Bugle head
Bugle head: concave-tapered screw head that auto-countersinks without tearing plasterboard paper or timber. Standard for plasterboard and decking screws.
Ask Chalkline about this →A bugle head is a screw head profile with a concave taper under the head that allows the screw to seat flush in soft materials (plasterboard, timber) without tearing the surface. As the head drives in, the curved underside spreads the load and compresses the material to form its own countersink, rather than shearing it. This is why plasterboard screws are bugle-head: a flat countersunk head would cut through the face paper; a pan head would sit proud.
Bugle heads are the standard for plasterboard fixing (fine-thread for steel frame, coarse-thread for timber frame), decking screws where a flush-to-flush finish is needed, and timber batten applications. The head size and angle vary slightly between plasterboard and decking patterns; they are not interchangeable.
Also known as: drywall head (informally, especially for plasterboard screws).
Category: Fixings and fasteners.
Related
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10. Quarterly review for currency.