How to Hang Drywall

By: Scott Gibson, This Old House magazine

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. DRYWALL

2. 1 1/4-INCH COARSE-THREAD DRYWALL SCREWS

3. CONER BEAD
for finishing outside corners

4. 1 1/2-INCH DRYWALL NAILS
for installing corner bead

Close
Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Drill (for driving screws
- T-square,
  for guiding utility-knife cuts
- Circle cutter,
  for scoring paper to fit around circular ceiling boxes and recessed lights
- Drywall saw,
  for cutting and trimming panels before installation
- Drywall lifter,
  for raising lowest sheet on wall
- Metal-cutting snips,
  for cutting corner bead
- Step ladders and staging planks,
  to stand on when installing ceiling panels
- Utility knife,
  for cutting panels and smoothing ends
- Rotary cut-out tool,
  for cutting around electrical boxes and windows and doors
- Hammer
- Measuring tape
Close

Introduction
Overview
Steps:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7

6 to 8 hours
$8 to $10 per ½-inch x 4x8-foot sheet

Difficulty: Moderate to hard The sheets are heavy and a bit unwieldy, especially when covering the ceiling.

Call it wallboard, plasterboard, Sheetrock, or just plain "rock," like some pros do, drywall revolutionized the way walls and ceilings are covered. Before the 1950s, when these paper-wrapped gypsum panels came into widespread use, it took days for lathers and plasterers to create a firm, flat foundation for paint or wallpaper. With drywall, it takes a fraction of the time. Two pros can typically cover a 12-by-16-foot room in about an hour.

To work that fast takes practice and a few specialized tools. But hanging drywall is not just about speed. Doing the job right means using screws of the correct length, off-setting panels so seams don’t line up, and making sure wires and pipes aren't vulnerable to puncture.

Installing drywall is easy enough for a homeowner, as long as there's someone to help; the heavy sheets are difficult to lift, particularly when doing ceilings.