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Drywall & Steel Studs - Impact Driver or Drill??

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johnishere

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey folk. I'm old school - I've got most every tool in the book EXCEPT an impact driver. I've been trying to make up a good excuse to buy an impact driver, but so far I just haven't needed one (at least not much). The only thing that I can think of that I may be doing (around the house) in the near future is hanging some drywall and maybe a few steel studs.

My question is: Which is better (more preferred): a drill or impact driver for A) drywall, and B) for steel studs (self-tapping screws)?

Thanks much.
 
#4 ·
Drill, high speed with a drywall tip setup if you got it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Buy a high quality SCREW gun that plugs in to 120 VAC, you be able to let your kids use later, and it will seat dry wall screws far better, quicker then any impact driver, IMHO.


I use a 2500 RPM " screw driver that will run # 12 Tek 4 & 5 screws into structural steel all day, a drywall screw gun will run 3000 rpm, and usually have a clutch that is designed to be more adjustable at very light torque loads, like paper faced Gypt board.


I'd consider using paperless drywall if any chance of water exposure in the room.

don't forget to align the utility openings when cutting your studs to length, borrow a punch tool.

Steel studded interior walls are mostly built using bare minimum spec materials that depend upon the drywall as a large fraction of its load bearing capacity...

After witnessing the use of < 26 gauge studs for wall mounted toilets & sinks. on a University building.......WTF?
I where framing my own property I'd use a couple of gauges thicker products, including maybe using patented studs with added tiny bends the make the stud act more closely too a wood stud....
 
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Discussion starter · #7 ·
VinylHanger said:
Don't you use regular fine thread drywall screws for steel studs?

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While the thread pitch of find drywall screws is similar to metal framing screws, there are a few reasons why it is not ideal to use drywall screws for metal framing.
A) Drywall screws have a "bugle head" - i.e. the underside of the head of the screw is curved like the end of a bugle horn.
B) Drywall screws are also not threaded all the way up to the underside of the head of the screw.
C) Plus, joining metal to metal the screws don't need to be long - only 1/4" - 1/2".

For those reasons, I don't think that drywall screws of either pitch are a good choice for metal stud framing.
(I already have a crap-load of #7 x 7/16" self-piercing pan-head framing screws - I just never got around to using them.)
 
#9 ·
The the steel framing world we use 14, 16, 18 and 20ga. material. The drywallers use the Grabber SuperDrive on their 18 volt screw guns. I use a 2500 screw gun or it won't go into the thicker stuff. I use only shear screws and framing screws with my gun.
 

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Discussion starter · #10 · (Edited)
VinylHanger said:
I thought you were hanging drywall on steel studs?

Are you a home owner?
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Oh, I see. Nah, two separate projects (drywall in the house. Steel studs in the basement.)

Me, homeowner? Well, that too. But, most any construction work I've done was 35 or 40 years ago... and we weren't using 'impact drivers' back then other than for connecting heavy fasteners to concrete (pneumatic impact wrench). For that matter, we were old school even then, so for our purposes (residential) we weren't using metal framing either.
 
#11 ·
Why ever use any type of drywall in a basement that might/ will flood eventually?

Less is more with mold prevention, why create pockets where warm damp air will "rain" out as it cools passing through a cold wall cavity location?

if you must fur out a masonry basement wall that is below the water table at times, stop the drywall several inches above the floor and install a tall mop board to cover the gap to floor, think rugs instead of carpet, tile or polished crete instead of wood flooring.

Steel framing for cost? or termites in Hawaii?
 
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#16 · (Edited)
The roofs are wood trusses and the floors are Gluelams TJI LVLs- OSB. There are 4x4 post and Hardie siding.
 

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#19 ·
Tinstaafl said:
Outside of fatigue reduction during extended use, I don't see any need for impact drivers in most applications. I really think it's more of a Harley factor than practical advantage.
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Man I put in a but load of 2½" and 4" screws and couldn't do with out an impact.
 

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