The Ultimate Drywall Hanging Quiz

It takes some planning to limit the number of joints when putting up drywall. Consider that the standard drywall sheet size is 4 x 8 feet.

Drywall sheets are generally installed vertically. If a sheet fits better, however, horizontally, then go ahead and install it that way.

Get ready to hammer in a whole bunch of nails! For every 1,000 square feet you will need 5 pounds of coated drywall nails.

For your drywall construction, you will also need five-gallons of joint compound and 500 feet of tape for every 1,000 square feet of drywall.

A drywall setting on your drill allows the drill to slip when it senses that the screw is fully inserted. This prevents “popped” screw heads from occurring

Drywall, also known as gypsum board, is a solid building material that is used to create interior walls of a home or building.

You need to make T-braces from 2 x 4 wood approximately an inch longer than the distance from the ceiling to the floor. If this is too adventurous for you, consider renting adjustable T-braces from your local hardware store.

Simply use a utility knife along a straightedge for cutting drywall to size.

The main purpose of T-braces is to hold drywall in place. T-braces, however, can also be used as support to help snap apart scored pieces of drywall.

Hammer in nails 6 inches apart along the joints of the drywall.

You may require some professional assistance for drywall taping. Drywall taping involves covering all the nails and joints.

First, cover the joints with joint compound. Next, smooth the joint compound so that it is level with the drywall.

After the joint compound is applied, put drywall tape over the compound. Some of the compound will squeeze out. Next, smooth the tape and compound with a taping knife.

Cover all the nail dimples with joint compound.

Applying joint compound is an essential but lengthy process. It involves applying three coats, allowing each coat to dry for approximately 24 hours.

The second coat should be very thin. It should extend out by a few inches from the first coat.

Apply the third coat of joint compound with a 10-inch wide taping knife. This will extend the compound by 6 inches on either side of the drywall joint.

Finally, once all of the coats of compound are dry, sand down the edges with a sanding block. Use a sanding block that is covered with medium-grit sanding paper.

This part of taping is a bit tricky as the inside corners and the spots where the wall meets the ceiling are not easy to tape. Both of these areas, however, do need to be covered with drywall compound and tape.

Purchase metal drywall corners from your hardware store. After applying these metal corners, finish off with three coats of compound.