Here is an interesting article about Ordering Drywall and Associated Supplies, this would be a very useful piece of information for homeowners who wants to do some Drywall work. This article is an excerpt form workbook called “HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE” by “LARRY HAUN“.
Like shingles, siding and insulation, drywall amounts are calculated by the square footage of the area to be covered (in this case, the walls and ceilings). Rather than measuring the ceiling and walls in every room, experienced drywall use a shortcut calculation. They simply multiply the total square footage of a house by 31/2 (3.5). For instance, a 24-ft, by 36-ft. house has 864 sq. ft. of floor space, and 864 times 3.5 equals 3,024 sq. ft. of drywall coverage. A 4×12 sheet of drywall covers 48 sq. ft. of wall. Dividing 3,024 sq. ft. by 48 proves that you need 63 sheets of drywall for this particular house.
YOUR DRYWALL ORDER:
For the modest-size houses that Habitat builds, it’s best to make up most of your drywall order with 12-ft. Drywall panels. A 4×12 sheet of drywall is more difficult to carry than a 4×8 sheet, but it covers more area and often eliminates the need for butt joints on a wall or ceiling. To fine-tune your drywall order, subtract any green board you will be using in the bathroom. Also, if you decide to go with 5/8-in. drywall on the ceiling, subtract the floor area (864 sq. ft. in our example) from the square-foot total, then order that amount of 5/8-in. drywall for the ceiling.
Have the drywall delivered several days before you plan to hang it. If you’re using any 5/8-in. drywall, stack those sheets on top of the ½-in. Sheets. Storing all the drywall in one room creates a lot of weight on a few floor joists. Therefore, make a neat pile in each room, with the drywall flat on the floor, finish side facing up, or lean the sheets against the wall.
SCREWS AND NAILS:
Professional drywall hangers rarely use drywall nails, Screws hold better than nails, and a screw gun automatically drives the screws just the right distance, dimpling the drywall surface without breaking the paper.
If you’re not a seasoned drywall hanger, you’ll probably find it useful to drive a few nails to hold a panel in place against the studs or ceiling joists. Then you can finish installing the panel with screws, A 5-lb. Box of drywall nails and a 50-lb. box of 1 1/4 –in. Drywall screws should give you all the fasteners you need for a 1,200-sq.-ft. house. If you’re hanging 5/8-in.-thick panels, order 1 ½-in.-long fasteners.
JOINT TAPE, CORNER BEADS, AND DRYWALL COMPOUND:
You can order these finishing supplies when you order your drywall. Joint tape comes in rolls; order 400 ft. For every 1,000 sq. ft. Of drywall.
Every outside corner covered with drywall requires a corner bead. These steel or plastic trim pieces are typically sold in 8-ft. or 10-ft. lengths. When estimating the amount of bead to order, make sure you account for corners where drywall wraps around window and door openings.
As far as drywall compound goes, the typical Habitat house requires about nine 5-gals. Buckets. For the Charlotte house, we used an all-purpose compound called Duran bond , which comes in powdered form and is mixed with water at the job site. Other folks prefer to buy premixed compound, which comes in buckets or boxes.
For the most part homeowners are scared about drywall projects because it involves complicate tools. Hope this is articles helped the homeowners with some of the information they need.
Continue Reading about Drywall Repair