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Questions tagged [drywall]

For questions about drywall (aka plasterboard) installation, repair & finishing.

Drywall is made up of large sheets of plasterboard, usually screwed to interior stud work or ceiling joists to form a smooth surface for finishing. It is also used to finish solid walls where it is either bonded directly to the wall or screwed to battens fixed to the wall.

Boards come in two main varieties - square edged and tapered. Tapered boards have a slightly thinner edge which takes the tape used to cover the joins.

Tapered edge boards are ideal for either jointing or skimming, while square edge is generally used for textured finishes.

10 things you should know about drywall/plasterboard

Drywall can also come with insulation and soundproofing layers attached. This is usually thicker and heavier boards.

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When drywalling a room, should I do the ceiling before the walls?

Is there any value in installing drywall (plasterboard) on the ceiling before the walls or does it not matter?
TravisPUK
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What is the purpose of tape when finishing drywall?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it doesn't seem immediately obvious how a thin strip of paper tape actually helps the taping process in drywall installation except for perhaps reducing the amount of mud needed between panels. This, from…
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Does bare drywall need to be primed before painting?

Is it necessary to prime bare drywall before painting? And do we need to prime existing textured, painted walls before we mud over them?
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Is fiberglass mesh tape a good choice for drywall?

I'm going to be doing some drywalling shortly and was wondering what experiences other have had with the self adhesive fiberglass mesh tape. Is it a good choice or am I going to regret using it?
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Should gaps be left between sheets of drywall for any reason?

My cousin says I should leave 1/4" space between all edges of drywall so that mud can be pressed into it. Everything I've read online say to butt them tight. When is leaving a gap a good idea?
Jerry
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Fix drywall around outlets

I completed my first drywall project and I learned that I hate doing drywall. Apparently I'm not good at it either because when I finally screwed on the outlet covers it is obvious my measurements were off. What is the best way to fix this? What…
Bob McNees
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Should I reuse drywall screws?

I removed lots of them because it was easier to remove the drywall that way. Some of these screws were also used for carpentry work by the contractor who built the bathroom. The only problem I am seeing is that some of them have drywall dust in the…
MiniMe
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How do you bend a sheet a drywall into a curve?

How do you bend a sheet a drywall into a curve? I tried wetting the back surface with a paint roller, letting it soak for 30 minutes, then scoring the back paper in parallel lines about an inch apart where I wanted the curve. When I screwed it to…
jlpp
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Is it ok to use caulking instead of tape and mud on my new drywall ceiling?

My contractor told me it's much cleaner to use caulking instead of mud/tape on my new ceiling. He's not talking about the corners. He's talking about where the seam of the drywall sheets meet. I've never heard of this method. Is this acceptable?
Vernette
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Should I overlay or replace 3/8 inch drywall during my room update?

I have a living room that I am looking to update. It currently has 1/4" Wall Paneling over 3/8" drywall. The drywall is in very good shape, but has not been taped. The house is from the 50's, so they used nails to attach the drywall to the studs.…
Poniatowski
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What's the easiest way to carry 4x8 sheets of 70-lbs drywall by yourself?

This past weekend, I had some help carrying eight 4x8 sheets of type X drywall up a flight of stairs. It was not easy. I know the sheets couldn't have weighed more than 80 lbs, but it felt like they weighed a ton. I need to get more up the same…
oscilatingcretin
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Can dried out joint compound be rehydrated?

I have a container of dried out drywall mud and I wondered if there is anything I can do to make it usable again.
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What am I doing wrong while finishing drywall inside corners?

I'll admit, I'm definitely a novice when it comes to finishing drywall. I've done loads of patching, which doesn't typically require working with corners. This time, however, I'm doing a whole room. I watched some YouTube videos, and read a few…
Tester101
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Drywall over irregularly spaced studs - how do I secure edges?

I'm diy-ing on an 80-year old+ house, putting drywall over damaged lath and plaster (can't save the plaster because reasons). The wood lath is too weak/damaged to serve as effective backing, so I'm trying to nail off only to studs. Problem is,…
willoller
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How to finish drywall where it meets uneven stone wall?

I'm working on converting a stone barn into a house. Some of the stone walls I'm leaving exposes, some I'm covering to insulate better. In some locations, I have a 90° interior corner where drywall will meet uneven stonework. How does someone…
Jamin Grey
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