How to Hang Drywall

Drywall is used to cover interiod walls and ceilings. It's made of out Gypsum, paper and offers some soundproofing and fire resistance when layered in 2 or more layers. Drywall comes in various lengths, thicknesses and brands. It's important to talk to your local professional carpenter or materials store professional before starting any job by yourself.

Overal,, 1/2" Drywall is the most common thickness for residential work, while 1/2" and 5/8" thicknesses are used in Commercial Work. Regular, everyday Drywall sheets have a smooth and a rough face. The smooth face is what is called the finish side. It's smooth so paint and plaster will form to it properly and add a pleasing look to the finished wall or ceiling once it's been hung.

Sheathing is Drywall used on the exterior of a building. Often times, Sheathing will be attached to steel framing, then covered with tar paper or Tyvek wrap in order to prepare for masonry work that is being used more and more often nowadays as an aethetic and structural option.

Drywall must always be cut and measured very carefully. Once you cut too much off, you'll have to start with a whole new sheet. With a few mistakes, the money can add up quickly if you're not precise with measurements and your scoring of the Drywall. After Drywall is cut to the desired length and heights, it is them attached to the framing which is either wood or steel. Wood is more common in Residential Homes while Steel is common in Commercial buildins.

When first attemption to hang drywall, you'll have to find your first stud. If the wall is brand new, this won't be a problem because all of the studs will be in sight. If it's a pre-existing wall though, you're going to have to tear down the old drywall to get to your studs. In order for ordinary Drywall to fit on the framing of a building without cutting every sheet, the framing will have to be done with a stud falling every 12 or 16 inches along the wall. This allows the Drywall to be screwed to multiple studs for equal weight distribution and structural integrity.

Tools you need for hanging drywall include:

Putty Knife - This is used for spreading join compound (aka mud) along the seams where the drywall comes together, filling in the gaps and priming it for paint or finish.

T Square - For measuring and squaring Drywall sheets to most often a 90 degree angle on all sides so they fit together.

Drywall Screws - technically, any screw will do, but most commonly, they're 1 1/4" Drywall screws for wood and 1 1/4" tek screws for metal. tek screws have a cutter on the end of the screw that "drills" a hole into the steel of a metal stud.

Tape - Mesh or paper tape used on conjunction with joint compound to finish seams.

Bead - bead is like tape, but it's used for finishing corners.

Drywall is generall hung horizontally because it's easier, takes less time to finish and is more efficient than vertical hanging. There are some instances though, when you'll want to hang vertically, particluarly if you have a wall 8' or higher.