How to Hammer Drywall

Drywall hammers leave small dimples around nails.

Drywall hangs on wall studs or framing to give rooms a smooth, finished look. Nails hold the drywall firmly against the framing strips to hide insulation, electrical wires, cables, plumbing pipes or unattractive substrates inside a house. Driving nails into drywall requires the use of specialized tools and specific nails to prevent damaging the paper covering on the drywall and minimize finishing work. Properly driven nails leave a small dimple behind without a ragged paper edge around the nail.

Things You'll Need

• Level
• Tape measure
• Ringed nails, cement-coated nails or cooler nails
• Drywall hammer

Instructions

1. Hold the drywall panel against the framing with the assistance of a helper. Place a level along the top of the drywall panel and along the side to ensure the panel is level and plumb. If the drywall panel is out of level, raise or lower the appropriate side until the panel is level and plumb.

2. Note the placement of the studs on the front of the drywall panel across its entire field with a pencil, making marks vertically every 7 to 8 inches.

3. Place a ringed nail, cement-coated nail or cooler nail onto one of the marks near the middle of the drywall panel. Begin nailing drywall near the center of the panel, in vertical rows, and work outward toward the edges.

4. Strike the nail with a drywall hammer that has a convex head. Drywall hammers create a small depression or dimple around the nail head to prevent damaging the paper face on the drywall panel. Continue to strike the nail head until the nail sits slightly below flush on the drywall panel.

5. Position the second and subsequent nails 7 to 8 inches apart from each other, working in vertical rows, throughout the drywall panel field. Drive each nail slightly below flush on the face of the drywall panel. Continue to drive the drywall nails into the panel until you reach the edge. Allow a boundary of 1/32-inch from the edge of the panel. Nails within a 1/32-inch boundary from the edge of the panel do not have enough drywall to hold them securely and will likely result in damaged drywall edges and popped nails.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose the nail length based on the thickness of the drywall panel. 3/8-inch drywall requires 1 1/8-inch nails, ½-inch drywall requires 1¼-inch nails and 5/8-inch drywall requires 1 5/8-inch nails.

• Ringed nails grip better than smooth shank nails.

• Cement-coated nails offer extra holding power.

• Cooler nails are specifically used over rigid insulation.

• Drive nails through the drywall into the framing straight as nails set at an angle are not strong enough to hold the drywall and will damage the paper facing.

• Do not break through the paper facing with the nail head because it reduces the ability the nail has to hold the drywall panel to the studs.

• Do not use nails to hold drywall to furring strips. Only use screws.

References

• Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual; Family Handyman Magazine Editors