How to install drywall

Installing a new piece of drywall can be a scary thing to do if you've never attempted it before. Here is how to hang a sheet of drywall the way we do it. First you have to make sure that your wall or ceiling is properly framed plumb and level. Your studs should be on 16" centers in order to make attaching to and finding studs easy. Once you have prepped your walls you will need to measure your drywall and cut it to fit the area to be skinned. One trick we use when installing small pieces of drywall is to oversize the piece of drywall to the opening and trace the actual piece on the wall. Once you have the outline drawn on the wall you simply cut along the line and you will have a perfectly sized piece of drywall. Once you have cut and placed your drywall in the opening, you then attach the drywall with either drywall nails or drywall screws. Remember there are different screws for different types of studs. Metal studs require fine thread screws while wood studs require course thread screws. After you have fastened your drywall to the studs you will need to apply a tape coat and several coats (usually 2-3) to finish the walls to an level suitable for final sanding. There are slow dry and quick dry methods for finishing drywall depending on your time frame or application.

Back 07.06.2007.