If you are remodeling or renovating a room or a whole house, learning to install drywall is a very good skill to have for the do-it-yourselfer. Knowing how to properly hang drywall can make the difference in a room looking merely adequate and looking beautiful. The supplies you need are available from local building suppliers or home improvement supercenters.

Learning to put up drywall is the kind of skill that can save you plenty of money and provide you with the intense satisfaction of having accomplished a demanding task on your own. Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Make sure you have all the proper materials and supplies. To know how much drywall you need, calculate the square footage of the room, and add 10% to account for waste. Divide the total square footage of the room +10% by 30. This will tell you how many 4’ x 8’ sheets of drywall you’ll need. Of course, you’ll need to round up to the next whole number to know how many sheets to get. You’ll also need joint compound, joint tape, screws and nails. For every 1,000 square feet you’ll be drywalling, you will need 140 pounds of joint compound, 370 feet of joint tape and 700 each of screws and nails.

2. Make sure you have the proper tools for the job. To cut the drywall, you’ll need a good utility knife and a T-square to make accurate right angles. Some people use a saw to cut out holes for electrical outlets or other features. A rasp will help neaten up edges that are slightly overcut. You’ll also need a hammer and screwdriver. A power screwdriver will save you lots of time and effort. A taping knife is useful for spreading joint compound, and you will also need a sander.

3. Begin hanging and fastening drywall. Work from top to bottom, and work perpendicular to the framing. Fastening requirements differ in different areas, so be sure that you fasten your drywall in accordance with local building codes. Install screws every sixteen inches along the frame. Fill these in with nails. That way you will have fasteners of some kind every seven inches. Countersink screws and nails. Joints that are cut by hand should join with other joints cut by hand, and factory edges should join up with factory edges.

4. Finish the seams. When all the sheets are hung, you need to apply joint compound to the seams. Using the knife, press the joint compound into place. After that, use the tape. Press tape from one edge to the other, centered on the seam. Working from the middle outward, press and smooth the joint tape out. Afterward, apply a thin coat of joint compound over the tape, and fill in the countersunk screws and nails. When you’re done, you need to let it dry for 24 hours.

5. After 24 hours, apply more compound to smooth out the edges from the previous application of joint compound. This layer needs to dry for 24 hours. For the final coat, you carefully make all the edges smooth. This takes some skill, so don’t try to rush it.  After that coat is dry, you can sand the walls smooth. Make sure to wear a protective mask and goggles. When you’re done, vacuum up all the particles.

6. When this process is done, you can prime the walls. This step is important to hide imperfections and give the walls a smooth, even surface. After the walls have been primed, then you get to decorate it to your taste with wallpaper or paint. Start to finish a drywall project takes several days to a week, after accounting for all the drying times.

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