Drywall Equipment and Tools
The right drywall equipment are an essential part of the job. Good supplies for drywall installation and drywall finishing can mean the difference between a professional looking surface and a mess. Tutorials are available online or you could take a class at your local home improvement center to learn to hang drywall like a pro.
Basic Drywall equipment Needed
Tools needed:
o Trowels: you will need a plaster trowel and a corner trowel
o Hand sander with a good handle or sandpaper and a block sander
o Sanding pole is needed for reaching ceilings and other high areas
o Cordless drill is needed for drywall screws. Choose a larger drill, if you do big jobs, such as a whole house.
o Tape measure
o Utility knife
o T square: get a large size. Look for a four foot square to reach across a full sheet of drywall. This tool is important for accurate measuring and cutting.
o Corner tool: these come in either steel or plastic. Some people use both, depending on the job. The difference is largely a matter of preference.
o 4.5 inch steel knife to fasten the tape to the wall
o 10 inch steel knife for finishing
o Stainless steel mud pan for mixing compound. Stainless is the best choice, as it won’t rust.
Supplies needed:
o Paper tape for drywall taping. Paper is the best choice as the knife moves easily over this material.
o Sandpaper in both 100 and 220 grit
o Drywall compound: look for an all purpose compound. These are easy to apply and dry evenly.
o Drywall sheets
o Screws
o Nails
o Drop cloths
o Keyhole saw
o Steel ruler
How to Work with Drywall equipment
Complete tutorials for hanging drywall are available on the internet. Many home improvement stores offer workshops on drywall that last from a day to a weekend. These are good choices for the beginner. A major mistake many people make is trying to do the job too quickly. It’s better to go slow and take several days. The results will be more professional and you will be happier when you are finished.
Start out by sketching out your plan on paper. Take accurate measurements of the room to determine how many sheets of drywall you will need. Allow a bit extra for waste. Decide on the type of drywall you need. Green board is made for areas prone to moisture, such as the bathroom.
In general, you should start with the ceiling and then do the walls. Start at the top of the wall, near the ceiling and move downward. Keep the seams as tight as possible to help limit the amount of sanding and smoothing you need to do later. Use your T square to accurately measure the drywall. Score with your utility knife and then break the sheets. Attach these to the wall in a way that leaves the least number of seams possible.
Once the drywall is hung, you will tape over the joints. Tape firmly and smooth with a finishing knife. Use your knife to smooth out the compound. Smooth the corners with your corner tool. Allow this to dry for at least twenty four hours. At this time, you can sand the drywall and add another coat. Wait another day before applying the third coat and sand this after another twenty four hours has passed. This will ensure the best possible installation and smoothest finish.
You must have Proper Drywall Equipment
Hanging drywall correctly depends as much on using the right equipment as it does on following the correct process. To hang dry wall correctly, the panels should first be placed on the ceiling. This allows them to be supported by the drywall panels that form the walls. When hanging the ceiling panels, it is best to use a dry wall jack. The easy to use, hand operated jack holds the panel firmly in place on a level plane, preventing it from cracking due to unequal pressure and ensuring that the panel rests directly against the ceiling joists.
When the drywall is measured and ready to be affixed to the ceiling and wall joists, either ring shank nails or screws can be used to hold it in place. 1-1/4″ screws or rink shank nails should be used for 1/2″ drywall. Considering the sizable number of screws or nails used in most drywall projects, 12″ apart on ceiling joists and 16″ apart on wall joists, a screw gun is one of the most time saving drywall hand equipment available. The screws or nails should be driven slightly beneath the surface of the drywall.
Most screw guns automatically place the screw at its ideal depth. When using nails, a special drywall hammer with a rounded head is used to place the nails at their proper depth. A stud remover and installer kit is another drywall tool that can save time, especially when a misplaced screw needs to be removed without damaging the drywall.
Throughout the drywall hanging process, a level should be applied to each hung drywall panel to insure that it is not sloping. Even the smallest deviation from a level plane can cause a room seem bigger at one end, or make a drywall-lined column look as if it is “twisting” from top to bottom.
Once the drywall is secured to the studs, a metal corner bead is nailed to the outside corners to prevent them from chipping. The seams between the drywall panels are then “taped” over using joint tape to allow for a smooth coat of paint. Finally, joint compound is applied with a metal or plastic scraper to the corner beads, screw or nail depressions and other minor blemishes.
Once the joint compound is dry, it is smoothed with sandpaper to remove any raised portions. An electric sander is ideal in this situation. It requires less effort than hand sanding and its flat surface insures that the wall is sanded perfectly flat. After sanding, the drywall is ready for paint.
Hanging drywall is not a difficult process, especially when the wall joists and insulation are already in place. However, it is one of the most detail-oriented processes that a homeowner can undertake. If the measurements are not precise or the drywall is not level, there is nothing left to do but tear it out and start over again. Once the necessary drywall equipment have been acquired and the process steps have been laid out, the key to success becomes using a tape measure and a level with great vigilance.