Hanging new drywall during a home remodel is one task that you can complete yourself to help lower the cost of hiring a contractor. Compared to the time-consuming process of putting up lath and plaster, and then covering it with paint or wallpaper, hanging drywall is a relatively quick and easy endeavor. Professionals can cover a moderate size room in one hour; inexperienced homeowners can expect the task to take two to three hours.
Instructions
1. Mark all joist locations on the top plate. The top plate runs across the top of the wall studs. You will start hanging drywall on the ceiling perpendicular to the joists, starting from a corner.
2. Measure, mark and cut the drywall as required to fit the wall and joists. The end of each drywall sheet--called a butt--must center on a joist.
3. Lean the sheet lengthwise against the wall with the good side facing you. The good side of drywall is smooth and brilliant white versus the dull white side. Using your drywall T-square as a guide, snap a chalk line at the mark (made above), and score the sheet with a sharp utility knife.
4. Snap the remnants of drywall away from the score line made in Steps 2 and 3. Cut through the paper backing.
5. Climb a stepladder, and raise the drywall into place. Hold it steady, and drive five screws through the drywall in an evenly spaced row along the joist in the middle of the sheet. Stay about 1/2-inch away from the sheet edge. Repeat on the other joist lines. Stagger the butt joints on every other row of drywall by 4 feet to break joint lines. (The look is similar to how bricks are staggered from one layer to the next. In both cases, this adds strength and reduces the risk of damage later.)
6. Smear crayon, chalk or old lipstick on the rim of any electrical boxes. Hold the sheet in place, and lightly pound the spot with your fist. Take the sheet down, and cut out the marked area with the rotary cut-off tool of your drywall saw. Future cutouts can be measured and marked from the sheets that are already hung. Trace around a scrap piece of drywall as a template and cut the hole at the calculated location.
7. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 for other pieces of drywall until the wall is covered. Use studs and a chalk line to mark the screw lines. Hang sheets right over door and window openings. Do not drive screws close to the openings. Do not end a sheet at the corner of a door or window.
8. Trim around windows and doors by cutting out the opening. Use your saw to cut along the two sides, then score the last side and break the piece out.
Related posts
Partitions are non-loadbearing stud walls that divide rooms.Imagine redesigning your home interior to create living spaces customized for your needs, instead of existing inside walls placed at the...
Casing covers the gap between drywall and a window jamb.Drywall is a compressed sheet of a powdery substance known as gypsum, sandwiched between layers of paper to stiffen it. It can be easily cut...
Cabinets hung securely from drywall dress up the wall.Hanging cabinets yourself enables you to save a little money on the cabinet installation. Lower-cabinet installation is pretty straightforward...
Give your walls a clean look.The walls of most buildings are lined with drywall, which is also called gypsum or sheet rock. Drywall is used instead of the old method of applying plaster directly t...
Installing drywall on a gable ceiling requires a drywall lift.Drywall panels are composed of pressed gypsum particles and covered with paper to provide a smooth surface for walls and ceilings. Sol...
