6/14/2017 Drywall Layout: A Visual Guide

Drywall Basics Drywall

Drywall Layout: A Visual Guide

BY LEE WALLENDER Updated 01/23/17

01 Drywall Layout Visual Guide

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How to Drywall: Layout. Public Do

In this single picture of a room with newly installed drywall, you will see thebasic layout of the sheets, fasteners, electrical box
cutouts, joint compound, and where to sand. Through these steps, I break down the elements of this picture to show you the
anatomy of a typical drywall project.

Horizontal or Vertical?

When laying out drywall, you need to decide which direction to lay out the rectangular-shaped sheets:

Vertical - that is, four feet across and eight feet tall, so that it completely reaches from oor to ceiling; or

Horizontal - that is, eight feet across and four feet tall.

Vertical placement is the classic way of laying out drywall. But horizontal placement has its advantages, too. Some professional
drywall installers deem horizontal placement to be a stronger form of installation.

In our pictured drywall example, note that not only is placement horizontal, but 10' x 4' sheets are used.

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02 Drywall Layout: Position of Fasteners

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How to Drywall: Hanging and Scre

With a cordless drill and coarse thread 1 5/8" drywall screws, you will drive a screw every eight inches along the entire perimeter
of the drywall sheets.

You should also drive screws in the center of the sheets where they rest on studs. Studs typically run every 16" on-center. Note
that in this example, the installer has run only a handful of screws into the studs, and has clustered them mainly in the center of
each stud.

03 Drywall Layout: Where To Place Tape

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How to Drywall: Drywall Taping. P

Tape all seams. Use berglass mesh tape or paper tape to tape at seams. Fiberglass mesh is more expensive, but stronger. Paper
tape is cheaper, but not as strong.

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Inside and outside corners can be taped with regular paper tape. However, most drywall installers use metal bead for inside and
outside corners, or even metal-backed paper tape for inside corners.

04 Drywall Layout: Placement of Electrical Box Cutouts

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How to Drywall: Box Cutouts. Publ

There are two ways to mark and cut out electrical boxes (light switch boxes, electrical receptacles, etc.).

One way is to measure and cut the holes for the boxes ahead of time. This can be a frustrating process, though, as the hole is
often misaligned.

A better way is to use a new item called Blindmark. Blindmark is a super-strong magnet that ts inside the box. After placement
of the drywall, another part of the Blindmark device locates the hidden part. After you mark the spot with a pencil, it... MORE

05 Drywall Layout: Joint Sanding

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How to Drywall: Mudding/Joint Co

Apply joint compound to all taped areas and any depressions, scratches, dents, and screw holes.

First, smooth on the joint compound (also known as "mud") to the joints with a medium-sized taping knife. Then, feather out the
mud with a large knife. After this rst coat has dried and hardened, apply a second coat.

Smooth the joint compound over all drywall screw divots (holes), too.

Be judicious about applying joint compound: the more you apply, the more you have to sand down later.

06 Drywall Layout: Places to Sand

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How to Drywall: Sanding. Public D

With a hand-held and pole-mounted drywall sanding tool, sand down all areas indicated in the picture.

Coarser grit sandpaper should be used in the rst phase to bring down the rough areas. Avoid the temptation to use very coarse
grit sandpaper; this will abrade the drywall paper surface.

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Follow up with a lighter grit sandpaper in the second sanding.

Small areas of joint compound can be "sanded" with a wet sponge, called the "wet-sanding technique." This is a great way to
help... MORE

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