How to Hang Drywall | Drywalling Tips | This Old House

Steps // How to Hang Drywall

1Hanging Drywall Overview

Step One // How to Hang Drywall

Illustration by Gregory Nemec

Despite their drab, if-youve-seen-one-youve-seen-them-all appearance, these flat sandwiches of gypsum plaster and recycled newsprint come in a variety of types and sizes to suit the specific demands of a job. There are 14-inch-thick flexible panels to cover a curved wall or ceiling and 58-inch-thick abuse-resistant panels that are less likely to develop holes or dents. Greenboard keeps its integrity in the face of high humidity, making it a good choice for bathrooms. Type X resists fire, making it well-suited to furnace rooms and between-floor chases. Massachusetts contractor Paul Landry often installs blueboard, so-called because of its indigo paper. It bonds tenaciously with veneer plaster, a finish much in demand in Landrys area. The light-gray product known as drywall is the type in widest use.

When butted end-to-end, its factory-beveled lengthwise edges form a shallow swale for a topping of joint compound and tape. Half-inch is the preferred thickness for walls and ceilings; 58-inch works best if studs or joists are 24 inches apart, where thinner drywall would sag. The sheets most commonly available in hardware stores measure 4 by 8 feet, but lengths can reach up to 16 feet and widths up to 54 inches, which speeds the installation and minimizes the number of seams. Bigger panels have their downside, however: Theyre heavy and unwieldy. A 12-foot sheet of -inch drywall weighs about 80 pounds, nearly 30 pounds more than a standard 8-foot panel. Thats why manufacturers have developed 38-inch thick gypsum panels that weighs 16 percent less than standard sheets. These, however, are used only to cover existing drywall.

PLANNING AHEAD

2Measure and cut drywall for the ceiling

Step Two // How to Hang Drywall

4Using rotary cut-out tool

Step Four // How to Hang Drywall

6Trim around doors and windows

Step Six // How to Hang Drywall

7Make inside and outside corners

Step Seven // How to Hang Drywall

8How to keep studs in line

Step Eight // How to Hang Drywall

Illustration by Gregory Nemec

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How to Hang Drywall | Drywalling Tips | This Old House