OT: Just how hard IS drywall to do?

[EvilMeow]

I'm remodeling the garage apartment so that my friend can move in for a while, and I have to do some drywall work. I am on a tight budget right now, so I'd rather hire people for as little things as possible.

 

I've never hung drywall, though, and I'm kind of nervous about it, right now. I am going to go buy the necessary stuff in the next couple days, and I'll probably be installing it by myself. Am I correct in assuming that the hardest part would be the seaming and whatnot of it, not the physical hanging of it by itself?

 

Possible? Doable? Easy? Retardo-difficult? Am I fooling myself?

 

I'm going to read up on the internet for the next couple days, I just was hoping for some insight by people who have done it.

[SevenString]

Of course, here in HCAF, and with your avatar, my first thought was that somebody punched a hole in a wall.

 

Glad to be wrong.

 

As for drywall advice, I'm at just about "0" on the "handy around the house" scale, so I have no insight whatsoever.

[IPlayMetronome]

It's hard to make it look good,the mudding and sanding takes alot of patience,but if it doesn't have to look pro,its not hard to do.Score the face of it with a razor and it should break on the line.Make sure you have a drill with a clutch on it so you dont put screws right through to the backing and you're good.

[gwarner]

I used to do it with my dad a lot, and I always thought it was easy, you just screw into the studs making sure not to screw too far, then put some plaster over the screw holes and seams, then sand it down and paint it.

[JackBootedThug]

easy, just make sure you counter sink your screws so you can mud over them. just take your time.

[Shask]

easy, but sucks as its heavy. Esp the ceiling...

[trailsofsin]

Drywalling is not hard at all, although if you've never done it before it would be worthwhile to have some who has there with for even like 10 minutes and then you'll be fine.

As said above, just get a big straight edge and an exactoknife to score the drywall where you want to break it, put an extra notch in at either end of the score, and it should break nice and clean.

Mounting it is easy with a drywall gun, although you can use a regular drill but you have to be carefull not to sink the screw in too far or you'll bust up the drywall.

The mudding is probably the hardest part, there's definitely a feel/technique to it that you'll get after a while. You basically just wipe it on and scrape it off.

Make sure you've got lots of light when you're sanding - even the smallest edge to your mud will jump right out once you've got some paint on it, so make sure it's all smooth.

[EvilMeow]

Yeah, I only have a few sections to do. I am going to have a friend with me that has apparently done this before, so I am beginning to get a bit more confident about it.

 

A few years ago we had a leak that some renters didn't tell us about, so there was some water damage, but it was all superficial. Nothing structural, only interior stuff (hence the reason why I'm doing this). The entire building is SOLID BRICK. I mean SOLID BRICK. This place is about 110 years old now.

 

We had a new roof put on the building earlier this year, so it's not going to happen again.

 

I've removed all the affected area, cleaned it out, gotten rid of any mold damaged materials that were involved, so I have a few sections of ceiling and a couple of walls to do. I am lucky in that I don't have to replace the entire living room's drywall.

 

Then I get to do the carpet. Ugh. I think that will be worse than the drywall.

 

Thanks so much for the helpful advice and the encouraging words, guys.

[killersoundz]

It's not too bad. It's mostly the labor that sucks. Nimrods like to use those drywall jacks for the ceilings. HAH my dad does it sometimes him and another person will pop up a 12 footer on their heads and pop a few nails in then screw it in. Definitely make sure you use screws for ceilings...otherwise the nails could pull out under the weight. The mudding and sanding blows for sure.

 

Cutting drywall of course is a piece of cake. Score it snap it cut it.

[EvilMeow]

 

Of course, here in HCAF, and with your avatar, my first thought was that somebody punched a hole in a wall. Glad to be wrong.

 

 

You kidding? That would be a hell of a party!

[BrendanO]

The mudding is probably the hardest part, there's definitely a feel/technique to it that you'll get after a while. You basically just wipe it on and scrape it off. Make sure you've got lots of light when you're sanding - even the smallest edge to your mud will jump right out once you've got some paint on it, so make sure it's all smooth.

 

 

Yep. I did a good bit of drywalling last year, and I agree. Mudding is the tricky part. Take your time with the mudding; you can sand down seams and bumps, but it's time consuming and a lot messier than just doing it very close to right the first time. Other than that, done and done.

[DyeMusica]

Its easy, just follow the good advice set by others here already and you should be good to go.
I like to rough seam with fiberglass tape, not paper tape, then use a heavy texture gun to blow the whole room in texture. You dont have to get the seams as perfect as you would a smooth texture.
It sure takes alot of the sanding out of the equation.
Texture hides imperfections.
Texture guns can be found for cheap at home depot and the mud, joint compound is a 2-1 mix with water, pour it in the gun, hook up a compressor and shoot the whole place in 15 minutes.
Let it dry, then prime and paint.

But Im pretty fast, I own a drywall painting company here in AZ nowdays, so I get to do it alot.

[JackBootedThug]

Its easy, just follow the good advice set by others here already and you should be good to go. I like to rough seam with fiberglass tape, not paper tape, then use a heavy texture gun to blow the whole room in texture. You dont have to get the seams as perfect as you would a smooth texture. It sure takes alot of the sanding out of the equation. Texture hides imperfections. Texture guns can be found for cheap at home depot and the mud, joint compound is a 2-1 mix with water, pour it in the gun, hook up a compressor and shoot the whole place in 15 minutes. Let it dry, then prime and paint. But Im pretty fast, I own a drywall painting company here in AZ nowdays, so I get to do it alot.

some of that stuff looks awesome to. did my ceilings with the popcorn stuff you mix with paint.

[trey85stang]

hanging dry wall is easy (with help)... taping and bedding is the PITA.

 

edit: when you get to the sanding.. rent a hi flow exhaust fan from somewhere and run negative air... it will save you a lot of time cleaning up afterwards.

[killersoundz]

hanging dry wall is easy (with help)... taping and bedding is the PITA. edit: when you get to the sanding.. rent a hi flow exhaust fan from somewhere and run negative air... it will save you a lot of time cleaning up afterwards.

 

 

I second the fan. When I was little and my dad had some drywall contracting jobs I was the dedicated broom pusher after the sanding..

[Dropped_2_C]

I always wet sanded anytime i done drywall it gets it smoother and you don't have that dust everywhere neither. Once you put your mud on try to make it as smooth as possible, especially on the joint tape(the tape you put over the seams where the drywall lays next to each other) And after it drys take a sponge like the ones with the scotch brite pads on it (like you use to wash dishes with). and smooth it over it and just keep applying water to the sponge but don't ad to much you just want the sponge damp(the sponge will be yellow on one side and green on the other)

All the finishing jobs i have done this way with the sponge has yielded the best results as far as smoothness is concerned

[DyeMusica]

Fully.
When I said sanding I didnt mean with sand paper, wet sand is key, less mess and waaaaay easier on the lungs...

[Capulin rhino]

hanging it is easy, finishing it is the hard part.


i'd say to check out options for finishing in plywood or paneling, etc. may be able to do that for about the same money, and easier to work with.


stained and sealed plywood, can look pretty good.

[paul6string]

A few words of advice from someone who does home improvements: Don't mix beveled edges with butt joints. Butt joints are the 4' wide joints, beveled run the entire length. The screws should be just below the surface, but don't break the paper, or the heads will pop through after the compound dries. Make sure your seams under the tape are fully covered so you don't get any air pockets under the tape. Less is better when applying compound on your 2nd and finish coats. Less sanding that is. When 2nd coating corners, only do one side at a time, and let dry before doing the other side.(unless you're very very good at it, you'll keep {censored}ing up your corners)

[BIGRED60NOLA]

one main issue to consider is the fact that you want to install this work in a garage apartment. Considering that you will not have to look at it unless you are visiting your friend, then I think for a fist timer that this condition is the best place to start, hanging is not the problem, you have adequate advise given already on how to hang, counter sink and align beveled, butt ends and raw edges. THe magic is in the finishing. typically a poorly hung job will show through in the finsihing and painting stages. Thats where a good mud guy or chick is required, or in your case some skill and patience.

If asthetics are going to drive you nuts, then do a full skim coat over the whole wall, since you are going to attempt this work yourself then the extra money spent on mud may be worth it, also take your time, I can't imagin that you have that much square footage to cover in a garage apartment.

But really, you have the perfect setting for learning, it is an apartment for your friend, I would sweat it more if you were doing this work in your house and you would have to stare at it day after day.

Good luck