Hanging drywall is a physically
demanding job - you'll be lifting heavy sheets and holding
them up for a good amount of time to drive in nails or
screws You want to do it right the first time to avoid more
work down the road.
 Here's
how to hang drywall like the professionals:
 Before you hang that first sheet, it's important
to research your local building codes to find out how many
nails or screws are required for hanging drywall and what
pattern you must follow. Codes may even vary from room to
room, so research is a necessary part of the entire process.
 Know how to set nailheads properly. This can be
tricky because you can't simply drive the nail in flush. If
you do, you won't be able to cover it with joint compound.
On the other hand, if you drive it in too deep you'll break
the paper on the drywall and the nail won't hold in place.
To get it right, try to drive the nail into a slightly
dimpled surface. Make sure the nailhead doesn't stick above
the drywall's surface.
You can test the nails by running a taping blade along the
surface of the wall - if you hear any nailheads click
against the blade the nails are not deep enough. Any nails
that miss a joist or stud should be removed, at which point
you can swat the hole with a hammer to dimple it.
 For screws the same method can be used. Basically,
you have to set the screw head below the surface without
breaking the paper. A dimpler or a drywall screwdriver will
prove the best tools for this job, rather than a screwdriver
bit. Drive the screws in perpendicular to the sheet,
otherwise the heads will break apart the paper.
 Always install ceiling sheets first, and then move
on to the walls. For a horizontal installation, start with
the upper sheets and butt them against the ceiling drywall.
All vertical seams need to hit studs. Then butt the lower
panels against the upper panels, from tapered edge to
tapered edge. Use a wedge or lever to raise up the sheets
firmly.
 When conducting a vertical installation of the
sheets, make sure the tapered edges fall midway across a
stud. If this is not the case, you can cut the drywall or
fix pieces of lumber to the stud as a way to create a
nailing surface for the next piece.
As the work progresses, overlap pieces at the corners and
finish off by adding filler pieces - ensure that every piece
has a minimum of 2 nailing members for support. |
