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Do It Yourself:
Install Wallboard |
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Whether you call it drywall, wallboard, Sheetrock or gypsum board it's all the same - the walls and ceiling surface in a room. Learn how to plan the job and install it with step-by-step directions and lists of the materials and tools you need.
| Materials |
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Gypsum wallboard (drywall) |
| Tools |
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Step stools or ladders |
Step 1: Plan, measure
and mark
Install wallboard horizontally on walls and plan to use as long a panel as possible to avoid creating unnecessary butt joints. Plan the job and lay out the installation so butt joints are staggered by at least 32 inches and joints between upper wall panels don't meet at window or door edges. The joint compound left in the corners during the finishing process makes it difficult to get tight joints when casing is later applied. If more than one panel is required for a span of wall or ceiling, measure from the corner to the center of a framing member so you have something to attach both panels to.
Stand the panel on its long edge and lean it against a wall. Measure the area to be covered with a tape measure and transfer those measurements onto the face (good side) of the panel. A little tick mark is all you need for cross cuts guided by a drywall T square. Use a chalk line to mark a cut along the length of a panel. Stretch the line taut between dimension tick marks at each end of the panel. Then lift the line and release it to transfer the chalk to the wallboard surface.
Step 2: Cut length and width
To cut wallboard from edge to edge, score the face of the panel with a utility knife. Press the knife firmly enough to cut through the paper facing and about 1/8 inch into the gypsum core. Then move around to the back of the panel and tilt it slightly away from you. Hold it on each side of the scored line and give the panel a sharp tap with your knee to snap it along the scored line. Cut the paper backing with a utility knife and smooth any rough edges with a couple quick passes of a plane-shaped rasp, such as a Surform tool.
Step 3: Notch for windows and doors
For internal cutouts or large notches, plan the cut so that a single panel spans the window or door opening. Joints at the top edges of a window or door tend to crack. Use a drywall saw and cut all the way through the panel. To make a notch at a corner of a panel, use the saw to cut the short side of the notch. Then use the utility knife to score the face of the panel as you did in Step 2. In most cases, window and door trim will cover a gap between the wallboard and the wood frames so plan a loose fit.
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