Best, ie: cheapest place for..........

[Ford Anglia]

..............metal framed stud walling, plasterboard to suit etc etc.

Our local store is called Briconautes, and I don't rate it as cheap, that's for sure[:(]

Also, can anyone tell me what sort/length of screws I'd need? I've been using an awful lot of stainless ones from Screwfix. The studwork will be fastened to stone walls, (VERY crumbly), a thick oak beam, and chestnut 22mm flooring.

Does the pasterboard SCREW to the metal studwork, or nail? Or neither?

TIA.

[Deimos]

When I first moved here I tried for good pricing at a couple of the big major builders merchants (not the bricos).  Two were very RRP for me but one for some reason put me a very high discount level account.  I did keep pestering the guy "is this your best price ...".  Ever since, as I am on that level of discount, everything seems to be supplied at that level.  I actually checked with my local charpente and he was amazed (maybe a bit irritated) at the prices I was paying.

I have an account at the builders merchant but its a cash on delivery account (i.e. the account is just my name and price banding).  I'm a private individual i.e. no company, no siret and just buying small amounts of stuff for my own use.  Typically each purchase will be less than €1000 and I might do that once or twice a year.

Thus, it is possible to get good pricing but you may have to try different places.  The one I use is about 30 mins drive away, and there are several a lot lot closer (but more expensive for me).

Ian

[Deimos]

Re: the metal stud wall screws.

They are special ones for the job.  I got mine in Leroy Merlin.  They are black and have very sharp points (thus they will screw into the metal stud without any pre-drilling necessary (I found it very quick once I got the hang of the pressure you apply to start it going).

I used these screws to fix pretty well everything whilst doing the walling (i.e. montants/rails to floor, each other, plasterboard to metal stud).

Ian

[Frederick]

There is also a screwdriver bit  for your rechargeble that is designed so the screw head goes in the right depth and no further.. ( flush with the surface ) ...stops you pushing the screw right through the plaster board when it grabs into the metal frame .

[Gyn_Paul]

If you are doing miles of rail for plasterboard walling, invest in a few tools: -

• The first is a device like giant pair of pliers which is used where you join horizontals to verticals. Where the rails overlap, it stabs a hole a couple of mm's wide in both pieces, and bends the bits over thus locking them together.

• The next is a cutter which nibbles the rails like a tool popular in the UK in the 70's called a Goscut. Or a heavy duty pair of tin snips.

• The third is the spring-loaded head mentioned by Frederick (get the one with the screw collar on the barrel to adjust the depth).

• A bradawl to punch holes in the rails where you are screwing them into woodwork: it's easier by far to start a screw off this way.

• A long metal straight edge and a decent-weight craft knife to cut the plasterboard.

Try not to grip the heads of the screws as you start them off as there are occasionally little twists of scurf (either metal or the black coating) which will either rip your fingers as the screw revolves, or nicely embed themselves in your thumb.

p