Drywall-tips...
Easy Day For The Handyman DIY'er
Here are some Drywall-tips since you now that you
know more about DIY-Drywall.
If I've lost you already then go back and check out the "drywall" link
above. Let's talk about how to install drywall.
Installation is pretty basic but you're going to
to need a few basic drywall-tools
to work with. Some are for drywall-installation and the rest are used
for finishing it. Not shown on this page are specialty tools used for
producing textured finishes which I'll leave for another topic.
You may be tempted to hang sheets vertically on
walls but hang them horizontally and again... use the longest piece
possible. This will save you valuable time when it comes to taping and
finishing the work. Longer sheets will leave less joints that must be
finished. I've made the mistake of using 8 foot pieces for everything
since I was working alone and picked up my materials instead of having
them delivered.
I thought I was saving money by picking it up
myself (I couldn't haul the large 12 foot pieces) but I lost time when
it came
to finishing all the extra joints. Vertical seems are also harder to
finish cause you have to stretch to reach the tops and stoop down to
reach the bottom. Long horizontal seams are easy to reach. To use the
longer pieces you're going to need a helper... pay'em if you don't have
a friend or family member to help. You'll thank me later.
Drywall-tip reminder... Handle it gently, the wall
board is fragile and can break easily if it's dropped or hit. Also...
stack it flat if you don't plan on installing it right away.
Breakin It
Down...
-
STEP 1. Drywall
is made to fall on studs that are 16 or 24 inch on center. Before
cutting panels, measure the framed walls to be sure the edges will fall
on a stud. When you're ready, score the panel with a utility knife and
snap-break the wall board along the cut... then slice the backside to
complete the cut.
-
 STEP
2. Marking/Cutting for outlets: Always mark a box's
location on the floor to avoid accidentally burying them. Measure from
a side wall and from the floor to mark and cut the panels. Another
method is to use a rotary tool to cut the drywall once it's in place.
The center of an outlet (say a recessed light) is marked on the panel
by an "X". A rotary tool is used to pierce through the panel in the
center of the outlet... the tool is then moved to the perimeter of the
outlet and the tool cuts out the exact location using the outlet itself
as a template.
-
STEP 3. Drywall-tips on hanging
panels... Installing drywall ceiling panels are
difficult to hang by yourself. Rent a drywall lift to help you out.
They rent for about $25 a day. Once you have the panels set into
position... simply screw or nail them into position. Space fasteners
about 10 to 12 inches apart. You can apply construction adhesive to the
studs to make a stronger, continuous bond less likely to pop nails or
screws.
-
STEP 4. When
hanging the bottom
panels, use a panel lifter to raise the wall board panel off the
ground... this will make drywall-installation easy as it pressed the
bottom piece snugly against the piece mounted above it. Simply screw or
nail it into position when you're ready.
That's a about as easy as it gets...
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