Profile for drywall: which profiles are needed for partitions, walls and ceiling

The popularity of drywall is largely due to the ease of use of a light and durable metal profile, which is the basis for fastening sheets. A drywall profile allows you to quickly build a frame of any configuration using a minimum set of tools. If you plan to use drywall in the repair process, you should be aware that metal products for the frame differ in size, purpose and scope. In order to understand which profile is better to choose in a particular case, you need to get at least a minimal idea of ​​its varieties.

Drywall profiles can be divided into 2 main types - partition and ceiling. In turn, each type consists of guides (starting) and bearing (main, rack) profiles.

Guides are installed along the contour of the future design, after which the supporting metal profile is inserted into them. It forms the crate on which the gypsum wall is attached. With certain methods of connecting different parts, various designs are obtained: wall cladding, partitions, ducts, niches, suspended ceilings.

The metal profile is made of steel tape with a zinc coating of 0.4-0.8 mm thickness on roll forming machines, where the products are given the desired shape. Thin metal (0.4 mm) can only be used for wall cladding. Thicker metal holds the suspended ceiling securely and is used to create partitions.

Any metal profile has a back and shelves, only the guiding shelves are straight, and the carrier has curved ends.

Ceiling support profiles

The suspended ceiling frame is loaded only due to the weight of the structure. The ceiling profile for drywall, designated PP (CD), forms the basis of the frame and ensures its rigidity.

CD metal profiles are also used for wall cladding and the creation of various designs - shelves, boxes, niches, false walls, so they are often called rack profiles or racks, and sometimes - planar.

Rack profiles for drywall have stiffeners in which it is convenient to center the screws. The edges of the shelves are bent inward for greater rigidity and for mounting suspensions.

The standard size minimizes waste. The length of the rack is 2.6 m, 3 m, 4 m. Most often, products with a cross section of 60 × 27 mm are used.

Ceiling guide profile

U-shaped metal profiles PNP (UD) are used to guide and hold the rack elements.

The brackets indicate the marking Knauf.

The metal profile is used both for wall sheathing, and when arranging the ceiling, placing it around the perimeter of the room. Guides are located around the perimeter of the frame, ensuring the location of the surface of the sheets in one plane. Their length is 3 m, section - 28 × 27 mm.

Sometimes it is recommended to use the so-called house-keeper profile with smaller shelf sizes and thickness and narrower (UD 17 × 25 guides, bearing CD 47 × 17). Its cost is significantly lower, but such products can only be used for ceilings when lining with thin (0.8–0.95 cm) ceiling gypsum board and for wall covering of a small area.

Metal profiles for partitions

The starting partition profile PN (UW) is intended for the installation of drywall constructions. It is mounted on the floor and ceiling as the basis for a future partition. The depth is 40 mm and the width is from 50 to 100 mm. Such a variety is associated with the need to select the wall thickness.

The wall profile for PS drywall partitions (CW) is made with a cross-sectional shape in the form of the letter “C”. It is also suitable for wall cladding. Dimensions depend on the thickness and height of the structure. The length of the metal profile is selected according to the height of the room so that there are no connections.

Special Profile Varieties

In addition to these varieties, there are special products used in special cases.

The reinforced metal profile UA

The reinforced profile for drywall is used to increase the structural strength in the following cases:

• the creation of a suspended ceiling with increased weight;
• fastening of door and window frames;
• when you need to reinforce high structures;
• wall decoration with the placement of a large number of communications.

The metal is 2 mm thick and the shelf height is 40 mm.

U-shaped metal profile with flanges

The profile is used to save space between the sheet and the base. Mounting is done through the sides to the ceilings and walls. The height of the product is only 15 mm. Such a metal profile should stand on an even basis.

Profile arched PA (CD)

It is used for the construction of structures of complex shape, where there are bends. Products have the same parameters as the ceiling metal profile, but curly cuts and perforations are applied to them. The arched profile can be done independently, for this, the shelves of the ceiling product are cut into sectors and bent, giving it a curved shape.

Angular PU profile

The perforated corner of small thickness (0.22–0.25 mm) serves to increase the strength of the outer corners of drywall constructions. Apply galvanized and aluminum profile. The corner profile is mounted on the putty and closed with it.

Vinyl Profiles

A flexible profile for vinyl drywall is designed for finishing corners, joints of a structure with window and door blocks or in the case when the wall has a complex shape. Several types of vinyl profiles are available.

1. Arched. It is used to create curved structures with a minimum bending radius of 50 cm.
2. J profile. It is put on the edges of drywall. Vinyl holds paint well.
3. Cable. A wire is inserted into it to protect it from putty.
4. Mortise - for separating long drywall constructions.
5. Perforated corner. It is mainly used for finishing internal corners, giving them clarity and completeness.

Installation of a guide metal profile

There is no difficulty in installing the metal profile, but it must be fixed according to the rules. Ways can be seen in numerous photos and videos.

The smoothness and reliability of the rest of the construction depends on the correct fixation of the guide profile for drywall. The sequence of mounting rails for wall cladding is as follows:

1. By marking the floor, the PN is installed. 0.3 m is indented from one of its parts and a hole is drilled. Two more holes are made in the middle and on the other hand, after which the profile is fastened with dowels and nails.
2. Subsequent guides are installed similarly around the perimeter of the ceiling and walls.
3. The whole structure is fastened with dowels in increments of 30 cm. Before the final installation, the evenness and accuracy of the installation is checked.

Installation of rack profiles

The wall mounting sequence will be as follows:

• Racks are installed in increments of sheet size. On the wall, a distance is measured along the width of the sheet and a mark is made. Here the axial line of the vertical rack will pass, which will become the place of the GKL joint. Such marks are made to the end of the wall, then the central points of the received segments are marked. There will also be attached racks per cent of the sheet. Using a plumb line, vertical lines are drawn.
• On the received lines, marks are placed every 60 cm and holes are drilled in these places, after which dowels are inserted into them and suspensions are attached.
• The supporting metal profile is installed in the guides. All profiles are set on a horizontally stretched fishing line, and the loan is fixed with the help of suspensions, the ends of which are bent and fastened with self-tapping screws. To racks racks fasten with self-tapping screws "bugs" or cutter.

• To increase the structural strength, horizontal jumpers of the same type of metal profile are attached to the racks. How many of them to install depends on the required strength of the frame. They should also be at the joints of the sheets.

The sheets, together with their halves, are staggered. The horizontal seams of adjacent sheets should not match.

Conclusion

To create a reliable frame for drywall, you need to understand the parameters of structural elements. The drywall design is more reliable if each profile is used for its intended purpose and not replaced with what is available.

Product quality depends on the manufacturer. Knauf drywall profile gained popularity. Well-established domestic profiles for drywall, the price of which is lower than imported.