Wafer head
Wafer head: very flat, wide screw head for self-drilling Tek screws in light steel framing and metal cladding. Low profile, high pull-through resistance.
Ask Chalkline about this →A wafer head is a very flat, broad screw head profile used primarily on self-drilling (Tek) screws for light gauge steel framing and metal cladding applications. The wide bearing surface distributes load across thin sheet material (typically 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm steel), resisting pull-through without the head sitting high above the sheet surface. The low profile also prevents snagging under cladding and sheeting panels.
Wafer heads are the standard head profile for Tek screws fixing:
- Steel stud and track (LGS framing) to timber or steel structure
- Metal duct and sheeting connections
- Fibre cement or metal panel systems where a flat head is specified
A wafer head is lower and wider than a pan head, and has no countersink angle (it does not seat below the surface in the way a bugle head does).
Also known as: flat head, low-profile head (informally).
Category: Fixings and fasteners.
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Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10. Quarterly review for currency.