Drywall Screw, Phillips Bugle Head, Coarse Thread

Why it is built this way

Engineering notes

This is the screw most people picture when they hear 'drywall screw', and it is the highest-volume line in the whole catalogue. Coarse thread, sharp point, black phosphate, Phillips #2 — a specification that has barely changed in forty years because it does exactly one job extremely well: fixing gypsum board to timber studs, fast.

The coarse pitch is what makes it work in wood. Widely spaced threads clear the fibre and pull the board down in fewer turns, so a collated gun can drive a whole wall without the operator thinking about depth. The black phosphate surface is not a corrosion coating so much as a lubricant and a primer — it reduces drive torque and gives joint compound something to key to.

Key features

• Coarse pitch clears timber fibre and seats in fewer turns
• Sharp point bites without a pilot hole in softwood
• Bugle head dimples the paper instead of cutting it
• Black phosphate reduces drive torque and keys joint compound

Typical applications

• Drywall to wood stud
• Drywall to metal stud
• Plasterboard ceilings
• Interior partitioning
• Cement board backer
• Soffit panels