Friday, September 7, 2012

Some general tips

Let's talk about some general tips related to hanging drywall

Scrap pieces

It is the tendency of many homeowners to try to use up as much of the board as possible. That's totally understandable with the cost of the material. In addition, who doesn't try to save money anywhere they can? Unfortunately, using up smaller pieces left over from cuts is not saving money! I recall a job estimate for finishing we were called on where the walls resembled a giant jigsaw puzzle. The homeowners proudly announced they had no scrap left over. I'm sure they didn't since the scrap was all nailed to the walls!

It's called scrap for a reason, folks. With drywall the idea is to eliminate seams wherever possible. This not only improves the strength of the walls but it also save a ton of money on the finishing materials. Not to mention the time and/or money saved on the labor involved in finishing. The best recommendation we could make to those homeowners was to call a professional in the veneer plastering business. Even then they were looking at a higher cost than necessary. Whether veneer plaster or drywall every seam must be taped!

**tip**
The primary ingredients in drywall are gypsum and paper. It's an excellent addition to garden soil! Just remember the larger the piece the longer it will take to decompose.

Nails, screws & blisters

Earlier I mentioned the need for the right hammer. The perfect dimple left by just the right hit with a drywall hammer allows just enough depth to fill with joint compound during finishing. Even a professional can leave a nail too shallow or hit it just a little too hard and break the paper. An additional tap with the hammer can solve the problem of too shallow. If you have a hit (or a miss) that has broken the paper surface of the board tape it. Yes, tape it just as if you were taping a seam. A board with more severe damage needs all the loose material removed first. A miss can be gently tapped with the corner of the taping knife handle to create a slight indentation or dimple. Remember the most important thing here is to keep blemishes, nails, screws, etc just below the surface to allow for optimum finishing.

The right depth for screws is all about the screw gun. The adjustable nose of a drywall screw gun is set for the perfect depth; just dimpled enough to be below the surface of the board without breaking the paper. Again, even professionals have less than perfect screws. A quick tweak with a screwdriver can take it in the hair more that it needs. You'll find it handy to carry a screwdriver with you during the first coat if you used screws to attach the board. The first coat of finishing is where you will take care of all the tweaks to make the final coats go smoothly.

Blisters are caused by many things. A splinter on a stud or a nail in a stud that wasn't pounded in deep enough are just two examples. It happens and it's not a cause for worry. However, is is something that will need taken care of. See above regarding removing loose material and taping. If you miss taking care of a blister in the board prior to finishing it will soon rear its ugly little head after you begin to apply the joint compound. An air pocket will be created and will be visible through the mud. This will also happen if you didn't get enough mud behind the tape.

The cure for this is to cut it out. Take a utility knife and cut out the loose paper or tape, apply some joint compound, place a piece of tape over it large enough to cover the hole or seam and wipe it clean. Applying too much pressure during wiping it can cause too much mud to be removed. The only cure for that is practice!



Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Dreaded Angle

Welcome dear readers to the DIY Drywall blog. Unfortunately, this blog fell through the cracks for a time but here I am to pick it up again. Thanks for stopping by!

Angle cuts in drywall are some of the most difficult cuts, even for professionals. Once again, measure twice and cut once is the best rule of thumb. A chalk box is an essential tool for making angled cuts. Once your measurements are marked out on the board striking a line with the chalk-covered string gives you a perfect line to follow. Just remember the line is only as good as your measurements!

In most drywall measurements a little play is left on purpose. For angle cuts a close measurement is needed. It doesn't take much to throw the entire angle off especially on a long cut. Making an angled cut can even be helpful in remodeling jobs where the corners are severely out of square. I've seen corners be as much as one inch out in 4 feet! The most common places angle cuts are used are stairwells.

*tip*
Do make sure the board you are about to place your measurements on is facing the same way as the wall or ceiling you are looking at. Many a board has been turned into a scrap piece from trying to invert measurements.

Using the longest level you have available strike a level line across the studs four feet up from the floor to use as a guide. Run your tape measure along that line to get the most accurate reading. A measurement at floor level (or ceiling level if you starting at the top) and then a reading four feet up (or down) gives you the measurements for the angle. Strike a chalk line and carefully make your cut with a sharp utility knife.

It's important to dry-fit the piece before installing. If any trimming needs done you don't want to have glue all over the board.

Ceilings often have angle cuts, too. Use the same general principles whether you're on a wall or a ceiling.