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How to Install Drywall

Here are the best methods for fastening drywall. Read an overview for how to install drywall.

Installing Drywall-Step 1
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1. Twist the nosepiece on the screw gun to adjust the screw depth. Practice driving screws on a scrap of drywall backed by wood until you get the setting just right.

Installing Drywall-Step 2
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2. The screw on top is too shallow. There’s no space for joint compound. The middle screw is just right. There’s a recess for joint compound and the paper face of the drywall is intact. The screw on the bottom is too deep. The paper face is torn through; the screw won’t hold.

Installing Drywall-Step 3
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Make Sure the Drywall Is Tight
Crooked studs or puffed-out insulation can prevent the drywall from lying tightly against the studs. If the gap is too large, the screwhead will pop through rather than pulling the drywall tight.

Installing Drywall-Step 1
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1. Press against the drywall while you drive in screws. Don’t release the pressure until you’ve driven two or three screws into the framing to distribute the load.

Screws
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Tack With Nails, but Fasten With Screws
Buy 1-1/4 in. coarse-thread drywall screws to attach 3/8-in., 1/2-in. and 5/8-in. drywall to wood framing. Use fine-thread screws to attach drywall to steel studs. Place screws 12 in. apart where the ends or edges of sheets butt at framing members, and along each framing member in the center of the sheet. Don't use longer screws unless you're screwing through soft material like foam insulation into the underlying framing. The screws should only penetrate the wood 5/8 to 3/4 in. Any deeper and they'll be prone to popping later.

Screws
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For a speedier job, take a tip from the pros and tack the perimeter of the sheets with several ring-shank drywall nails to hold it. Then return to drive the screws. This saves you the hassle of carrying the screw gun around while you're supporting the heavy drywall.

Step 1
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Screw 2x4 backing at the intersection of walls and ceiling if it’s missing. Drill clearance holes at an angle through the top plate. Then drive 3-in. drywall screws into the 2x4 while you hold it down with your other hand.

Step 2
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2. Nail or screw cleats alongside existing framing rather than recutting the sheet. Be careful to align the face of the cleat flush with the face of the existing framing before you nail or screw it in.

Step 1
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Avoid missed screws by marking all framing members before you start hanging drywall. Mark the ceiling framing on the top plate of the walls. Avoid climbing a ladder by taping a pencil to the end of a stick and using this to mark the framing. Then after the ceiling drywall is hung, mark the centers of the wall studs on the ceiling drywall.

Step 2
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Mark the center of wall framing members on the floor with a pencil or marker. When you secure the upper sheets of drywall, make sure to center a fastener on each framing member before hanging the lower sheet. Then align a straightedge with the fastener and the marks on the floor and draw a pencil line to mark the center of the framing.

Removing Screws
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This photo shows one method of removing screws with your screw gun. If this doesn’t work, slide a putty knife blade under the head and press it against the threads while you back out the screw with your screw gun, cordless drill or Phillips screwdriver. If you overdrive a screw and break through the paper, add another screw a few inches away and then remove the overdriven screw. Locate underdriven screws by sliding your taping knife over each line of screws and listening for clicks that indicate protruding screws. Use a screwdriver to twist them in a few turns, or remove them and drive a new screw alongside with the screw gun.

Step 1
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1. Remove screws that miss framing. Set the screw gun to reverse (there's usually a little lever near the switch). With the screw gun running in reverse, apply sideways pressure to the tip of the screw gun while you pull it back and away from the wall to withdraw the screw. Even if the screw doesn't come out, it should be loosened enough to pull out by hand.

Step 2
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2. Recess the fuzzy holes left from screws that have been removed. Press the back of your utility knife against the screw hole and twist while applying pressure to make a divot. Fill the recess later with joint compound.

Comments :
By Bashar, 09/17/2009, 11:03 AM EDT

The slide show and the pictures are all messed up. There are repeated slides and steps, and some steps (e.g., 7) is about staining moulding. This needs some slideshow repair.

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