Nails won't hold drywall to steel studs.
Builders frequently frame new walls in commercial buildings and apartments with steel studs. These studs are lighter than wooden studs, which is important in a multistory building, and they are not subject to rot. Moreover, you install steel studs with screws, which can be easily removed if you make a mistake. Similarly, when you hang drywall on metal studs, you have to screw it. Nails won't hold. You can use regular drywall screws, but because they have to be self-tapping, it's better to use screws intended for metal studs, since they have a sharper tip and finer threads.
Instructions
1. Space the studs, when you install them, so the ends of the drywall will bisect two of them. Hang the drywall horizontally, rather than vertically. It will make it easier to tape the seams and will allow latitude for studs that aren't perfectly level.
2. Attach the drywall to the studs by driving 1-1/4-inch self-tapping drywall screws straight into the metal, using a screw gun. Start each screw by partially driving it into the drywall, and then push the gun forcefully while you operate it at full speed to drive the screw through the stud. Adjust the tip of the gun so it drives the head of the screw just past the surface of the paper without tearing it.
3. Hold the open side of a stud with your fingers to prevent it from bending when you drive screws into the edge of the drywall. Metal studs have a C-shaped cross-section. When two sheets form a joint on a stud, it's best to install the sheet that falls on the open side first. This makes the stud more stable and easier for you to install the other sheet.
4. Space the screws 10 to 12 inches apart in the middle of sheets and 5 to 8 inches apart at the edges.
5. Cut sheets to fill spaces smaller than a full sheet, using a utility knife. Measure the length or width you need, draw a straight line on the front of the sheet and score along the line with a utility knife. Break the sheet along the line. Cut holes for electrical boxes with a drywall saw.
6. Finish the seams and fill the screw holes in the same way you would if you were hanging the drywall on wooden studs. Spread joint compound on the seams, lay on moistened drywall tape and scrape it flat with a 4-inch knife. Spread two or three topcoats of joint compound with successively wider knives to finish the seams, and then sand the dried compound lightly with 120-grit sandpaper before painting.
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