That old house is great, but the walls
have been water damaged or is warped with age. Or perhaps they are
filled with holes and dings. Perhaps you've framed a new room to
an existing house and need to finish the interior. Whatever the
reason for wanting to install drywall, doing it right is important,
not only to the looks of the finished room, but for safety's sake
as well.
Check out our more in depth article
on hanging drywall &
taping.
Anyone can replace or install drywall,
but it is a good idea to have more than one pair of hands while
doing it, as drywall sheets (which usually measure 4x8 feet) are
extremely heavy and unwieldy. Having someone help to hold
it in place while it is nailed or screwed in makes the job a lot
easier. However, if you are alone, you may want to consider cutting
the drywall sheets in half, to measure 4x4, which will allow you
to manage by yourself. Of course, you'll have to tape all those
extra cuts, but if no extra hands are available, that's the best
way to go.
Before you start, you'll need a tape
measure, a utility knife or drywall saw, drywall nails and a hammer
or screws and an electric drill, and a tub of wall joint compound
and a roll of wall joint tape. When using metal corner protectors,
you'll also need a small pair of tin snips.
Measure and cut your drywall to fit
where you intend to place it, or hang the entire sheet if there
are no windows or doorways in the way. Using a drill or hammer,
insert drywall screws or nails into the middle of the drywall piece,
or as close to the middle as you can, and attach to studs. Screws
are the preffered method of attaching drywall. If you don't hit
a stud, remove the screw or nail and try again. Work your way to
the edges. You can always fill in holes later- it's easy.
Note: Most studs are located
approximately 16 inches apart. Use a stud finder or tap wall
with hammer to find studs, or you can eyeball it using exposed studs
as a guideline. Also mark on floor where studs are.
Leave a slight gap between the floor
and the drywall to allow for expansion. Baseboard will cover this
space later.
If you need to cut spaces for windows,
doors or electrical outlets and switches, measure the area before
you mount the drywall and trim or cut as necessary. Mark outlets
with lipstick, place drywall there. This will leave a mar where
you should cut.
Always measure twice to reduce
mistakes.
To cut drywall to an outside corner,
bring the piece of drywall flush to the edge on both sides. Cover
with a metal or plastic corner protector, which can be found at
any hardware store, and nail into place. This thin, flexible piece
of metal is a vital component to ensuring a sharp, tight corner
that won't be nicked or damaged when finished. It can be nailed
or screwed into place using your drywall nails or screws.
When finished, cover nails or drywall
screws with wall joint compound, taping all seams.
You can thin the drywall compund,
if you want. I don't thin it that much as it seems to cause more
bubbles when applying it.
Then, apply drywall compound to taped
joints and allow to dry before sanding. Then reapply and sand again,
until very smooth. Keep in mind paint won't fill in the tiny little
holes created by bubbles in the mixture. Reapplying compound, then
sanding can go on and on and lead to much frustration. I get it
to about 90% smooth, then prime it. Let dry about an hour.
Now, notice how the white primer paint allows you to see the little
imperfections much better? Simply apply compound to the bad spots
and then sand when dry. The paint will keep you from sanding the
level below it. I use sponge sanders; they are the best- Medium
grit to fine grit
Of course as you get better at this,
you shouldn't have to use this primer method, but it can end the
apply, then sanding loop.
