Drywall | Sheetrock what you need to know

Drywall, also often referred to as sheetrock is found in every house and is used all over the world. Drywall is installed after the house or building has been dried in and the insulation has been installed. Drywall is made up of gypsum plaster and many drywall companies also make drywall with fiberglass, when cut you can see the fiberglass elements.

Fiberglass is used instead of paper in order to prevent common mold from leaking pluming or floods. Thickness varies in different parts of the world, here in the united states drywall is made 48 inches wide and varies in length depending on your projects needs. Drywall is also used for sound proofing and this is by the thickness of the drywall. The thicker your drywall, the more sound proof or sound resistant your walls will be.

If you hire out your drywall needs the length of time needed to complete the job will depend like most things on the experience of the hired drywall technician. Depending on the drywallers experience your entire house can be installed with drywall within 2-4 days but that time frame may not include the entirety of the project. Some drywall technicians will sub out the completion of the job to hang tape and float who will finish all the joints and cover the nails. Although some drywall technicians will do all the work themselves depending on their crew and their availability.

What kind of drywall should you buy? This is a good question with a very large variety for an answer. Drywall may seem like it is all pretty much the same. What you will need to think about when buying drywall is what kind of project you will be using it on. If you are going to be doing a simple drywall repair your average drywall which is a regular white board, 1/4" to 3/4" thickness will be sufficient. If you are looking a much larger project you will need to determine what kind of sound resistant or soundproof walls you will want and determine the thickness needed for the project from there.

When cutting the drywall to size you will use a large T-Square by scoring the paper on the front side -which is usually white- with a project utility knife(no your wife's kitchen knife will not do.) After cutting the front side, break the drywall along the cut. Next Score the back of the Drywall and break the sheet from the opposite direction.

You will also need some specific tools on hand to complete the job as well as make your job a lot easier. Some tools that you must have include leveler, bench, caulk gun, hammer, drywall screws and nails, pencil, screw gun, stud finder, tape measure, taping knife, T-Square, utility knife and a chalk line. All tools listed will aid you in your project but remember time patience and a certain level of skill is needed when installing drywall, so take your time and lay out your plan before starting your project and you will be setting yourself up for success.

If you are interested in a quick lesson in how drywall is made the article can be found here: Drywall, sheetrock how it is made.