You have decided to attach one-half inch drywall with screws instead of using drywall nails. Those choices are among the first decisions you will make toward a successful drywall job. Commercial standards have been developed over the years to give you guidelines.
Thread Size
Drywall screws come in a variety of thread sizes, heads, points and lengths. You want to use a screw designated as a drywall screw--you will visually see the difference between them and regular wood and metal screws. It generally does not matter whether you are affixing the drywall to a ceiling or wall. What is important to know is whether you have wood or steel studs.
Early commercial standards established a rating for each: W for wood and S for steel (up to 25 gauge). If your box of screws is not marked accordingly, remember that wood studs can accept coarse screw threads and steel studs are best attached with fine threads. Fortunately, you can use the fine thread classification for either stud for most home applications.
Screw Heads
The head of the screw acts as an extension of your driver. A screwdriver tip firmly held within the screw head will drive your screw positively. An ill-fitted head or mismatched driver may cause problems in direction and/or depth of placement. Use a bugle head screw for drywall. Drywall screws are most often affixed using an electric screwdriver or drill with a screwdriver bit tip. Bugle heads are designed to accept common Phillips head screwdrivers or drill bit tips. Look directly down into the screw head and you will see a bugle-like cone--that's where they get their name.
Points
Screws are generally produced with either a sharp point or what is often called a drill point. For drywall use you will want to select a sharp point.
Length
Use a screw that is one and one-half inches in length. That length is acceptable for wood or steel studs and will give you sufficient purchase into your work, meaning the screw will snugly draw the drywall to the stud surface.
Depth
It is important to set the screws to the proper depth. When properly affixed, a drywall screw will have drawn up flush with the outer paper surface of the drywall without seriously breaking or cracking the paper, or creating a crater in the plaster-like material within. This is why most people use a depth attachment on their drills so that they cannot inadvertently drive the screws too deep.
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