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Home / Drawings Contractors Make on the Drywall

Drawings Contractors Make on the Drywall

Basement DRYWALL

Drywall, otherwise known as sheetrock, gypsum board or wallboard, is the material used for walls and ceilings inside homes and buildings. Drywall is made up of gypsum, water, and thick paper that covers both sides of it to create the flat surface that is primed for paint or wallpaper. You can learn about drywall vs sheetrock here. Our drywall guide below will help you tackle all of your drywall projects and problems.

Types of Drywall

There are a variety of drywall types to choose from depending on the needs for your specific home and your budget.

Here are some of the drywall options out there:

Standard Drywall

This is the basic drywall with no frills or special features. This is a good fit for rooms that are not vulnerable to high humidity or moisture levels.

Paperless Drywall

Instead of paper, this drywall has fiberglass on the outside of it. Fiberglass does not absorb water so it is another great water-resistant option for spaces high in humidity and moisture.

Moisture-Resistant Drywall

Water-resistant additives in the paper portion of this drywall make it the best choice for rooms with a lot of water intrusion including bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.

Heat-Insulating Drywall

On the back side of this type of drywall is a polystyrene layer that helps keep heat in the space, which is why a garage is a place you might consider this option for.

Foil-Backed drywall

A foil layer on the back side of this type of drywall makes it a good option for cold climates.

Fire-Resistant drywall

This type of drywall is not as flammable as the above versions and it is recommended, and often required, for use in garages and utility rooms.

Soundproof Drywall

Sound-reducing additives in this drywall help to block noise from traveling through it. Uses for this include walls in apartment and condo buildings. The drywall prices for these types with special features can be much higher than standard panels.

Drywall Thickness

Sheets of drywall typically come in the following thickness options: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, and 5/8 inch. The most common thicknesses used are 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch, but the type chosen depends on the circumstances of the job.

For example, thicker sheets are needed if there are larger spaces between studs or joists.
Here is when you may use each thickness:

1/4 inch

This kind is usually used in addition to another layer of drywall to add stability or smoothness. It is too thin to use alone.

3/8 inch

A very common type of drywall used for walls, it is also a popular choice for repairs and cover ups. It is not a great choice for ceilings as it does not stand up well against sagging.

1/2 inch

This is the most common drywall used for walls and ceilings.

5/8 inch

Any of the above drywall options that have added features such as fire-resistance or water-resistance are most likely 5/8 inch thick.

Drywall Prices

Drywall cost depends on a lot of factors including thickness, height, and any added features such as fire-resistance, but typically drywall costs between $12 and $35 per panel before labor charges are added.

These drywall prices reflect a standard panel of drywall. Standard drywall panels are 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall, however height options can reach up to 16 feet tall. To find the lowest price, it is best to compare prices from a few different drywall companies.

Drywall Installation Cost

The two different phases of installing drywall are first hanging the drywall and then finishing the drywall. When looking at the general installation process as a whole, drywall installation costs typically run around $1.50 per square foot on average.

As always there are many factors that can cause this price to fluctuate higher or lower including the size of the room, complexity of the project, location, among other aspects specific to the job.

The estimate given to you by your drywall contractor should include the following:

DRYWALL ESTIMATES

Drywall prices and cost of other materials (should include type of drywall being used and measurements)

Preparation costs (covering and protecting items near the job site)

Labor costs

Clean up costs

Additional overhead costs (transportation to site, etc.)

When all of the additional factors are taken into account for the final drywall installation cost, the price can reach up to around $60 per drywall panel.

Tools Needed for Drywall Installation

If you are attempting to install drywall yourself or if you are simply curious about what professionals will be using in your home during your drywall installation, below are tools needed for hanging and finishing drywall:

  • Drywall drill

  • Tape measure

  • Hammer

  • Drywall screws and nails

  • T-Square

  • Stepladder

  • Utility knife

  • Construction adhesive

  • Drywall knife

  • Drywall tape

  • Foot lift

  • Stud finder

  • Corner bead

  • Sander

  • Drywall saw

  • Rasp

  • Protective gear: safety glasses and mask

  • Drywall joint compound

How to Hang Drywall

Hanging drywall is a tedious process that requires careful measuring and attention to detail.

WHETHER YOU ARE DOING IT YOURSELF OR IF YOU ARE SIMPLY CURIOUS WHAT YOUR DRYWALL CONTRACTOR AND THEIR TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS WILL DO IN YOUR HOME, HERE'S A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR HOW TO HANG DRYWALL:

Cover all electrical lines and pipes with nail protector plates so that you do not accidentally drill into them.

Pre-cut your drywall panels so that they measure out perfectly to fit the room. Use a rasp to smooth out any rough edges along the drywall from your cutting. If you would like to cut the pieces as you go, that is appropriate as well. It is recommended that pieces get cut 1/4 inch short to avoid forcing the panels into place.

You can cut holes for outlets, windows, and doors as you go. For windows and doors, you should first cover them with the top row of panels and then use a drywall saw to cut out the spaces. Then cover them with the bottom row of panels and cut those spaces out.

You do not want drywall seams to be at the corners of doors or windows, because they will easily crack. Instead you want the seems centered above them (as well as below for windows).

Apply adhesive along the studs where the top row of drywall panels will go. Line up the first drywall panel horizontally so it is firmly against the ceiling then nail it into place on the studs. You will work high to low during this process, first screwing in the drywall around the ceiling then moving down to the lower row along the floor.

Mark the studs and screw the panels into them. Be careful not to cover the entire stud with one panel, because you will need room on it for the next panel that you put up alongside it.

There should be about 16" between each screw on the panel in the middle of the room and about 8" along the corners of the room on the joints. Make sure they are at least 3/8 inch away from the very edge of the panel.

When it is time to move on to the lower row of drywall panels, use a foot lift to ensure that drywall remains a half an inch off of the floor. One big reason for this is to protect your drywall from moisture, which can rise up a drywall panel very quickly and cause a lot of water damage and sometimes mold growth. This is particularly important in areas like the basement where flooding is extremely common.

You can later cover this open space with baseboards. Another thing to consider for the bottom row of drywall panels is that you will want to stagger vertical joints so they are not lined up perfectly with the panels above them.

Repeat the adhesive, nail, and screw process for the lower panels. Continue adding the panels in this manner until the entire room is complete.

Check your work. Do a walk through of the room and make sure each panel is lined up cleanly and that all of the screws are pushed in enough that they are lower than the surface of the drywall. This is important because you will be covering them up in the drywall finishing stages.

How to finish drywall

After the drywall hanging is complete, the next step is drywall finishing. This process can take many tries to master, which is why this phase of the installation process is when most people prefer to hire a drywall contractor for the job.

Here is how to finish drywall:

Tape all joints, seams, and corners. This is to cover and reinforce the joints around the room.

Apply drywall joint compound with a drywall knife over the tape and screw indentations along the center vertical seams first so there are no holes or ridges on the walls. Use a feathering technique when applying the compound so that it blends with the wall.

Repeat step 2 for the horizontal seams and then next for the inside corners.

Add paper tape along the centerline of the inside corners. Then run your knife along either side of the tape so that the still wet compound holds it in place and you remove any excess.

Apply the compound to any outside corners, then cover them with corner bead, and run your knife along the edges as you did with the inside corners.

Use drywall joint compound to cover any additional screw and nail indentations around the room. Make sure you are using the drywall knife to remove any excess compound. Let it dry for 20-30 hours.

Add another layer of joint compound just as you did in step 2 and 3, except this time you can use a 10-inch drywall knife on the vertical center seams to help you feather out the mud across a larger area. Allow it to dry for 20-30 hours.

Sand the joint compound after it has dried to smooth out the mud and get a flat surface. Make sure you are wearing protective goggles and a mask during this process because it can kick up a lot of dust.

Repeat the compound and sanding processes until you have completely flat walls.

Cover the walls with primer. This is the final stage in preparing them for paint or wallpaper. Later when you want to hang shelves or pictures, drywall anchors can be used to help hold screws into the drywall.

Drywall Repairs

After your drywall job is complete, what do you do if you accidentally leave a dent or hole in the drywall?

Here is how to patch any drywall holes:

minor dents

  • Scrape away loose debris surrounding the dent.
  • Cover the hole with spackle and let it dry.
  • Add more spackle if needed and sand it until it is smooth.

Small holes

  • There are typically patch kits for these with a drywall patch and mud or compound.
  • Cover the hole with the patch and apply the compound using a feathering technique to create a flat look.

Larger holes

To fix a hole in drywall, first cut a square piece of drywall a few inches larger than the actual hole. Then use a utility knife to cut off the unneeded edges of the drywall pieces, but making sure to not cut the overhanging paper backing. This paper edge will be used to attach the drywall piece to your wall.

Place your drywall piece against the hole and use a pencil to trace around the shape you will be cutting into the wall around the hole.

Then cut that shape out of the wall using a drywall saw.

Add drywall mud to the paper and place the drywall piece so that it fits perfectly into the hole you just cut into the wall, allowing the paper to lay up against the wall surrounding the hole.

Then cover with a couple of coats of drywall mud. Wait for it to dry and sand it smooth.

Drywall is an important feature in many modern homes and buildings today. Whether you are finishing a basement or patching up a hole in a wall, learning how to work with the material can improve any space.

Drawings Contractors Make on the Drywall

Source: https://www.basementguides.com/drywall/