Anyone ever drywall?

[pesphoto]

Im going to try and tackle drywalling a couple rooms in our new house. There are old horsehair walls that are cracking a little so Im going to drywall over them. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. What kind of saw do you use to cut drywall for example? help.......

 

[greyhoundman]

Keyhole saw for outlets. Utility knife and straight edge for all other cuts.

 

[pesphoto]

Thanks greyhoundman. Anyone else? Seems like it wouldnt be too tough to tackle. I hope

 

[greyhoundman]

Oh, and be sure to have all your wall studs located. Those older dwellings didn't always use even spacings. 🙂

 

[greyhoundman]

The mudding and sanding are the worst of the job.
Your wife will be ready to spaz out from the dust. 🙂

 

[pesphoto]

Ok, so I need a stud finder for sure

 

[wde60]

I heard that the taping and mudding of drywall is the hard part and it may be best to get an experienced friend or professional to help.
When I had to fix up cracked horsehair plaster walls I went with “magic spackle” and then a good coat of latex paint applied with a textured roller. It is easy, clean and looks good. Wallpaper also works well.

 

[Sparrow]

Get a man in, put your cameras/enlarger/scanner/bag/negatives inside a plastic bag inside a plastic bag inside a suitcase, it only looks easy

 

[greyhoundman]

Nubile young ladies are good. OOPS, wrong stud finding. 🙂

 

[jack palmer]

Are you going to drywall over the existing walls? Get a drywall square, it's a four foot T-square . Also a razor knife and a chalk line helps. The top or short end of the T sits on to of the sheet of drywall at your cut mark then you just run your knife along the long leg of the T. Snap the drywall and cut the paper up the back. Makes a perfect ,clean straight cut. If you've never finished drywall hire an expert. May look and sound easy buy it's an art to finish well enough so that when it's painted you can't see the seams. Anyone can do it but to do it really well takes experience.

 

[drewbarb]

I've done more drywalling than I care to admit, and this is all good advice so far. The mudding is tricky- be careful with it, since this will affect the look of final outcome more than anything else. Be sure to sand it smooth between each coat- and wear a respirator! That dust will kill you! Be sure to seal off where you are working from the rest of the house with a tarp, and use a shop vac to clean- don't sweep- that dust will get into the air, coat everything, and give your lungs hell.

As for covering patches over old horse-hair plaster, try to knock out as plenty of room around the bad plaster, and make room for the drywall. Use tape for the joints. Good luck, and be sure to take some pictures of the process!

 

[sepiareverb]

Cut only with a VERY sharp knife. Change the blade often, as soon as the first bit of paper tears. You might consider the grey papered drywall and a skim coat of plaster- much less dust and faster- the board goes up and the plaster goes on. You don't sand it or touch it again except with paint. Drawback can be the more 'homespun' appearance an inexperienced plasterer gets. Depends on what you like in a wall. For me the speed of this procedure is a benefit, as is the more durable wall- the plaster is only 1/8" thick, but it adds a lot of durability. This skim-coat plaster is becoming more popular with contractors because it's faster, so you may be able to find someone who's done this and can give you a lesson.

 

[Keith]

I wondered what the hell you guys were talking about for a while ... in Oz it's known as Gyproc ... please translate for us colonials in future! 😀

 

[pesphoto]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Just found this website that looks pretty helpful. I did have a pro come look at the walls and Im waiting for a quote so Im investigating whether to tackle it myself or not.
http://www.drywallschool.com/protips.htm

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Studs should be 16 inches apart. If you are doing the ceiling then you need drywall screws and screw gun. If only the walls either screws or drywall nails will do. Nails need to be done in pairs. Dimple the nails or screws which means set them below the level of the drywall otherwise they will pop out. Drywall needs two coatings. The last time I did it I bought the ready or sticky tape rather than the paper tape. Works better. You will need a power sander with bag when sanding. As for cutting the drywall. Lay it out and draw the line. Cut into the line with a strudy mat knife. A long metal ruler will be necessary. After the cut is made you bend it back or away from the cut. Drywall snaps. Then cut the underside, which is paper, with the mat knife. Remember dry wall is pretty heavy and you will need more than one person to hang it if you are unfamiliar with drywall. Yes, keyhole saws for electrical outlets. Also, it is better to use larger pieces and cut them down as necessary because you will have less to tape and sand. Try to avoid piecing together small pieces...too much taping & sanding. Hang ceiling first. Hang upper walls second. Hang the walls...IMPORTANT...long way horizontal NOT VERTICAL. The seam should run four feet down from the ceiling parralell to the ceiling. Drywall has sloping edges on the long side for easier taping and "mudding". Therefore if there are any rough cuts they will be on the floor and covered by moulding. When painting drywall you will need a primer paint which is an inexpensive white paint that coats the drywall and seals it. If you do not prime the drywall then the more expensive paint will be absorbed and you will waste it as freshly hung drywall needs TWO coats.

 

[Robert Price]

So doing drywall is not as hard as some would like you to believe. I did all the drywall in my house and it turned out great. also if you do it right sanding should be kept to a minium.

Now, being that this will be your first time doing this type of work your results may vary.

First get all the right tools for the job. I can not stess this enough. Get a couple of trowels for the seams as well as corner trowels. use the fiberglass seam tape it works better that the paper. Are you doing the cealing too? if so you will need a helper for that.

Empty the room of everthing, and I meen everything. There is nothing worse than trying to manuver a sheet of rock around furniture. I would also use 2 inch screws to securely anchor the rock to your studs, being that you will be covering existing wall covering. Aslo remember to extend your wall sockets and switches too. The only major problen I see you will have is the doorway You will have to cut some trin to take up what ever gap will be created there.

Have fun with it and it will come out great.

 

[rbiemer]

Im going to try and tackle drywalling a couple rooms in our new house. There are old horsehair walls that are cracking a little so Im going to drywall over them. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. What kind of saw do you use to cut drywall for example? help.......

Check out the DIY tv channel's website for some basic drywall info:
http://www.diynetwork.com
I've done a bit here and there, starting out I would suggest that you take your time and be fairly meticulous.
Have fun!
Rob

 

[pesphoto]

Only doing the walls. Ceilings are in great shape luckily. Good point about the outlets and switches Robert, didnt think of that one. Also, no furniture to worry about, we havent moved in to the house yet.
Doing the kitchen and diining room will be great practice for when I get to my new darkroom 🙂

 

[greyhoundman]

How old is this house?

 

[pesphoto]

78 years old...why?