Are you starting a new project that includes drywall installation and taping? Here we’ve got 10 tips to share with you. Drywall is typically the phase when the rubber meets the road. If items like framing, HVAC and plumbing weren’t thoroughly planned and installed, the drywall phase is when a lack of adequate execution or a miscalculation becomes obvious. Drywall is one of the hardest trades to master; it takes a steady hand and a well-experienced eye. Here’s our top 10 things to know about drywall before you start.  Share this advice with your friends on twitter and facebook.

1. 5/8” or 1/2” Drywall?

5/8” GWB (Gypsum Wallboard) is always a better move than ½” GWB for thickness- it’s stiffer and hides framing imperfections. Nothing makes up for a day or two of extra work with long levels flattening walls and ceilings and checking for other framing problems that will become evident only at the end of the project when all the interior lighting is in place. Also 5/8” GWB may be necessary for fire rated walls.

2. Reflective Lighting

Reflective light (i.e. off adjacent bodies of water, like pools or ponds) can create visually unpleasant washes of light that show every imperfection. In this case it is best to go full mud-coating and sand over complete surfaces that will get reflected light.

3. Watch for Dust

When you’re sanding compound off of drywall, the dust will flow everywhere. Before sanding drywall seal off any vents and turn off the air conditioning so it doesn’t draw into the systems. When you’re ready to sand drywall, there’s a good chance that there will be dust. If we are talking about only one isolated room in a house, put a plastic drop cloth at the doorway. If you don’t want any dust, you can use sponges. The sponges will have to dry, though.

4. Cabinets and Drywall

Double-check wall and ceiling flatness during taping wherever cabinets meet drywall. Once cabinets are installed, an uneven wall or ceiling becomes all the more evident (even with scribes).

5. Doors and Drywall

The devil is in the details. We strongly believe, anything that can reduce the visual signs of a wall assembly, is better.  This requires that the interior doors be installed prior to drywall, and we’ve learned, they need to be secured well so they don’t shift (or get shifted) during drywall hanging.

6. Minimize Seams in Drywall

Start by hanging the drywall sheets vertically. If, lets say, the height of the ceiling is 10 feet, and you use the 8-feet drywall; there’s still a 2-foot section missing, so you add a 2-foot piece on top. On the next wall adjacent,  put the 2-foot piece on the bottom and then the 8-foot piece of drywall on top, so that there is no one line going horizontally around the room; you want it to be staggered.

7. Consider Layers of Drywall

Thicker drywall offers a better measure of sound abatement and will also give you a much more rigid wall. Two layers of drywall will help to hide any sort of imperfections you may have and give a more rigid surface for finishing.

8. Keep Drywall Dry with Vapor Barrier

A good thing to have on your exterior wall is vapor barrier. The moisture can cause mold and the vapor barrier will keep it from  penetrating the back of the drywall. If you don’t do the vapor barrier and you have a large exterior wall, you can get a mildew buildup behind the drywall, and then sometimes you’ll get that little browning or blacking effect in the areas.

9. Take Pictures of Drywall

Get a camera and start taking picture of the drywall installation process. In the future it will help you to identify several helpful things things, such as electrical wiring and plumbing pipes. Having this information to look back at is very valuable.

10. Drywall is white

So don’t wear black to site visits.

Planning a renovation or a new drywall installation project in Toronto? Give us a call 647-693-9936