| Installing Drywall |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-108 |
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Q: How hard is it to install drywall? A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Repair) Hanging drywall is not that tough, but there are different ways to do it. If you're just going to put it up in a bare room, where you're down to studs, it's simple: you hang it on the studs. You can also hang drywall over paneling -- you just have to make sure to hit the wall studs. An exterior wall, though, presents another opportunity. When you attach drywall to a cinderblock or cement wall, you'll need something called hat channel (figure A), so named because it is shaped like a hat when viewed from the side. Here's how to attach the hat channel to the cinderblock walls and then install drywall: Materials: Drywall
Safety glasses
Ear protection
Hat channel
Concrete nails
Concrete-nail gun
Automatic screw gun
Faux top and sole plates
Rigid board insulation
Heavy-duty adhesive - Use concrete nails (figure B) and a concrete-nail gun to attach the hat channels to the wall (figure C), after drawing a plumb line to make sure you've spaced the hat channels properly for the size of drywall and insulation you're using. Drive three concrete nails, spaced at even intervals, through each side of each hat channel.
Safety alert: When using a concrete-nail gun, or any other tool that's propelled with a gas cartridge and a battery, make sure you wear eye and ear protection. - Frame out the rest of the wall by adding faux top and sole plates, dropping the top a bit for a drop ceiling, if that's an issue, and framing around any plumbing.
- Add some rigid board insulation between the hat channels. It won't insulate a lot, but it will provide some reflective heat. Use a thick zigzag bead of heavy-duty adhesive (figure D) to glue on the insulation (figure E). Cut around any electrical or plumbing you come across.
- Attach the drywall, starting with the ceiling and then moving down the walls. Mark plumb lines on the drywall that correspond to the hat channels below. Ask a friend to hold the drywall in place while you screw it into the hat channels with an electric screw gun (which you can rent or buy for less than $200).
- To finish the wall, proceed from here with the taping and mudding, or hire a professional to do the finishing.
Web extra: Drywall is the most common type of finish for walls and ceilings. It's made from gypsum (calcium sulfate), which is ground up, made into plaster and pressed between paper in the factory. Drywall is available in different thicknesses up to 5/8 of an inch. It usually comes in 4-, 8- or 12-foot lengths. Long sheets create fewer seams, and the 5/8-inch thickness is more soundproof than the thinner versions. More questions for Brad: Q: How big should my drywall pieces be, and how thick? A: The rule of thumb is, the fewer sheets you put up, the fewer seams you have, so use 10- or 12-foot lengths if you can. You'll want to use the thicker 5/8-inch drywall in a garage for fire retardation, or wherever you want to reduce sound. The thinner sheets are for architectural walls -- those with curves and such. The thicker is more expensive. Use the green-board drywall in bathrooms: it's moisture-resistant. Q: I have a crack in the drywall over a doorway, right where the door shuts. What should I do? A: What's happened is that the drywall installers probably got lazy and put a seam right there. The best advice I can give is to take all the drywall mud out of there with sandpaper and then retape and remud it -- and keep your fingers crossed. Q: I have a recliner that keeps hitting my wall when it swivels. I've accumulated some dents in the process. How can I fix this? A: First, move the recliner away from the wall. Second, fix the dents with a putty knife and joint compound or spackle. Fill up the dent, wait for it to dry, sand it, prime it and paint it. Books: Drywall: Installation & Finishing
By Karen Goad
Delmar Publishers Inc.,
A division of Thompson Learning, (1993)
P. O. Box 15015
Albany, NY 12212
Toll-free phone: 800-998-7498
Thompson Learning Customer Service Toll-free: 800-354-9706
Toll-free fax: 800-487-8498
Installing & Finishing Drywall
By William Spence
Sterling Publishing Company Inc. (1998)
387 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-532-7160
Fax: 212-213-2495
Customer Service phone: 800-367-9692
Customer Service fax: 800-542-7567
E-mail: webmaster@sterlingpub.com
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