Choosing Drywall Sheetrock Materials & Instructions

Drywall - also called gypsum board, wallboard, gyp-board and Sheetrock - a USG trade name - consists of a core of plaster-like gypsum sandwiched between layers of heavy paper. The panels´ long edges are tapered. Butting these edges creates a shallow recess for joint compound and tape. The ends of drywall panels are not tapered.

Before you purchase drywall, check with your community´s building department to find out the thickness and type of material required for the use you have in mind. Thicknesses range from 1/4 to 5/8 inch. Most building codes mandate either 1/2- or 5/8-inch drywall for single-thickness application. Thinner 1/4- and 3/8-inch panels can be used to cover existing walls and ceilings. All drywall panels measure 4 feet wide and most are 8 feet long, but you can also buy 6-, 7-, 10-, 12-, and 16-foot lengths. Standard drywall works well in most situations, but codes may require Type X or Type MR for certain applications.

Type-X drywall has additional resistance to fire and may be specified for the common wall between a house and attached garage or for multi-family dwellings.

Type MR - for moisture-resistant - is sometimes called green board or blue board after the color of its face paper. Type MR makes a good backing for ceramic tile walls, but don´t use it in showers or other high-moisture areas - that´s a job for backerboard, which resembles drywall but has a core of Portland cement.

You can put up drywall with nails, screws, panel adhesive or a combination of nails or screws and adhesive. Each fastener has pluses and minuses.

Drywall nails have a barbed or ringed shank and a large head. They´re inexpensive, but you´ll need to drive lots of them, spaced 7 inches apart on ceilings, 8 inches apart on walls. Also, nails sometimes pop up through the finished surface. To minimize nail pops, double-nail panels. First drive nails 12 inches apart, then go back and drive a second set of nails about 2 inches from the first. Use 1 1/4-inch nails for drywall up to 1/2 inch thick, 1 3/8-inch nails with 5/8-inch material. Buy 1.1 pounds of nails for every 200 square feet of drywall.

Drywall screws cost more than nails, but they provide better holding power, minimize popping and help prevent damage to the panel. Drywall screws resemble sheet metal screws, and if you´re attaching drywall to metal studs, you have no other choice of fastener. They work great in wood studs, too. Space them 12 inches apart on ceilings, 16 inches on walls. Use 1 1/4-inch screws, regardless of the drywall thickness. Figure on using about 0.6 pounds of screws for every 200 square feet of drywall.

Panel adhesive offers a good way to laminate a fresh layer of drywall over an existing wall. You can also apply it to the edges of studs to further strengthen a nailed or screwed wall or ceiling - but don´t use just adhesive to secure the panels. For each 200 square feet of drywall you´ll need 1.6 tubes of adhesive.

Tape and compound provide the magic ingredients that bind a drywall installation together and give it an even, seemingly seamless surface. You can choose between two types of tape and two types of compound.

Perforated paper joint tape, the perennial favorite, comes in rolls 2 inches wide and up to 500 feet long. It has a crease down the middle so you can easily tuck it into inside corners. The perforations help embed it in the compound. Fiberglass mesh tape is often self-adhesive, which means you can skip the bedding coat and apply compound right over it, though you´ll still need three coats. Mesh tape is easier to use, but it´s not as strong as the paper type. Expect to use 74 feet of tape for each 200 square feet of drywall.

All-purpose ready-mixed joint compound - also called drywall compound and mud - embeds tape, provides finishing coats over seams, and covers fasteners, corner bead and metal trim. It also makes an excellent patching material. Lightweight all-purpose compound, such as USG´s Plus 3, does all the same jobs but weighs less, shrinks less and is easier to handle. You´ll need 28 pounds of standard all-purpose compound or 1.9 gallons of lightweight compound for 200 square feet of drywall.

All of the statements, opinions, specifications, and recommendations on drywall construction and or veneer plaster construction contained on this website is for general information purposes only and are not intended to imply that these are the only materials, methods, procedures, or processes which are available or suitable.Always consult with your licensed building professional.
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