Installing Drywall. Drywall is a cross between plywood and plaster. Like plywood, it comes in layered, uniformly sized sheets; like plaster, it is dense, noise-retarding, non- combustible, and fragile once you break through it's paper face. Its fragility makes it easy to work with. You can cut it with a utility knife and straight-edge, or use a keyhole saw. I wouldn't recommend power tools; they just kick up too much dust.
Although you can punch a hole through
drywall with almost any pointed
implement, do not dismiss it as some
weak covering material. Nailed, glued,
or screwed to studs, it becomes an
integral part of the wall's structure.
Use it as a base for paint, paper,
plaster, ceramic tile, or paneling;
laminate double layers for superior
fire or sound control.
Drywall typically comes in 4x8-foot
sheets that are 3/8, 1/2, or 5/8 inch
thick, but you can order lengths
ranging from 6 to 16 feet. Check your building code before you buy. Most specify 1/2 inch for drywall home construction, but some call for 5/8-inch material. A few even call for "type X", which has a core that is even more fire- and sound- resistant. Use 3/8-inch drywall only for double-layer applications or over an existing wall.
Nail up 3/8- and 1/2-inch panels with 1 5/8-inch ring-shank drywall nails; for 5/8-inch panels, use 1 7/8-inch nails. If you are attaching metal studs, you will need to drive in screws with a drill. I prefer to use screws for wood-stud applications as well; although more expensive, they can't pop loose as nails sometime do. I've even heard of roofing nails used for wood-stud applications; they don't rust and never pop loose. For metal studs use 7/8-inch screws to fasten 1/2-inch drywall; use 1-inch screws for 5/8-inch material. For wood studs, you should use 1 1/4-inch screws, regardless of the drywall thickness.
For a really strong installation, you can use both nails and drywall adhesive. For each 1,000 square feet of drywall, you will need about eight tubes of adhesive.
Cutting Drywall. 1. Make a chalkline and cut across panels with a metal straightedge and sharp utility knife. Score completely through one paper face. 2. Stand the sheet on edge, apply firm pressure, and snap the board downward. This breaks through the gypsum core along the scored line. 3. Slice through the paper backing with a knife and smooth rough edges with a medium-tooth wood file. Keep your utility knife sharp!
Nailing or Screwing Drywall. Install panels parallel or perpendicular to the studs, whichever arrangement will result in FEWER joints. Locate screws or nails every 8 inches. Dimple nails or screws below the surface, but don't break the paper. You can buy an inexpensive drywall screwgun that has a recessed screwhead that makes the job easier to do and takes the guesswork out of installations.
Making Openings in Drywall. 1. Measure and mark carefully. For receptacles, trace an outline around a spare electrical box. 2. Bore holes at each corner with a power drill or poke the end of a keyhole or drywall saw through the drywall. 3. Most saws slice through drywall easily. Protect your floors; gypsum dust is difficult to clean up.
Fitting Around Pipes. 1. Do not disconnect plumbing fixtures. Attach drywall to the studs flanking the pipes. 2. Cut a piece to width, mark the locations of the pipes, bore holes, and cut between holes. 3. Finally, piece your puzzle back together and nail or screw to the studs.
Taping Drywall. The trickiest part of a drywall project comes when you finish off the joints, which are covered with tape and drywall compound, then sanded. You'll need 5 gallons of joint compound and 500 feet of paper "tape" for each 1,000 square feet of surface. Invest, too, in a pair of 4-inch and 10-inch-wide finishing knives. I recommend the metal knives vs. The plastic "throw-away" knives because the plastic gets "burrs" in the finishing edge surface; making the drywall compound have pits and harder to finish.
Budget plenty of time for the first coat. Get the tape up smoothly and you'll be spared headaches later. 1. With a 4-inch knife, apply a uniform swath of compound to the tapered trough where two panels meet. 2. Immediately, unroll your mesh tape (or paper tape) and embed it in the compound by pressing down with your 4-inch knife. Smooth out wrinkles. 3. Fill nail dimples and other blemishes at this time. Pack in a dab of compound, then level the surface. 4. Give the "bedding" coat 24 hours to dry, then apply compound again, feathering out edges about 6 inches. 5. After second coat dries, sand it smooth, being careful not to sand any exposed tape. 6. Apply a skim coat with a 10-inch knife, spreading edges to about 12 inches. Sand smooth after drying.
Taping Corners. Inside and outside corner require slightly different taping techniques. Reinforce outside corners with strips of lightweight perforated metal angle. Use ordinary joint tape for inside corners, but cut it to length first, then crease it vertically down the middle before applying. Nail metal "corner bead" through drywall to framing every 5 inches. Apply two coats of compound, feathering it out about four inches on each wall. For inside corners, fold tape down the middle before embedding it in compound. Apply later coats to one wall, let dry, then do the other wall.
Although you can punch a hole through
drywall with almost any pointed
implement, do not dismiss it as some
weak covering material. Nailed, glued,
or screwed to studs, it becomes an
integral part of the wall's structure.
Use it as a base for paint, paper,
plaster, ceramic tile, or paneling;
laminate double layers for superior
fire or sound control.
Drywall typically comes in 4x8-foot
sheets that are 3/8, 1/2, or 5/8 inch
thick, but you can order lengths
ranging from 6 to 16 feet. Check your building code before you buy. Most specify 1/2 inch for drywall home construction, but some call for 5/8-inch material. A few even call for "type X", which has a core that is even more fire- and sound- resistant. Use 3/8-inch drywall only for double-layer applications or over an existing wall.
Nail up 3/8- and 1/2-inch panels with 1 5/8-inch ring-shank drywall nails; for 5/8-inch panels, use 1 7/8-inch nails. If you are attaching metal studs, you will need to drive in screws with a drill. I prefer to use screws for wood-stud applications as well; although more expensive, they can't pop loose as nails sometime do. I've even heard of roofing nails used for wood-stud applications; they don't rust and never pop loose. For metal studs use 7/8-inch screws to fasten 1/2-inch drywall; use 1-inch screws for 5/8-inch material. For wood studs, you should use 1 1/4-inch screws, regardless of the drywall thickness.
For a really strong installation, you can use both nails and drywall adhesive. For each 1,000 square feet of drywall, you will need about eight tubes of adhesive.
Cutting Drywall. 1. Make a chalkline and cut across panels with a metal straightedge and sharp utility knife. Score completely through one paper face. 2. Stand the sheet on edge, apply firm pressure, and snap the board downward. This breaks through the gypsum core along the scored line. 3. Slice through the paper backing with a knife and smooth rough edges with a medium-tooth wood file. Keep your utility knife sharp!
Nailing or Screwing Drywall. Install panels parallel or perpendicular to the studs, whichever arrangement will result in FEWER joints. Locate screws or nails every 8 inches. Dimple nails or screws below the surface, but don't break the paper. You can buy an inexpensive drywall screwgun that has a recessed screwhead that makes the job easier to do and takes the guesswork out of installations.
Making Openings in Drywall. 1. Measure and mark carefully. For receptacles, trace an outline around a spare electrical box. 2. Bore holes at each corner with a power drill or poke the end of a keyhole or drywall saw through the drywall. 3. Most saws slice through drywall easily. Protect your floors; gypsum dust is difficult to clean up.
Fitting Around Pipes. 1. Do not disconnect plumbing fixtures. Attach drywall to the studs flanking the pipes. 2. Cut a piece to width, mark the locations of the pipes, bore holes, and cut between holes. 3. Finally, piece your puzzle back together and nail or screw to the studs.
Taping Drywall. The trickiest part of a drywall project comes when you finish off the joints, which are covered with tape and drywall compound, then sanded. You'll need 5 gallons of joint compound and 500 feet of paper "tape" for each 1,000 square feet of surface. Invest, too, in a pair of 4-inch and 10-inch-wide finishing knives. I recommend the metal knives vs. The plastic "throw-away" knives because the plastic gets "burrs" in the finishing edge surface; making the drywall compound have pits and harder to finish.
Budget plenty of time for the first coat. Get the tape up smoothly and you'll be spared headaches later. 1. With a 4-inch knife, apply a uniform swath of compound to the tapered trough where two panels meet. 2. Immediately, unroll your mesh tape (or paper tape) and embed it in the compound by pressing down with your 4-inch knife. Smooth out wrinkles. 3. Fill nail dimples and other blemishes at this time. Pack in a dab of compound, then level the surface. 4. Give the "bedding" coat 24 hours to dry, then apply compound again, feathering out edges about 6 inches. 5. After second coat dries, sand it smooth, being careful not to sand any exposed tape. 6. Apply a skim coat with a 10-inch knife, spreading edges to about 12 inches. Sand smooth after drying.
Taping Corners. Inside and outside corner require slightly different taping techniques. Reinforce outside corners with strips of lightweight perforated metal angle. Use ordinary joint tape for inside corners, but cut it to length first, then crease it vertically down the middle before applying. Nail metal "corner bead" through drywall to framing every 5 inches. Apply two coats of compound, feathering it out about four inches on each wall. For inside corners, fold tape down the middle before embedding it in compound. Apply later coats to one wall, let dry, then do the other wall.
How To Install Drywall
In A Hour.com
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