How to Hang Drywall in 8 Steps – This Old House

Project detailsSkill1 out of 5EasyThe sheets are heavy and a bit unwieldy, especially when covering the ceiling.Cost

$8 to $10 per -inch x 48-foot sheet

6 to 8 hours

Call it wallboard, plasterboard, Sheetrock, or just plain rock, like some pros do, drywall revolutionized the way walls and ceilings are covered. Before the 1950s, when these paper-wrapped gypsum panels came into widespread use, it took days for lathers and plasterers to create a firm, flat foundation for paint or wallpaper. With drywall, it takes a fraction of the time. Two pros can typically cover a 12-by-16-foot room in about an hour.

To work that fast takes practice and a few specialized tools. But hanging drywall is not just about speed. Doing the job right means using screws of the correct length, off-setting panels so seams dont line up, and making sure wires and pipes arent vulnerable to puncture.

Installing drywall is easy enough for a homeowner, as long as theres someone to help; the heavy sheets are difficult to lift, particularly when doing ceilings. Follow the drywalling tips below to learn how to hang drywall like a pro.

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

Tip: Add a screw next to any screw head that breaks the paper.

Read the rest here:
How to Hang Drywall in 8 Steps - This Old House