws used to attach 1 2 inch drywall to wood framing should be long enough to go into the wood at least 5 8 inch.
These screws have large coarse threads that give them a lot of gripping power in the wood.
Drywall guns have adjustable clutches that allow you to control the depth of the screw bit.
Choosing drywall screws.
So how many screws are needed per sheet of drywall.
When screwing drywall sheets 4 by 8 to the studs vertically use four screws and start at the top.
If it s 4 by 12 it ll take about 36 screws.
This guide covers the general consensus about drywall screw spacing and the number of screws per 1 2 inch drywall on framing members that are 16 inches on center.
Give each of the screws about 16 inches apart from one another.
So when hanging a panel vertically on a wall start with four screws across the top one at each corner and two at 16 inch intervals which will line up with the studs underneath.
For smaller jobs we recommend a drywall screw setter that will properly dimple your screwheads using a standard drill.
Drywall screws should be properly dimpled into the wallboard so that they will not be visible.
When using a 48 inch wide sheet of drywall this means you will have two screws on each stud one at each edges of the sheet of drywall and one screw every other stud in the middle of the sheet.
Picture of ribbed drywall nails.
The length of the screw should be chosen based on the thickness of the drywall panels.
In practical terms this translates to about 7 8 nails or 5 screws on each stud when hanging 48 inch sheets perpendicular to the studs.
28 screws are needed for attaching a 4 by 8 sheet of drywall.
Along the sides of the panel keep the screws at least 1 2 inch away from the edge.
For 3 4 inch thick drywall use a 1 3 8 inch screws.
Introducing adhesive between the studs and the drywall sheets common practice in the building trades further affects screw placement reducing the overall quantity needed per sheet of drywall.
Drywall screws come in different lengths and in fine thread and coarse thread variations.
You will want to choose a screw that s at least 1 1 4 inches long.
Insert screws with a screw gun or a 3 8 inch drill.
When screwing drywall into wall studs set 16 inches on center professionals recommend 16 inches of space between the screws.