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Hanging Drywall

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Always work from top to bottom when hanging drywall, and always hang the sheets perpendicular to the framing. Hang drywall on ceilings before hanging drywall on walls. The sheets on the walls will help support the sheets on the ceiling. Mark the location of the studs on the ceiling and on the floor so that they are easy to find when you are hanging the drywall on the walls.

a. Nails or Screws? - There are strict building codes when it comes to how many fasteners need to be in each sheet of drywall. The easiest way to do it yourself is with nails, especially if you are not comfortable with a screw gun. When choosing nails for ½” drywall, choose a 1/1/4 “ ring shank as it holds better into wood framing. You will need a nail about every 7 inches on ceilings and every 8 inches on walls. Use a drywall hammer to set the nails. If speed is important to you, you may opt for screws instead. Screws are stronger than nails, so you will only need one about every 16 inches. You will need a special drywall screw gun if you go this route.
b. On Ceilings- Getting drywall up to the ceiling is hard enough, but keeping it there is even harder. The easiest way to do this is with a drywall lift or a drywall jack. When the sheet is in place, nail or screw around the edges of the sheet. Then you can put the fasteners in the middle. Always start the ceiling using full sheets and cut them so the edge is centered on a joist. Stagger the joints between sheets from row to row to make your walls stronger.
c. On Walls- The rules are basically the same for hanging drywall on walls. Lift the sheet to the top row, then nail across the top of the sheet. When hanging the bottom piece, uses a little lifter with your foot to make sure the two pieces fit together snugly.
d. Joints- One thing that is very important when hanging drywall is to get the joints lined up correctly. The factory edge of a piece of drywall is the smooth edge. It is made for butting together with other edges, so if possible, you want the factory edges next to each other. A butt-joint is made when cut edges are butted together. Before taping and mudding butt-joints, you may want to make a recess in them with your utility knife to avoid having a hump.

Next Page: Finishing Drywall Joints

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