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Renovation 4th Edition

Page 102

by Michael Litchfield


  sive compensates for the screws that don’t grip

  holes around outlet boxes.

  optimally. Adhesives are frequently used when

  Beforehand, shut off the electricity to

  applying two layers of drywall, too.

  that circuit, and tuck wires well into

  When panel edges meet over a stud or ceiling

  the box so they can’t get nicked.

  joist, apply two parallel 3⁄8-in. beads of adhesive

  down the middle of the joist or stud edge. Don’t

  make wavy, serpentine beads, which could allow

  adhesive to ooze out onto the drywall’s face. On

  Fastener Spacing glued joints, space screws every 10 in. to 12 in. on

  both panel edges.

  maximum

  fastener

  framing

  framing

  framing

  spacing

  HANgiNg DRyWAll pANElS

  members

  spacing

  spacing

  with adhesive

  Ceilings. Attach ceiling panels first. It’s easier to

  ceiling joists

  

  16 in. o.c.

  12 in.

  16 in.

  cut and adjust wall panels than ceiling panels

  

  24 in. o.c.

  12 in.

  16 in.

  should there be small gaps along the wall–ceiling

  intersection. Also, wall panels can support the

  wall studs

  

  16 in. o.c.

  16 in.

  24 in.

  edges of ceiling panels.

  First, ensure there’s sufficient blocking or

  

  24 in. o.c.

  12 in.

  24 in.

  metal drywall clips in place to attach panel edges.

  * Fasteners should not be closer than 3⁄8 in. to the panel’s edge.

  In most cases, you’ll run panels perpendicular to

  the ceiling joists, thereby maximizing structural

  434 Chapter 15

  strength, minimizing panel sag, and making joist

  edges easier to see when fastening panels.

  The trickiest thing about hanging ceiling pan-

  els is raising them. If your ceilings are less than

  9 ft. high, drywall benches will elevate workers

  enough. As you raise each panel end, keep one

  end low. That is, allow one worker to raise one

  end and establish footing before the second

  worker steps up onto the bench. Then, while both

  workers support the panel with heads and hands,

  they can tack the panel in place.

  If the ceiling is higher than 9 ft., rent a dry-

  wall lift. Because the lift holds the panel snugly

  against ceiling joists, it allows you to have both

  hands free to drive screws.

  Flying solo. If you can’t find a drywall lift or

  helpful friends, you can hang ceiling panels solo

  by using two tees made from 2x4s. Make the tees

  1⁄2 in. taller than the height of the finished ceiling.

  Lean one tee against a wall, with its top about

  1 in. below the ceiling joists. Raise one end of the

  panel up, onto that tee. Being careful not to dis-

  with a helper and a set of drywall benches, you can safely raise long panels to the ceiling. Lift one

  end at a time. whenever possible, run the panels perpendicular to the joists.

  lodge the first end, slide the second tee under the

  other end and raise it until the entire panel is

  snug against the ceiling joists. (Staple strips of

  rubberized carpet pad to the tee’s top to reduce

  slippage.) Gradually shift the tees until panel

  edges line up with joist centers. Be patient and

  wear a hard hat.

  Walls. It’s easier to hang drywall on walls than

  on ceilings. Although one person can usually

  manage wall panels, the job always is easier and

  faster with two. Before you begin, be sure there’s

  blocking or drywall clips in the corners to screw

  panels to. To help you locate studs once they’re

  covered with drywall, mark stud centers on the

  top plates (or ceiling panels) and sole plates at

  the bottom.

  If the ceiling is higher than 9 ft., and especially if it’s a cathedral ceiling, rent a drywall lift.

  P R O T I P

  Mark joist centers onto the top

  of the wall plates before you

  Install the top wall panel first,

  install the first ceiling panel.

  butting it snugly against the ceiling

  panel. At the same time, level the

  That will enable you to sink

  bottom edge of the wall panel so that

  screws into the joist centers

  subsequent panels butted to it will

  when they’re covered by drywall.

  also be level and correctly aligned to

  The pencil marks will also help

  the stud centers.

  you align screws across the

  panel, simply by eyeballing from

  those first screws to the uncov-

  ered joists on the other side.

  Finish Surfaces

  435

  Corner bead protects fragile drywall edges and

  To prevent cracking along an outside corner, this installer

  ensures a clean finished edge.

  covers the edges of the corner bead with mesh tape before

  applying a setting-type compound.

  When hanging wall panels, professionals

  are, the more taping and sanding. Anyway, dry-

  often start with the top panel, butting it snugly to wall panel isn’t expensive. So, when in doubt

  the drywall on the ceiling. By doing so, they min-

  about reusing a piece, throw it out.

  imize gaps and support ceiling edges better.

  Curves. Curved walls are easy to cover with dry-

  Important: If you’re installing wall panels hori-

  wall. For the best results, use two layers of 1⁄4-in.

  zontally, the top panel edge must be level and the drywall, hung horizontally. Apply construction

  butt ends plumb. Otherwise, subsequent panels

  adhesive between the layers. Stagger their butt-

  may be cockeyed and butt ends may not be cen-

  and bevel-edged joints. For an 8-ft. panel run

  tered over the studs.

  horizontally, an arc depth of 2 ft. to 3 ft. should

  Once the upper wall panel is secure, raise the

  be easy to achieve. Sharper curves may require

  lower panel(s) snug against it. A homemade panel back-cutting panels (scoring slots into the back

  lifter is handy because it frees your hands to align so that the panels bend more easily), wetting

  the panels and sink the screws. A panel lifter is

  (wet-sponging the front and back of the sheet to

  simply a lever of scrap wood set with a fulcrum

  soften the gypsum), or special-ordering flexible

  in the middle. Pressing down on one end of the

  drywall panels, which have facings better suited

  lever with your foot raises the other end, which

  for bending.

  lifts the panel, as shown in the bottom left photo

  Corners. Corner bead reinforces and protects

  on p. 424.

  outside corners, uncased openings, and the like.

  Doors and windows. Joints around doors and

  It’s available in many materials. For best results,

  windows will be
weak and are likely to crack if

  install it in a continuous piece from floor to ceil-

  panel edges butt against the edges of the opening. ing. Cut the bead for outside corners about 1⁄2 in.

  That is, run the panel edges at least 8 in. past

  short: Push it snugly to the corner and slide it up

  door or window trimmers, and cut out the part of until it touches the ceiling. The 1⁄2-in. gap at the

  the panel that overlaps the opening. Pros do this

  bottom will be hidden by baseboard.

  because framing twists and flexes slightly when

  Galvanized metal bead was at one time the only

  doors or windows are opened and closed, which

  type available, and it’s still widely used. To cut it,

  will stress drywall joints and cause them to crack. use aviation snips (also known as tin snips). The

  Expect to waste a lot of drywall when cutting

  metal bead goes on the outside corners before

  paneling for doors and windows. Old houses are

  the tape and joint compound are applied. Nail it

  rife with nonstandard dimensions and odd

  up, spacing nails 8 in. apart, on both legs of the

  angles, so don’t fight it. You can use some of the

  bead. Then cover it with compound.

  larger cutoffs in out-of-the-way places such as

  closets, but remember that the more joints there

  436 Chapter 15

  Vinyl bead is less rigid than metal and able to

  accommodate outside corners that aren’t exactly

  90º. Attach vinyl bead either by stapling it directly

  to the drywall, spraying the drywall corner with

  vinyl adhesive before pressing the bead into the

  adhesive and then stapling, or using a taping knife

  BeDDIng The TApe

  to press the bead into a bed of joint compound.

  Paper-faced beads are embedded in joint com-

  pound. One of the best is the Ultraflex® structural

  corner, which comes in varying widths and has a

  plastic spine that flexes in or out so it can rein-

  force inside or outside corners. Because they’re

  flexible, such tapes are great for corners of just

  about any angle.

  TApiNg AND FiNiSHiNg

  To finish drywall, seal the panel joints with

  tape—or cover corners with corner bead—then

  spread joint compound over them. Typically,

  three coats of compound are applied in succes-

  sively wider coats and sanded after each applica-

  tion. The first coat, usually a high-strength taping

  compound, beds the tape. The second coat

  should be a thin layer of topping compound or

  all-purpose compound that you feather out to

  hide the joints. With the third coat, you feather

  out the compound farther, creating a smooth, fin-

  ished surface. (See “Joint Compounds” on p. 428

  for more about these materials.)

  1. Before applying paper tape, cover the seam with a

  2. After using your taping knife to

  generous bed of joint compound.

  center the tape on the seam, press the

  tape into the joint compound.

  4. Use a 10-in. knife to apply the second coat of

  5. Applied correctly, the third coat

  compound.

  should need only hand-sanding. A

  dry-sanding block is great for light

  3. After applying a layer of compound over the tape,

  sanding and corners.

  remove the excess. If the tape moves, you’re pressing too

  hard or your taping knife needs to be cleaned.

  Finish Surfaces

  437

  First coat. Fill nail holes or screw dimples by

  P R O T I P

  applying compound in an X pattern: One diago-

  An ORDeRLy Finish

  nal knife stroke applies the compound, and the

  Apply joint compound gener-

  second diagonal stroke removes the excess.

  ously. Without enough mud, the

  all that raw drywall can seem a bit overwhelm-

  If you use paper tape on the joints, first apply

  tape won’t stick. But as you

  ing, so here’s a taping and mudding sequence

  a swath of taping compound about 4 in. wide

  feather out the wet mud, scrape

  that starts easy so you can become comfortable

  off excess; sanding off dried

  down the center of the joint. Press the tape into

  with the tools and materials:

  globs later would be tedious and

  the center of the joint with a 6-in. taping knife.

   screw and nail holes

  time-consuming.

  Then apply compound over the tape, bearing

   bevel-edge joints (the long edges of panels)

  down so you remove the excess.

   butt-edge joints

  If you use self-sticking mesh tape, stick it

   outside corners

  directly over the joint and apply the bedding

  compound over it. In other words, don’t apply a

   inside corners

  bed of compound first when using mesh tape.

  have a pail of clean water and a sponge handy

  Mesh tape must be bedded in setting-type com-

  so you can rinse your taping knives periodically.

  pound, as explained earlier in this chapter.

  they glide better if they’re clean. keep the job

  Allow the first coat to dry thoroughly before

  site clean, too: if you drop a glob of compound

  sanding it. This will take about a day, if the room

  on the floor, scrape it up and discard it so you

  temperature is 65ºF to 70ºF and there’s adequate

  don’t track it around the house.

  ventilation. Sand lightly with 120-grit to 150-grit

  sandpaper. Because there are two more coats to

  come, this taping coat can be left a little rough.

  Second coat. The second coat is also called the

  angle and pressure, the more compound you’ll

  filler coat, and with this one you’ll apply the most remove. This is easier to do than explain.

  compound. At this stage, many professionals use

  Because butt-end joints are not beveled, they’ll

  a 10-in.-wide taping joint knife and feather out

  mound slightly at the center of the seam. That’s

  the seams so they are roughly 8 in. to 10 in. wide. OK. Use a 10-in. taping knife to build up the

  After applying the compound, smooth it out with compound on both sides of the joint, feather out

  an even wider blade—say, a 14-in. trowel.

  the edges, and smooth the center. Consequently,

  As you’ll learn when working with joint com-

  butt-end joints may need to be wider than bevel-

  pound, the lower the angle of the blade and

  edge joints. You may often need to feather butt-

  the less pressure, the easier it is to smooth and

  end joints 16 in. to 20 in. wide.

  feather (spread out) the mud. The greater the

  When this second coat is dry, sand with

  150-grit to 220-grit paper. A pole sander will

  extend your reach and enable you to sand longer

  without tiring, but don’t sand too aggressively or

  The Art of inside Corners

  you’ll abrade the paper face or expose the tape.

  Use paper tape for inside corners.

  Easy does it.

  After applying a bed of compound t
o

  Third coat. The third coat is the last chance to

  both surfaces, crease the tape and

  feather out the edges, so use a premixed, all-

  place it in the corner. Then use a

  purpose, drying-type compound, which is easy

  double-edged corner knife (see

  to thin out and sand because it has a fine consis-

  p. 425) to press the tape into the

  tency and dries quickly. Although premixed com-

  compound before spreading a layer

  pound will be the right consistency, it’s OK to add

  of compound over the tape.

  a little water to thin it even more.

  Because the third coat is only slightly wider

  Some pros snort at corner knives,

  (2 in.) than the second coat, you’ll be applying a

  preferring to use a flat 6-in. taping

  relatively small amount of compound. Use a

  knife to press tape into compound,

  12-in. trowel, with a light touch. Some pros thin

  one edge at a time. When feathering

  this coat enough to apply it with a roller and then

  out joint compound, pros allow the

  smooth it with a trowel. They leave no trowel

  compound to dry on one side of the

  marks when they’re done.

  corner before working on the adja-

  Hand-sand the final coat, using fine, 220-grit

  cent surface. in other words, “Never

  sandpaper or a very fine sanding block. Shining a

  run wet mud into wet mud.”

  strong light at a low, raking angle on surfaces will

  highlight the imperfections you need to sand.

  438 Chapter 15

  Wrap up. If you intend to texture the surfaces,

  the third coat doesn’t need to be mirror smooth.

  Mechanical TAPinG TOOLS

  Even so, don’t scrimp on the second coat, or else

  the joints may be visible through the texture.

  mechanical drywall taping tools are

  To give yourself the greatest number of deco-

  commonly referred to as bazooka®

  rating options in the future, paint the finished

  tools, after a popular brand, and

  drywall surface with a coat of flat, oil-based

  they can be rented, usually for two

  primer. It will seal the paper face of the drywall

  weeks at a stretch. the suite of

  and provide an excellent base for any kind of

  tools includes a taper that applies

  paint or wall covering.

  tape and compound simultaneously,

  DRyWAll REpAiRS

  as well as finishing tools, various

  head attachments, and flat boxes

 

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