Drywall Layout and Planning
Drywall is a common interior wall covering in homes and buildings. It has a gypsum core covered by paper on each side. Drywall comes in sheets and is nailed or screwed to the wall and ceiling framing. Joints in the sheets are covered and finished, giving the interior walls the look of plaster without the expense. Know how many and what type of sheets of drywall to purchase at the beginning of your project to keep waste to a minimum. Does this Spark an idea?
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Planning Ahead
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Before the start of a drywall project, start planning by determining the best access into the building or room that you will be finishing. There are different sizes of drywall sheets, but the standard size is 4 by 8 feet. There are drywall sheets available up to 16 feet long and 54 inches wide. Make sure there will be no building access issues if you decide to use larger sheets. If you are working on new construction, it might not be a bad idea to have the framing contractor on site in case you find any structural issues that need to be resolved before you cover them up with drywall. Two of these issues are nail heads sticking out or uneven wall studs, both of which may cause problems with the drywall installation. Lastly, make sure you have enough help lined up, especially if you will be installing over-sized sheets.
Estimating Ceiling Materials
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When determining what size drywall to order for ceilings, measure the length of the ceiling perpendicular to the ceiling joists. It would make sense to order 12-foot-long sheets if the measurement is just under 12 feet. To minimize waste, do not order material longer than what you need. Order 5/8-inch-thick drywall if the ceiling joists are 24 inches on center and ½-inch-thick drywall if the joists are 16 inches on center. Using ½-inch-thick drywall on 24-inch joist spacing may cause the sheets to sag. To determine how many sheets to order, measure the width of the ceiling parallel to the ceiling joists and divide by 4 feet, the width of standard sheets. Round off any fractions to the next highest number.
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Estimating Wall Materials
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Although some builders may hang drywall vertically on walls, laying the drywall on its side may make the seams between sheets line up better. There is also less linear feet of seam when using this method, meaning you have less seams to tape and finish. Estimating walls uses pretty much the same method as ceilings. Measure the width of one of the walls to be covered. A wall just over 8 feet long with standard 8-foot ceilings will require two 10-foot-long sheets. If your ceilings are 8 ½ feet tall, use one 4-foot-wide sheet and one 54-inch-wide sheet. Use two 54-inch-wide sheets if you have 9-foot ceilings. Figure the rest of the walls in the same manner, then add up all of the sheets to get a total.
Order of Installation
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For the best layout, install the drywall sheets on the ceiling first. When cutting the sheets to length, cut them approximately ¼ inch short. This way they will fit to the ceiling easily and any gaps along the edges can be covered by the drywall sheets used on the walls. The top edges of the wall sheets will help keep the outer edges of the ceiling sheets from sagging. Hang sheets on walls in the same fashion. Hang larger pieces used on closet walls first, as these may not fit through the closet door opening once all of the other walls are covered.
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