Tips For Installing Drywall On Your Own

Are you remodeling a room in your home and need to hang drywall? You'll definitely want to know a few helpful tips on how to do it on your own. 

Double-Check All Measurements

One golden rule when doing any type of construction job is to measure twice and cut once. This applies to installing drywall since you do not want to make any mistakes and prevent yourself from wasting any material by cutting it too short. You'll also end up having to patch the multiple pieces of drywall together, which can take a lot of time. 

Hang Full Drywall Sheets First

A huge time-saving tip will be to hang all of the full sheets of drywall first. This will minimize the amount of time that you spend cutting pieces because the bulk of the work will already be done. It will also help minimize the amount of small pieces that you have to make, allowing you to plan ahead for how you divide up full drywall sheets.

Secure Drywall With Screws 

You'll always want to use screws when hanging drywall for a couple of reasons. You can run the risk of missing the nail and putting a hole in the drywall with your hammer, which is a mistake that you'll have to fix. Screws will also do a better job of staying in the drywall and not popping out later. This is why you often see drywall with little raised bumps in it, which are the nails pushing their way out of the wood. 

Hide Joints With Mud And Tape

Every single joint in the drywall will need to be covered using joint tape in order to bridge the two pieces together. Mud then needs to be applied to the joint to cover the tape and smooth it out. You need to let the mud completely dry before you sand it, which will create a smooth surface for you to work with.

Use Protective Gear When Sanding

Sanding the drywall can be quite messy, so you want to make sure that you're protected from all the dust that will be created. Wearing eye protection and a dust mask will make sure that your eyes and lungs won't become irritated from all the dust in the air. Even though you'll be covered with dust in the end, your lungs and eyes will thank you for wearing protection. 

Does it seem like a lot of work to hang your own drywall? Reach out to a home drywall installation professional to do it for you.