Planning your installation
Plan to install drywall panels horizontally or
vertically, whichever way results in fewer joints, especially end-to-end
seams, which are more difficult to tape than those at the tapered side edges
of panels. On walls that are 8 feet high or less, a vertical installation
will probably work best. With higher walls, put up panels horizontally,
staggering seams at the ends for easier taping - or order 10- or
12-foot-long panels and install them vertically.
Careful!
A 4x8-foot sheet of 5/8-inch-thick drywall weighs 58 pounds, and drywall
panels often arrive taped together into bundles of two. Spare your back by
ripping off these tapes and moving the panels one at a time. Also bear in
mind that sanding drywall and cutting it with power tools raises a chalky
dust that's harmful to breathe and very difficult to clean up. Wear a face
mask when sanding and avoid using power tools with drywall.
Finishing corners
Protect outside corners with L-shaped, perforated metal corner bead.
Trim corner bead to length with tin snips, cutting through one flange at a
time. Hold the bead firmly against the corner and drive nails - not screws -
spaced 9 inches apart through holes in the flanges. Coat the flanges with
joint compound. Hold the knife at a 45-degree angle, with one side of the
blade riding the metal corner edge, the other on the surface of the panel.
After you've filled the first flange, you may notice lumps of joint compound
on the corner edge. Remove these with an upward stroke of the knife before
spreading compound onto the other flange.
At inside corners, use ordinary paper joint tape, creased lengthwise.
Apply a thin layer of compound on both sides of the corner. Lightly press
the tape into the compound with your fingers or the edge of the broad knife.
Embed the tape by drawing your broad knife down one wall and then the other.
For the second and third coats, apply compound to one wall, let it dry, and
then coat the other wall. Or use a corner knife to coat both walls at once.
Smoothing and priming drywall
There's a knack to the wrist action needed to smoothly lay on joint
compound. Until you master it, you can expect your first few tries to come
out on the rough side. Lightly sand away imperfections with fine-grit
sandpaper clamped in a sanding block or wrapped around a block of wood.
Avoid roughening the surface paper when you sand. If you do accidentally
roughen the paper, repair the damage by applying a small amount of the
compound with the broad knife.
After your taping skills improve, try wet sanding minor blemishes with a
sponge. This eliminates dust and does not scuff the surface paper. Use a
small-celled sponge that looks like carpet padding. Saturate the sponge and
wring it to prevent dripping. Remove high spots with as few strokes as
possible. Clean the sponge frequently.
Look at some walls at an angle or under certain lighting conditions and
you can see pots where joint compound appears to be bleeding through the
finish coat of paint. This phenomenon, known as joint banding happens
because of differences in porosity and texture between the panel's face
paper and the compound at joints and fasteners. To eliminate joint banding,
prime drywall with a paint specially formulated to equalize surface porosity
and texture differences, such as USG's First Coat.
Time frame
Big drywall panels cover lots of territory fast. Two people could
probably drywall a medium-size room, including the ceiling, in a weekend -
plus an evening or two if you have lots of cutting and fitting to do.
Mudding and taping adds at least three more days, because you must wait for
each coat of compound to dry.
Source: Living Home
