drywall pic final 4How to Drywall With Amazing Results

Hanging drywall seems to be one of those jobs that homeowners always like to attempt, however, the results often fall short of their expectations.  What I mean by that is, drywall looks easy.   Uncle Leroy and Aunt Mae dry-walled their entire basement by themselves in an afternoon.  Handyman Steve says there’s nothing to it, hang it, slap some mud on it, sand it, what more is there?  Well, LOTS.  Nothing looks worse than a bad drywall job, other than perhaps a bad paint job.  It’s the kind of thing that’s difficult to ignore. You walk into a room where someone did it themselves and most of the time you know they did it themselves.  Uncle Leroy and Aunt Mae may have done it all in an afternoon, however, it turns out Aunt Mae worked twenty years in the trades and is now a retired, professional drywall finisher.   The good news is that in this two-part series,  See Jane Drill  will not only tell you how to get professional results when you work on a drywall job, we’ll show you, step by step how to achieve a beautiful wall  that Aunt Mae will tip her scarf to, and Steve the Handyman will say, “I told you so.”

How to determine your needs: Choosing board for your DIY dry-walling project

Standard Gypsum Wallboard:   For single layer use in residential structures, ½-inch standard gypsum board is the preferred drywall panel to use.  The wallboard panels consist of a fire-resistant gypsum core, encased in paper.  

Green Board: There is a misconception that green board is waterproof.  Green board is not waterproof, though it is water-resistant and is ideally suited for use where moisture and mold are a concern.   If you’re planning on dry-walling a bathroom, a laundry room or even a kitchen, green board is a wise choice.

Veneer Board:  This is used when an existing surface is structurally sound, however, is blemished with an undesirable finish, such as a texture or a surface with multiple, unsightly repairs.  In such cases veneer board is ideal. Think of it as a drywall face-lift. Veneer panels are available in ¼-inch thickness, and they are designed to lay on top of an existing wall or ceiling. Veneer board is also ideal where curving the material to create a convex or concave shape is required.   Sometimes it can be difficult to find ¼-inch veneer board, and in that case, drywall in 3/8-inch thickness can also be utilized for veneering purposes. It is readily available, it’s lightweight and is easily handled.

Type X Board:   This 5/8-inch drywall is fire-coded and increases a wall’s fire rating to a minimum of an hour, where standard ½-inch drywall is rated at a minimum of 30 minutes.  There may be some instances where you would use this in a DIY drywall project, however, it’s more expensive than standard half inch, heavier, more difficult to work with and is seldom utilized in residential construction, except where building codes require it.

Sheet Size: 4×8 is the most common sheet size.  4×10, 4×12, 4×14, and 4×16 feet are also made, however, these sizes are not always readily available.  In addition, these dimensions are not typically used in DIY home projects.

Materials

drywall pic final 3Joint Compound  

There are 3 types of joint compound.   All-purpose joint compound is pre-mixed and is used for taping and texturing.  It has a tendency to shrink and has a hard finish which can makes sanding joints more labor intensive.   Topping compound is also pre-mixed. It shrinks less and sands more easily than all -purpose joint compound, however, its finish is less durable.   Quick set joint compound comes in powder form. You mix this with water and it sets much more quickly than either all-purpose or topping compound. Drying times range anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours.  Quick set compound is ideal for using when making drywall repairs, with corner bead and when a faster set time is desirable.

Sanding Screen and Sandpaper

Sanding is where great drywall jobs are born.  Don’t get me wrong, a good mud job (applying joint compound) is an integral part of a quality finish, however, it is equally if not more important to sand the wall properly. Do a poor job in the sanding department and it won’t matter how well you hung the board or taped the joints.  A bad sand job equals a bad-looking drywall job, it’s just that simple!

You’ll want to get started with using a medium grit sanding screen in your initial sanding. It’s ideal for knocking down rough edges and high spots, and for taking out imperfections.  Sanding screen (120 or 150 grit) really cuts through joint compound much better and faster than sandpaper, and when one side loses it edge, you can flip it over and use the other side as well. You will want to finish with sandpaper, though, as it leaves a much smoother finish than sanding screen, which tends to leave scratches in the finish. For this reason we recommend using 150 grit sandpaper for your final sanding. Keep in mind that sanding can be a messy undertaking, so if possible mask off work areas from adjoining rooms in your home, and don’t forget to wear protective coverings such as a cap or scarf, goggles and a mask during sanding.

Drywall Tape

Paper tape or Mesh Tape?  Paper is a good all around tape, where drywall mesh tape is difficult to use in corners and butt joints (a seam which is not tapered).  Paper tape is superior in corners, is best for butt joints, costs less and can tear easily during application.  The only benefit to using mesh drywall tape is its ability to adhere to the surface of the drywall, which is better than that of paper tape.

Drywall Fasteners

Nails or Screws?  Here’s the deal on fasteners.  Drywall screws cost more than nails, however, you’ll use more nails per sheet of drywall than you’lldrywall pic final 1 use screws per sheet, so there isn’t any cost difference between the two. Each type of fastener has advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately, See Jane Drill recommends using drywall screws for the following reasons.  Using drywall screws in a ceiling application is much easier and faster, whereas nailing upside down is a slow, challenging process. So in combination with a weighty material such as drywall, screws are the superior choice.  When fastening drywall to walls, again, screws tend to be the better choice; driving nails to secure drywall has the added liability of possibly missing blows and damaging the drywall itself. Also, nails (even ringed shanked) can pop out of the stud over time.  It is for these reasons that See Jane Drill recommends using drywall screws. For  ½” drywall use 1 1/4 “ drywall screws, for 5/8” drywall use a  1- 5/8 “ drywall screw and drive them every 18 inches or so.  Note:  There are two types of drywall screws.  The W type is used for attaching drywall to wood studs and the S type is used when affixing drywall to steel studs.

 

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What tools will you need to get started?

Keyhole saw

Utility knife with plenty of replacement blades

Straightedge or Drywall Square

Tape measure

Power drill with a Phillips head bit (preferred, however a drywall hammer will suffice)

Tin snips (for cutting corner bead)

Corner trowel

Drywall taping knives of varying sizes

Mud pan

Bucket

Goggles and a face mask

Optional Tools:

Mixing wand

Electric multi-tool ( ideal for tricky cuts like those around receptacles)

Stud finder

Sanding pole with sanding pad attachment (optional, however strongly recommended for larger jobs)

In Part II, we will show you, step-by-step, how to complete an amazing-looking drywall job from start to finish!

BY SEE JANE DRILL, Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved

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