Drywall screw spacing — edge vs. field fasteners, and why ceilings need more than walls
Screws go in denser around the perimeter (edge, ~8″ walls / 7″ ceilings) than in the field (~12″), and a ceiling is fastened tighter than a wall — closer framing (12″ vs 16″ o.c.) and more screws (40 vs 32 per 4×8) — because gravity works to make a ceiling sag. Keep every screw ≥⅜″ from a cut edge.
What this diagram shows
Two drywall sheets compared, a wall sheet and a ceiling sheet, each shown as a rectangle over wood framing with the screws marked as dots. Perimeter (edge) fasteners along the sheet edges run closer together — about 8 inches on walls and 7 inches on ceilings — than the interior (field) fasteners on the intermediate framing, which are about 12 inches apart. Wall framing is 16 inches on-center and takes about 32 screws per 4-by-8 sheet at 1.0 screw per square foot; ceiling framing is closer at 12 inches on-center and takes about 40 screws per sheet at 1.25 screws per square foot, because gravity pulls a ceiling down and looser fastening lets it sag. Every screw stays at least three-eighths inch from a cut edge so the gypsum core does not crumble. Spacing follows ASTM C840 and GA-216.
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