drywall


  #1  
Old 10-09-02, 03:18 PM
quantel62
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Question drywall

Hey there,

I'm just starting to do my drywall and I don't have a clue as what to do. Mind you many people have given me their two cents worth.

So, here are my questions:

What size sheets should I use? 12', 10', 8'

If I have to make a joint, is it better to have a larger gap or try to make it as tight as possible?

I'll be using drywall screws, do I put them 2 of them 2" apart, every 6"?

Do I screw the drywall right to the edge on the ceiling or have the wall drywall force that up?

In the bathroom, I have a corner shower stall, do I put the drywall over the shower edge or underneather?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
  #2  
Old 10-09-02, 04:32 PM
JRRR.
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Fellow drywall novice here. Maybe I can give you some hints.

Use as big a sheet you can safely handle. Bigger sheets=less seams=less taping=nicer job. Bigger sheets are heavy though. Need lots of manpower.

Joints should be made as tight as possible. Butt joints that are made when two pieces join on an unfinished or cut end are especially troublesome. I like to join these and then bevel (open up the joint) them a bit with a sharp razor knife. Any joint larger than 1/4" or so should be pre filled with joint compound and allowed to dry before taping. Rememeber to leave a 1/2" or so space at the bottom to the floor.

Drywall screws. If you are attaching drywall to wood use coarse thread and fine thread if you have metal studs. I normally put 5 screws across a full board. Two in the beveled edge and three equally spaced in the field. I attach to every stud. Make sure your studs are aligned first-may have to shim or plane.

From my novice experience floating the corners like you describe with having the walls hold the ceiling and not having screws within 7" or so of the edge is good advice for a truss roofing system or new construction. The theory behind this is that as wood/truss expands/contracts the corners wont crack. In old construction with regular rafters I would screw normally. Hopefully the wood has dried and twisted by now.

Bathroom drywall is usually greenboard it is moisture resistant not moisture proof though. Probably a better choice would be concrete board/Duro-rock.

A couple of other tidbits. I started using the regular cheap drywall tape. It takes some time to learn how to imbed but I think it does a better job than fiberglass self stick tape. I have talked to pros who use the fiberglass tape but only recommend imbedding it with setting type compounds that have to be mixed. I used regular all purpose joint compound for everything and it came out pretty good. Buy a good book on drywall finishing and practice in closets if you can. Thin coats are better than thick and give each coat ample time to dry before adding another or sanding. High temps/high humidity/lack of air circulation will affect this greatly. Buy yourself three different width knives-get the stainless steel type-they are a bit more but worth it. Some guys prefer mud pans others a "hawk" buy both and see which one you like. The art of imbedding tap and mudding seams(inside and outside) and finishing is test of patience, believe me. It can be very frustrating and laborious work especially sanding, wear a mask. Hope this helps. I give drywall installers and tapers/finishers a lot of credit after walking a little bit in their shoes. Good Luck.
 
  #3  
Old 10-10-02, 01:26 PM
Hollywood
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
  #4  
Old 10-10-02, 02:54 PM
quantel62
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Thanks Hollywood, I'll give it a try and let you know.
 
  #5  
Old 10-10-02, 03:14 PM
Hollywood
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
no problem
If you run into a problem repost or E-mail me or IM me and I'll do what I can to help out

Good luck
 
  #6  
Old 10-11-02, 10:09 AM
Bryanx0a0d
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Just my few cents

Just my 2 cents worth:

If I ever have to sheetrock again I will use 16' sheets as much as possible. Reduces the number of butt joints to contend with during taping and mudding. I found out about this length after I had already finished my current project.

16' sheets can be found at drywall speciality shops (not HD or Lowes).

Bryan
 
  #7  
Old 10-12-02, 08:50 AM
Hollywood
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Just my few cents

Originally posted by Bryanx0a0d
Just my 2 cents worth:

If I ever have to sheetrock again I will use 16' sheets as much as possible. Reduces the number of butt joints to contend with during taping and mudding. I found out about this length after I had already finished my current project.

16' sheets can be found at drywall speciality shops (not HD or Lowes).

Bryan

WOW
16' Sheet's LOL I hav3e never seen that size Before in the 15yrs I've been doing this. it sure would make things alot easier as long as you had the space to move around.

before you run out and buy the material's you WANT to measure the lenght of your walls and buy the sheets according to size to reduce the amount of BUTT joints as much as possible.
 
  #8  
Old 10-12-02, 09:36 PM
Bryanx0a0d
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Really goodbook about working with drywall: Drywall: Professional Techniques for Great Results ISBN: 1-56158-529-7.

The author is Myron B. Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson has more then 20 years of experience and has had articles published in various professional magazines.

Page 6 contains references to length of drywall in 8', 9', 10', 12', 14', & 16' lengths.

The book covers all aspects of installing and taping drywall. DIY'ers will enjoy the detailed easy to understand explanations. I have found the valuable tips and tricks of the trade to be a great money and time saver. I have saved far more then the $20 cover price of the book.

My single complaint is that some of the materials are difficult to obtain. This is particularly true with the section on "Fire-taping". He specifically mentions a specialized brand of tape called "Fire Tape" that I have not found in any home center or specialty store in my area. I will probably find it about the time I finish taping.

I am sorry that you haven't encountered 16ft lengths of sheetrock in 15 years on the job. I know that they are going to save my neighbor a bunch of time taping and mudding.

Bryan
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: