Hanging drywall?

Question

Just bought a home with a finished basement ~ however, the drywall is old, nasty & needs replaced. My fiance & I would like to do it ourselves to save money but we have never done it before. Also, people tell us it is a pain in the butt to hang drywall and we should just pay someone else to do the job.

Is there anyone ~ who is not a professional ~ who has had personal experience? All advice is appreciated.

Thanks =)

We have no clue what finishing drywall involves.

DIY Doc: Although advice from pro's is best, I was also hoping for tips from people like myself who took on the task as a one time project. Pros give great how to advice, but novices tend to warn about common mistakes, etc. that sometimes are not ecountered by the pros ~ because they are so used to the job, that's all I meant.

DH1: Yes, the drywall is quite moldy. I may not know how to replace it, but I do know when it needs replaced.

DIYpro: Although I appreciate the advice about the Kilz, I would rather invest the time to know it is being repaired properly. I've lived in enough crappy houses in my life & now that I own one I want it to be nice ~ not just painted over.

Answer 1

Hanging dry wall is somewhat difficult especially ceilings and best done with a drywall screw gun although a hammer can be used,every screw or nail must be indented the gun does it in one operation.The sheets are hung horizontally(two sheets cover floor to ceiling)all the nail holes are filled with joint compound the joints and corners require tape, paper is alright on the runs but I would use fiber glass in all the 90 degree joints. The tape is put on with joint compound and two additional coats of compound is required using a larger compound knife each time,it requires sanding after each coat. It would be a lot easier on you if you can watch someone do it and help with your decision. Best of luck!

Answer 2

Miss Lady I agree with uncle Bob, Make the installer change it. I have been hanging drywall since 1981 and I know how much of a pain it is to try to hide a factory seam that has a butt end of the drywall hung up to it. You just don't do it. Now 5/8ths drywall up to 1/2 inch??? What was the installer thinking? How could this not be noticed. I would make him take it down and put up the right piece of drywall and then tape it out smooth with a 3 coat finish ready for painting. Regards, Ammoconfidential

Answer 3

Hanging finishing drywall is not a simple task but anyone with common sense, the ability to plan a little and a bit of "want to" can do drywall. I have done two projects with the only help being someone to hold the ceiling sheets until I could get them screwed into place.

First, there are several videos available on how to do this.

Second, plan your work and execute carefully. The straighter the studs or joists are, the easier it is to get the dry wall sheets installed in a manner that will make the tape and bedding step easier. You may have to furr out some areas to get it all straight.

Third, get the necessary tools to do the job right. A good dry wall screw gun is a big help as is a drywall T-square and a sharp utility knife.

Fourth, measure twice, cut once.

Fifth, try to plan for the minimum of joints and as many joints as possible where the tapered edges match.

The smoother you put on the tape and mud, the less sanding you have to do.

Answer 4

I am not a professional, and I've had good luck for the most part. I was never under any time pressure beyond living in a bit of a mess. There are a ton of "do-it-yourself" sites on line with excellent how-to info. Home improvement stores sometimes offer classes, too. It isn't brain surgery, and it can save you a pile of money, but doing it takes way more time than I ever thought it would. If you rush the taping, you'll wind up with cracks and have to start again. A lesson I learned the hard way - make sure the primer you eventually use is okay for bare drywall. Some types of primer "lift the nap" and leave rough places. You'll have to sand those and repaint, so better to check the label to begin with. Also, hanging drywall is not a one person job unless the walls are very small. Have friends available to help you.

Answer 5

I have seen enough people in my time hang drywall and I am no professional to it.

we had our basement finished from masonry walls.

once your beams are up and your insulation is stapled in place you need to hang the drywall shee by sheet. Note, there is writing on one side of the drywall and that faces the inside not facing you. you use drywall nails (yes they have special nails for drywall) and you nail the drywall into the beams.

then you use this masking tape (also special for drywall not the regular kind) and tape the connctions of each sheet so there is no crease or splice. then you use the compound cement and spackle over all of the seams and holes and nails etc. let that dry at least 24 hours or more if it is dark in spots it is not dry.

once the plaster (same as compound and spackle but not in price) dries you sand it evenly and then primer over the plaster. this evens out the shading so when you paint you won't see the difference between the walls and the plaster.

then you paint. then you put up your molding

Answer 6

Drywall work is tedious, but not difficult. It costs a ton to have someone come do it for you, that is why many opt to do it themselves.

Question: Why do you say it needs replacing? The only reason to replace what is there is if the old stuff is moldy, damaged beyond simple repair, etc. If it is simply dirty, has a few gouges, or whatever...fill the holes with patching compound, sand, prime and paint. Some basic drywall repairs and a new coat of paint will make it look like a new room.

My house I spent a day repairing cracks, patching nail holes, door knob dings, sanding and washing the walls. Next day I primed everything, painted, then finished with new outlets, light switches, and plates. The house looked like new when I was done.

If your house needs more repair, do what you have to do. My brother had the second floor of his house drywalled by a contractor. About 1000 sq. ft. It cost him about $2500 in labor plus materials.

Answer 7

If you are talking about drywall on the walls, that is not too hard. Drywall ceilings are much harder without the right equipment.

You can certainly install the drywall to the studs and finish the seams without being an expert. It might take you longer, but it can be done.

One secret is to keep the seams to a minimum to avoid the work of finishing them. The experts use the larger sheets and lay them sideways. That leaves just a seam in the center of the wall. Those big sheets can be hard to handle.

Answer 8

I know you just got allot of pros and cons, so I'd like to put my two cents in.

If you decide to go for it, and the wall has electric outlets and switches that must be cut in the drywall, the way to do that is to spray lightly with cooking spray, the outlet or switch, press the drywall into position, and an imprint of the outlet box will be on the back . Then, just cut it out. You will have a very nice neat cutout that will require very little spackling.

I am not a professional and I HATE doing drywall, especially in confined areas like closets. lol

Answer 9

Does being a professional or not truly matter?

I've HUNG thousands of sq. ft. of drywall, among other trades related tasks yet I don't feel it a sin to call myself a Pro.

It is not a pain in the butt first of all; and with two people especially the task is relatively easy. Your greatest concern and mess will be removal and diposal of the old.

Once the studs are cleaned, in a basement especially I usually lay a 1x piece of lumber down to rest the sheets on, keeping them just off the floor. That often means trimming the 8 ft.

Not knowing the existing layout, you just duplicate it with new.

Drywall screws; I use no less than 1 1/2 inch. Mesh; modestly adhesive backed mud/seam tape. Mud once lightly, wide blade knife; sand; mud again; check for flush or voids/bubbles/ sand/ mud a final time; sand/ prime the mudded areas to check for flush, prime the entire install, then paint.

Steven Wolf

Answer 10

Dry wll is an easy project the hard part is the tapring and mudding You will need a good straight edge a sharp razor knife may be a dry wall saw, measure twice cut once is the rule Buying the tools you will need out weighs the cost of someone else hanging the dry wall, then get someone to do the fiish work or try yourself after a few trys it,s a brizze . GOOD LUCK and Make it fun TAPEING my spelling sucks