How to Hang Drywall on Aluminum C

From the look of its scant metal appearance, you might not be able to tell that aluminum C has a comparable structural strength to the traditional wood studs when assembled into a wall frame and sheathed in drywall. Aluminum C, also known as aluminum C channels or aluminum C studs, is so named for the C-shaped outline of the stud's cross section. Often cited as cost-effective compared to wood 2-by-4s, aluminum C is also lightweight and termite- and insect-resistant, and it resists warping and cracking, especially from water damage, unlike wood. Though the process of installing drywall on aluminum C is pretty straightforward, using nails does not secure the drywall to the aluminum studs as it does when working with wood studs.

Drywall panels
Pencil
Tape measure
Straightedge
Utility knife
Drill
1- or 1-1/4-inch, fine-thread, self-tapping drywall Screws
Joint compound
Paper tape
6-inch and 10-inch feathering knives
Drywall sander

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length from the starting corner to the nearest vertical stud, up 8 feet away from the corner. If the stud is less than 8 feet away from the corner, measure from the corner to halfway across the stud.
- 2
  Transfer the first measurement to a drywall panel, if the measurement is less than 8 feet long, using a tape measure and a pencil. Draw a straight line down the drywall with the pencil and a straightedge.
- 3
  Cut the drywall with a utility knife. Score the line by guiding the utility knife along the line with the straightedge. Snap the drywall into a fold along that line, and then cut through the backing along the fold.
- 4
  Align the drywall section flush against the aluminum C stud wall. Use the self-tapping drywall screws to screw the drywall to aluminum C. Hold the screw to the drywall, set the drill to a slow to medium setting, and screw the screw into the drywall and the stud. Apply a little pressure once you feel the screw tapping into the aluminum C.
  
  Slightly countersink the screwhead to just below the wall's surface, but do not pass the screw completely through the outer paper layer of the drywall. Once it passes through the stud, the screw, drywall and the stud are engineered to make a structurally sound wall.
- 5
  Screw in several more screws along each aluminum C stud. Space them 6 to 8 inches apart, vertically.
- 6
  Continue to measure, cut and align each sheet of drywall in the same manner until the bottom part of the wall or walls are complete.
- 7
  Stagger the seams of the bottom level of drywall with the upper layer. Start from the same corner as the first row, and cut a shorter piece of drywall to make its other end land on a different aluminum C stud.
  
  Continue installing the drywall sheets until the upper walls are complete.
- 8
  Spackle and tape the drywall seams with joint compound and paper tape. Apply a generous amount of compound over each seam, lay over it a long piece of paper tape, and smooth it flush with the drywall using a 6-inch feathering knife.
- 9
  Apply another layer of joint compound over the paper tape, and smooth it flush with the drywall with a 10-inch feathering knife until the seam's indentation and paper disappears.
- 10
  Fill in and smooth over each screw hole with a 6-inch feathering knife.
- 11
  Sand the wall, if necessary, and then paint the walls.

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