How to hang drywall.
If you can take a measurement, cut and use a hammer, then you can learn how to hang drywall. There are some techniques that will make the job easier and better which will be covered on this page as I go through the methods of how to hang drywall panels. This page will provide you with enough information so that you can drywall your own basement.
If your basement is not framed. Go to framing basement walls and follow the instructions to frame your basement.
Until 1940 and early 1950, plaster was still the number one choice for finishing the wall and ceilings of a house. Later on, the prefabricated drywall sheets became a favorite choice to cover the stud walls. In those early days, drywall sheets were only 16 inches wide by about 1/8 of an inch thick. These panels replaced the lath backing before the plaster covered the walls.
The large drywall sheets are easy and faster to apply then plaster which is one of the reasons why it is the preferred choice over conventional plaster.
Other names used for drywall are; Sheetrock, wallboard, gypsum board, plasterboard and gypsum drywall.
Drywall tips:
- a bowed stud can be straitened by sawing a kerf in the bow. Place a stud (3feet long ) so that the top half is above the kerf and the other half is below the kerf Nail the top half to the bowed stud with four nails. Straiten the bowed 2x4 by pulling the short stud. You might have to use a clamp. Then nail the bottom half.
- if two people are carrying a long drywall panel, they should be on the same side with the same hand holding the bottom of the panel.
- if the drywall panels are fastened horizontally, tack the nails at the top of the top panel . When you lift the panel up the nails are ready to drive home.
- make a mark on the basement floor where the up right studs are so you know where to find them when it comes time to screwing the drywall to the studs.(The mark should be lined up with the center of the stud).
- using a drywall square mark the location and measurements of the outlet box on the floor. (Measure from the floor to the top and bottom of the outlet.
- when installing drywall, it is faster to tack the outside perimeter of the drywall sheets with drywall screws or nails first. (screws are better and faster)- fasten the sheets with 1-¼ in. drywall screws (for 1/2inch thick drywall) after you have finished hanging all the drywall.
- use 1-½ inch drywall screws for 5/8 in. drywall.
- screw every 12 inches on the ceiling drywall sheets and every 16 inches on the walls.
- fit the butt joints tight even if you have to shave the ends or long edges of the drywall panels.(1/8in. can be overlooked.)
- always end the drywall on the center of the framing stud or close to it. If there are no studs put wood backing for support.
Most of the books are filled with tips rather then a step by step on how to install drywall. I will go through a basic step by step how to hang drywall.
- decide weather you will stand the drywall panels vertically or lay them horizontally
- measure the walls to see how many panels it will take to drywall the area.
- check the square and plumb of the walls.
- check the plain of the walls, if any studs are bowed, then fix them as explained above, in - (drywall tips).
- go around the walls and make sure there is enough backing support to receive the drywall
- mark on the basement floor, all lower outlets and studs. (Check - drywall tips).
- make sure that all electrical wires are tacked well back in the outlet boxes.
- tack in any insulation that is over lapping the 2x4s.
If you have no help, install the drywall in a vertical position. If you can round up a helper, it would be better to install drywall horizontally with as long a panel as possible.
- If you are dry walling the ceiling, start the ceiling first. I do not recommend drywalling the basement ceiling (except in the closets and bathrooms with showers and tubs because of moisture). If you have a pluming leak or problems with heating pipes, it will be costly to do the repairs. I strongly recommend suspended basement ceilings for the basement.
How to hang drywall - step by step.
Start by taking a few height measurements along the wall to be drywalled and use the shortest height to cut the drywall sheets, as long as the difference is not more then 1/2in.If the difference is more then 1/2in., you will have to make different cuts according to the height measurement.
How to cut drywall.
Although there are different ways how to cut drywall, I am going to describe two methods. One is a pre cut and the other is with the panel attached in place which I think is the best way(when possible).
Pre-cut method.
- transfer the measurement onto the face of the drywall panel, press the sharp edge of a utility knife on the mark and leave the knife stuck in the drywall panel.
- place a drywall square against the edge of the utility knife and score the face of the panel to cut through the paper on the face.
- put your left hand at the left side of the cut and the right hand at the right side of it.
- pick up the panel (on it’s long end) from the nearest side to you. Snap the cut piece towards you and lightly cut at the crease. The knife should be at a close angle where your hand should be touching or close to touching the drywall panel.
- it’s a good idea to pick the drywall panel with the back side facing the wall to be covered.
Panel attached to the wall. - this is simply letting the drywall panel over hang the end of the wall by a minimum of 4in, score the back of it and snap back and cut it from the finished side. If it’s less then 4in, you might have to score the back side and saw it off.
Cut and dry fit the first sheet and if it fits square and plumb with the adjacent wall, I raise the sheet slightly off the floor with a drywall lifter a tack the perimeter with nails or screws. If it does not fit plumb, follow the instructions on the “Basement Insulation” page and shave the end to fit tight against the adjacent wall. (If the drywall sheet is covering an outlet I will not tack the bottom half until I cut out the outlet). Note; always end the sheet at the middle of the stud, except the outside corners where it will be flash with the wall.
If you need to shave the end sheet, take the top and bottom measurements from the corner of the adjacent wall to the end of the last drywall sheet that was installed and transfer them to the drywall sheet. Scribe a pencil mark and cut it 1/4in. Narrower then the pencil mark.
How to drywall around a basement window:
- measure from the last sheet installed (from the window) to the closest vertical edge of the window.
- measure from the top of the ceiling to the top edge of the window.
- measure from the ceiling to the bottom edge of the window.
- transfer these measurement to the drywall sheet and cut out for the window.
- the next sheet on the other side of the window is cut the same way except the measurement will be taken from the last sheet with the window cut out.
- another way to cut the window is by first tack the whole sheet of drywall, score the back of the sheet (top, bottom and side of the window opening) with a utility knife. Saw the top and bottom, snap the excess back,(towards you) score the crease and snap it to the opposite way.
- the doorways will be cut out the same as the windows. My preference is to let the drywall panel over hang the doorway, score the back and saw off the excess with a drywall saw while standing at the finished side of the drywall .
- if you need a piece of drywall that is less then 24in to finish the wall. I will leave it until the end. Chances are that there will be a piece left to cover that area.
Outside corners.
So far I only explained how to hang drywall on end to end walls.
- to finish the outside corners, let the last piece of drywall over hang by at least 6in. Score the back as usual, snap the overlap towards you and cut it from the finished side. If it only overlap by 1-in or so, then score the back and saw it off.
- Finish the other side of the wall and clean the edges with a drywall rasp or a similar tool. Any strait, hard edge will suffice.
- once both edges of the wall are clean and flush with both ends of the wall, you cut to length a strip of drywall 4-3/8in wide and nail it to cover the end stud.
If there is something you need to know that is not covered. Please contact me by using the “contact" form, on this page.
Finally. I would like to thank you for visiting www. learn-basement-renovations.com.
Quote: “Knowing you can trust is priceless“.
Tom.
