15.07.2020
How to Properly Fix Plasterboard ?
Proper installation of drywall begins with placing of small pieces of plasterboard next to the bottom UW profile, which act as a support during installation, providing an expansion joint > 10mm between the plasterboard cladding and the floor. This joint absorbs linear contractions and movements of the supporting structure.
Always start fixing the plasterboard from the end side, never from the middle. The screwdriver must be held perpendicular to the board. This way, the screw head penetrates 1 mm below the surface of the board and provides a robust connection with the metal frame and problem-free plastering. Also, the mounting direction of the boards must begin from the open part of the CW flange and continue in the direction of its base. This way we avoid twisting or bending of the CW profile.
It is not recommended to fix the plasterboard to the peripheral UW profiles, thus providing a sliding connection of the partition wall and the main building structure and avoiding undesirable cracks in the joints as a result of linear expansion of the building structure.
The choice of a suitable fastener depends on the thickness of the metal structure and the number of layers of drywall to be installed.
When the thickness of the metal profiles is less than 0.7 mm, standard drywall screws with sharp point should be used. For thickness of the metal profiles between 0.7 ÷ 2.0 mm, self-drilling drywall screws should be used.
The general rule for determining the appropriate length of the drywall screw is that after installation, the screw should enter at least 10 mm into the hollow space of the profile. You can easily make a choice of fastener using the table below:
Table for screw length selection:
| Board thickness | 1st layer | 2nd layer | 3rd layer | 4th layer |
| 9.5 mm | 3.5 x 25 | 3.5 x 35 | ||
| 12.5 mm | 3.5 x 25 | 3.5 x 35 | 3.5 x 55 | 4.2 x 70 |
| 15.0 mm | 3.5 x 25 | 3.5 x 45 | 3.5 x 55 | 4.2 x 70 |
| 2x12.5 mm + 15 mm | 3.5 x 25 | 3.5 x 35 | 3.5 x 55 |
The distance between fixtures depends on the number of layers installed. In the case of two-layer cladding, the screws of the first layer are installed at a 50 cm distance, and the screws of the second layer - at every 25 cm. This ensures the stability of each of the layers and the overall robustness of the wall.
Recommended distance between fasteners:
| Cladding layers | 1st layer | 2nd layer | 3rd layer | 4th layer |
| Single | 250 | |||
| Double | 500 | 250 | ||
| Triple | 500 | 500 | 250 | |
| Quadruple | 500 | 500 | 500 | 250 |
