Steps For Home Drywall Installation

Posted on: 10 January 2023

If you're remodeling an old house, you may decide to tear everything down to the studs. That means the drywall has to be replaced at some point. You may want to hire a drywall installer to do this job so the walls will be ready for you to paint. Here are some important steps in home drywall installation.

Plan How To Fit The Sheets On The Wall

Drywall comes in standard sheets. It has to be cut to size, and that's easy to do. Rather than cutting a sheet of drywall, it's scored with a utility knife and then snapped off to create a clean edge. Then the rough edge can be sanded smooth if needed. The drywall installer decides whether to hang the sheets vertically or horizontally. They also measure and cut out areas for outlets and light switches with a drywall saw.

Nail Drywall To Studs

Home drywall installation is done by nailing the drywall sheets to exposed studs. The studs may have insulation between them, but the studs are still exposed so the drywall can be nailed or screwed to them easily. The contractor usually starts at the top and works across and down to cover a wall after the ceiling has been done. This creates several joints where the drywall pieces come together, and those will be covered later.

The drywall panels can be installed so they partially cover windows and doors if needed, and then the excess panel pieces can be cut away for an easy way to get an exact fit.

Cover Joints And Screws

Drywall tape is used to cover joints between drywall panels. Drywall compound then covers the tape and screw heads. Multiple layers of drywall compound may be applied to make sure joints and screws won't show through the finished wall. Applying the tape and smoothing out the compound can be tedious work. The final step is to sand the surface to make sure it's flat and smooth and ready for primer and paint.

Save Leftover Supplies For Repairs

Since drywall is easy to cut to any size needed, it can be patched into an existing wall to replace a damaged piece of drywall. If you want to attempt future repairs yourself, ask the installer to leave the excess supplies you've paid for behind so you can make repairs easily.

You can use the compound to repair holes and other imperfections so your drywall always looks new and in good repair. Drywall can last for decades, but if it gets wet or damaged, it needs to be repaired or replaced.

To learn more, contact a home drywall installation service in your area.

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