Interior Steel Studs & Track

Interior steel studs and track are the light gauge framing behind most drywall partitions, bulkheads and ceilings. The 25 gauge stud stands in standard track, with slotted track under deflecting slabs and flex track for curved walls.

Interior Steel Stud

Cold-formed 25 gauge steel C-studs for interior walls that carry no axial load. The studs stand in matching floor and ceiling track and are finished with gypsum board on one or both faces. Light and easy to cut and screw.

Steel Track

U-shaped track that holds steel studs at the top and bottom of walls, frames headers and sills at openings, caps joist ends as rim track and nests with a stud to make a box member. Flat web, plain legs, no lips and no knockouts.

Slotted Track

Head-of-wall track fixed to the structure above. Its 2-1/2″ legs have vertical slots and the studs are screwed through the slots, so floors and roofs can move up and down while the studs below stay where they are.

Flex Track

Bendable track for curved framing. Short U-shaped segments, linked by folded pleats in the legs and a tab in the web, let a straight length be bent by hand to a smooth curve, then fixed in place and used like standard track to hold the studs.

L-Track

A plain 90° galvanized steel angle for interior framing. The 1″ × 2″ L-track frames bulkheads, columns and soffits with clean, square edges; the 2″ × 2″ and 1-1/2″ × 1-1/2″ angles connect, stiffen and finish framing wherever a full stud or track is too big.

More Products

Stud and track work as a pair

A non-load-bearing wall is two members: a C-shaped stud and a U-shaped track of the same width. The track is fixed to the floor and the structure above, and the studs stand in it at 16" or 24" on centre.

Member	Widths	Gauge	Lengths
Interior steel stud	1-5/8", 2-1/2", 3-5/8", 6"	25 ga	8', 9', 10', 12'
Steel track	1-5/8" to 14"	25 to 12 ga	10'
Flex track	2-1/2", 3-5/8", 6"	25 ga, 20 ga (6")	8'

Picking the stud width

Width follows the wall thickness and what has to run inside it. Final size and spacing come from the tested wall assembly and the limiting height for the stud.

1-5/8": furring and liner walls, chases.
2-1/2" and 3-5/8": most office, condo and retail partitions.
6": taller walls and deeper service cavities.

Our guide to steel stud limiting heights explains how height, spacing and deflection limit work together.

What to use at the head of the wall

Where the slab above will deflect, the top of the wall must be free to move. Use 2" or 3" deep-leg track with the studs left unscrewed at the head, or slotted deflection track. Read deflection track vs. standard track for the difference.

When an interior stud is not enough

25 gauge studs are non-structural members to ASTM C645. Move up to the load-bearing steel stud when the wall:

is taller than the interior stud's limiting height,
carries tile, stone, cabinets, handrails or grab bars,
frames heavy door jambs or sits in a high-impact corridor,
takes wind or axial load.

Parts that complete the partition

A finished interior wall uses more than studs and track. These products are listed on this page because they go into the same partitions and ceilings.

Bracing and ceilings: carrying and bridging channel, furring channel, hanger wire and tie wire.
Sound control: resilient channel.
Edges and corners: corner bead, L trim and J trim.
Shafts and secure rooms: CH stud, J-track and security mesh.

Common questions

Short answers to what contractors ask most about interior framing.

Is a metal stud the same as a drywall stud?

Yes. Metal stud, drywall stud and interior steel stud all describe the same non-load-bearing 25 gauge C-stud used behind gypsum board.

Which track leg do I need?

Standard 1-1/4" leg track suits most partitions. 2" and 3" deep-leg track is used at the head of a wall where the slab above may move.

Can 25 gauge studs carry a load?

No. They are non-structural. Load-bearing and exterior walls use structural studs of 20 gauge and heavier.