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!

Getting Started

The hardest part of any project, for most people, is getting started. There are a few simple rules for any type of project, from creating a blog, to doing your own drywall.

1) Create a plan outline -

You can do this on paper, or in your head, whatever works best for you. I do recommend putting it down on paper. Even professionals work from lists and drawings! Get a idea of what you want to accomplish, and where you need to start. In home remodeling, the starting point often needs to be the demolition of the existing wall. Stay tuned to this site for future tips on demolition, and job preparation.

2) Assess your skills and tools -

Be realistic in your assessment! If you have never held a hammer in your hand, you're probably biting off more than you can chew. If you're handy around the house, you can do drywall and achieve professional results. The tools you will need are fairly basic for hanging drywall. The finishing tools are more specialized, but they won't cost you an arm and a leg, unless you buy every possible tool that's out there. That isn't feasible for one room, or some repair work. Future articles will get more in depth with tool lists and options.

3) Budgeting -

You will need to budget your money, and your time. If you work an average of 60 hours per week, you're only option may be to do your drywall project during a vacation. Only you can make that decision. Professional drywall hangers can hang 200 4' x 12' sheets of board, or more, in a single day in new construction work. That's not going to happen on a remodeling job, and it's not going to happen on your first project. In order to create your financial budget, you will first need a material list. Don't forget to include any tools you need to purchase in your budget amount.

4) Scheduling -

Form an estimate of your start date and the completion of each stage of your DIY project. This will be invaluable when it comes to material purchase and delivery. Make sure to leave a little flexibility in your schedule to allow for inclement weather. Once the materials are in the building, the weather has little affect. (Humidity will play a big part in the time between finish coats!) However; delivery can't be accomplished in anything more than a drizzle. Drywall is not accepting of water.

Once you have your plans in place, you're ready to tackle your DIY drywall project. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to do drywall and get professional results!