HOW TO SHEETROCK

Finishing sheetrock or drywall is not a new trade but it is not as old as its counterparts: carpentry and plumbing. As a matter of fact, sheetrock made its debut way back in 1916, but it really did not catch on until World War II. Before that, interior walls and ceilings were lathe (wooden strips) and plaster. This process petered out when the war loomed, Uncle Sam needed a faster way to build structures – barracks, office buildings, etc.

Sheetrock was the obvious candidate. This article will show you, the daring DIY'er how to tape and float sheetrock. The terms drywall and sheetrock are used interchangeably in this article, as they are in the trade.

Of course, this is not just for new construction. The homeowner needs this knowledge for the day to day drywall patches that come about from accidents or repairs. Very small repairs such as repairing drywall seams are covered here.

Drywall is an interior building material with a core of gypsum that can stand up to a great deal of stress and abuse. It's low expense and ease of use make it simple enough for the average do-it-yourselfer, and drywall has largely replaced plaster for walls in homes and offices.

The previews below will introduce you to instructions on working with drywall. You will discover how to put up drywall in your own home, for both walls and ceilings. You will also learn how to make repairs in existing drywall, patching up holes both large and small.

How to Hang Sheetrock

ese edge studs are important: drywall seams must fall on the centers of the studs. So, the edges of two sheets of drywall will share one stud. Each edge must have a solid resting place. No edge should have a hollow space under it.

Eliminating seams is the first tip. Some home centers only carry drywall in 8-foot lengths. If you visit a business that just sells drywall, you will discover that you can get drywall in various thicknesses, various lengths, and sometimes even widths greater than 4 feet! If you can use 12-foot-long sheets to eliminate butt joints, do so whenever possible.

Hang drywall so that the long edge is perpendicular to the run of the studs. In a room that has typical 8-foot ceilings, this means you will have a seam on the walls all around the room 4 feet off the floor. Do the same for ceiling joists and roof trusses. Always hang ceilings first, and then butt the first pieces of wall drywall up tight to the ceiling.

I think my biggest error when I initially tried to tape drywall was thinking that taping and finishing drywall is something you do on a single day off or weekend. I tried to do the job all at once. In reality, taping drywall (and finishing drywall) is something you do in somewhat shorter steps, spanning 3 or 4 days or more. Your first step in doing this right is obtaining the patience needed. Get patience and learn a few basics and you may surprise yourself with the quality of your work. My techniques involve more steps than what many people will recommend - my methods, however, produce nice results for the beginner.

Fastening Tools

Using drywall screws can go a lot faster, if you have the right tool. You want to use a special electric drywall screw gun that lets you adjust it to sink the screws a little below the surface, again, so you don't break the paper. With a regular screw gun you don't have this control.

Finishing up

And that’s how you install sheetrock in your basement!