How is drywall put up?

Question

I want to finish a basement, but the landlord doesn't want to pay to do it. i want to just cover up the insulation.

Answer 1

I'd say ask the hardware store that you buy it from because you will get to see the person describe putting it up. To tell you the truth its not cheap if your just renting I would try to find a place that has lots of discounts. I don't know were you live but I live in the south. We have lots of trailers and the people that have them do lots of repairs so there is lots of places to buy cheap dry wall and sheet rock. Sheet rock and dry wall are to me very much the same but you sheet rock is most likely to be easy to hang and can be painted, wall paper, or what have you.
You start by measuring the wall and get your sheet count. Then lay your sheet and we have all ways used a nail gun but hammering works to get good nails or you will waste a lot of time. Get joint compond to fill in spaces or they make strip that cover the space between that are left. Sand the compound after it drys and the smoother you put it on the less sanding. Then prime and paint. Next you paint your trim, ceiling and then paint your crown molding. And now heres were my husband and I differ,I paint the crown m, before I apply but he does after I leave the decision in your hands. Maybe I helped good luck and don't give up because we are still working on a house that we thought would take 6 mnths to complete it was built in the 1950's one thing leads to another.

Answer 2

well my father builds houses for a living and if you are puting dry wall make sur that the top part of the wall you are using full sheets and then you start cuttin when you get closer to the corner and on the bottom the same if you need to trimm some of the dry wall of the bottom get yourself a drywall saw its very easy to cut this material or just use a razor and breake the unwanted part i would use the drywall saw. Next thing is use the drywall nails and a good hamer but be sure not to hammer in the nails very hard just enough to make a little bowl type dent on the drywall. Make sure that the drywall on one end is in the middle of the 2 x 4's on the frame wall.so then you can join the other sheet nest to it. ITs better to get two people which is you and another person holding the sheet and you hammer your side then eventually moving to the other side where the other person is. I would try to put atleast 6 nails in each 2 x 4 . Then after you ar done with the topand bottom the taping starts this is the easy thing. get some kinda net type yellow tape. Put it where each of the sheets meet and the corners. Try to put the middle of the tape in the center of the crack. Then the fun part starts get the dry wall putty and a putty spreader and where the little bowl like dents are run some putty with the spreader and make sure it will be even with the drywall just to cove r the nail head. Do the same with the tape in the cracks or the sheets joining. It migh be alittle bump thier but once it dries and you get a dry wall sanding sponge you will level it out if thier is still a little bump thier it is good we are not all perfect. With the paint you are going to put on it will not show.make sure now when you are painting it to give it atleast like 3 thick coats of paint. These simple directions can make a professional drywall worker so this project could be a start of a new carreer. and beleave me its not hard once you get the rythm going. And make sure you have some of your favorite mussic playing on the radio so you fell more confident. Oh and did you put any insulation under the dry wall??????????????? THats a whole nother storly my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

Don't use nails. Drywall screws are the only way to go. Leave a 1/2" gap above the floor. Lay the sheets the long way, and the top offset 1/2 way from the bottom. Screw every 8". Countersink the screws ever so slightly, but do not break thru the paper. If you so, put another about 1" away. Use self-adhesive mesh tape to cover the seams, corner bead on outside corners (to prevent breakage from bumping). Mud up the seams and screw heads. Have a helper. This stuff is heavy. Use 1/2" since it is cheaper and not your house. Code may require 5/8 fire-rated, but again, it is not your house. You may want to rig up a scaffold for the ceiling, even with help.

Answer 4

Best to hire someone that works in the trade. If its just a fixer upper that'll last an hour or two, they'll do it in 15 minutes. Drywall specialists are innovative workers. The can create the type of ceilings found in many office buildings with drywall hanging from aluminum studs.

Drywall sheets are heavy. When I worked the drywall business at a new high rise building in Albuquerque, NM. One Individual would be placed in charge of large offfice space. They would finish an office in about two hours. They would create holes for the utilities before hanging. Pick up the sheet, balance it so it would be flush and lined up (lined up with the studs, the stud must accomadate half for each sheet) . Raise it with a foot lever to give clearance for the carpeting. Then with only one hand free use the rechargable drill to place starter screws. Then in seconds the whole wall will be secured with screws. And as always, the holes must line up with the power or water. Its an unforgiving trade when things go wrong. Contractors don't like to waste drywall sheets.

But if you want to do it yourself, check out the DIY network. They have answers for everything.

Answer 5

If you are going to hang a basement use green board, its a water resistant which bears green paper. tack the drywall up by using drywall nails then comeback and screw it off using drywall screws, prefer a screw every 8 inches. Hang the board Lenght wise across the studs breaking the seams at a stud but jog them as you go for straight. Use a fiberglass tape on the seems which sticks on the board for easy tapping then coat the seams with compound using a six inch tapping knife. That should be good enough for a basement. Good luck.

Answer 6

What does the insulation look like? If it is faced (paper exposed) batts, or some type of foam insulation building codes prohibit its' use without some type of fire-rated wall covering--IE drywall. Unfaced (without paper) batt insulation requires no fire-rated wall covering.

In a rental, I wouldn't bother putting up drywall unless you're going to be reimbursed. For the uninitiated it's a fairly large and messy undertaking.

But if you want to do it, buy a home improvement tape that covers drywall install and finish. It's not something you can pick up by reading it here.

good luck in your endeavor

Answer 7

I assume you are planning to do it for free since the landlord doesn't want to pay to have it done. Putting up drywall is fairly easy. Take a stard size sheet and screw, or nail it to the studs, then tape and mud the joints. Don't be afraid to use alot of mud. When you are taping, be sure there is plenty of mud under the tape as it is what adheases the tape to whatever you are taping. If it is too dry under the tape, the tape will peel thus making the work look bad.

Answer 8

Unless the basement is framed, you won't be able to cover the insulation with drywall. The drywall has to be attached to something. Usually, in a typical basement, the insulation is mounted directly on the concrete and then frame work is put up and then the drywall. Finishing the basement or just putting up drywall is a huge project and requires permits from the county in which you live. If you do take on this task, good luck!

For more info, check out this site:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_basement/article/0,2037,DIY_13902_3891150,00.html

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/wa_drywall/article/0,2037,DIY_14407_2271391,00.html

Answer 9

we have drywalled a couple rooms in our house these are the steps.
Hold the drywall up, use drywall screws and screw it up put the screws every o say about 4 in along the studs to make sure it's good and secure, then get drywall mud and drywall tape to cover the seams use the trowel to smooth it out, use the mud to cover the screws, let that dry then sand then you will need to add a second coat of the mud, smooth let dry, sand and then paint.

Answer 10

You hammer the drywall nails into a board that is attached to the basement wall. Then you cover the holes with a compound and then sand it down when it is dry. Then you get special tape to cover the joints.

Answer 11

you can either nail or screw (yes there are drywall screws) to the studs. make sure that you counter sink each nail or screw because you don't want it showing through the paint (and it will if not counter sunk) then you tape and mud the seams even the corners and over the nail or screw head. after the mud dries you sand it til it's smooth and paint. it sounds detailed but it's really pretty simple. you probably will need help though. those dry wall sheets can be pretty heavy. any hardware store should be able to get you set up with all the supplies you need.
good luck