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| Drywall |
| Matching Drywall Texture | |
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With the insulation in place it is time to install the drywall. Prior to the
drywall being nailed in place you should walk through your house and mark on
the floor the locations of outlets, switches, and light fixtures. If the
drywall subcontractor covers any of these openings these marks will make it
easier for them to locate and cut out the covered fixture. Drywall comes in
4¹x 8¹ and 4¹ x 12¹ sheets. You should use 4¹ X 12¹ sheets whenever possible
to reduce the number of joints and the amount of finish work required.
 The drywall should be
attached to the walls and ceiling with screws. Screws are more expensive
than nails, but they reduce the potential for nail pops caused by the wood
drying and pushing the nail out. When the drywall is installed the edges
should be staggered. Staggering the edges strengthens the wall and makes the
vertical joint less noticeable after finishing.
Check your plans and notes from the building department carefully. Often times there are special considerations regarding the type of drywall used in certain locations. A garage will require 5/8" type X drywall. This drywall adds additional fire protection for the separation between the house and the garage. Most multifamily units require 5/8" type X throughout the units to help prevent the spread of fire from one unit to the next. Depending on the size and type of your fireplace and the type of heat and location of your mechanical room you may be required to install drywall in the flu chase for the fireplace and the flu chase for the mechanical. In heavily forested areas, particularly those next to national forest lands, fire retardant drywall is often required throughout the building to help keep the fire inside the structure and prevent it from spreading to the forest. "Green board" should
be installed in any area that has the potential to be exposed to a lot of
moisture such as a bathroom or laundry room. A wax emulsion provides water
resistance and the name comes from the green paper that covers this type of
drywall.
Once the drywall is in place the corners need to be treated with corner bead. Exposed corners have the potential to be damaged easily. Corner bead is a metal corner piece that covers the edge and provides additional protection. When the drywall is finished the corner bead gets covered with the finishing compound and will be indistinguishable from the wall. In the past corner bead has been a true 90 degree corner, but these days it is very popular to use rounded corner bead. Rounded corners are less susceptible to cracks and dings, and they are aesthetically pleasing. However this type of corner creates more work for the trim carpenter which we will address when we talk about interior trim.
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| Texture | |
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Once the drywall is in
place and you have verified that no outlets, switches or fixtures have been
covered it is time to begin to finish the drywall. It is critical to be
meticulous about the finish on the drywall. Any dents, ridges, or poorly
finished seams will be noticeable I the finished product.
When the drywall is
hung the nails or screws are driven slightly below the surface of the
drywall creating a dimple. These dimples are filled with drywall finishing
or joint compound. The drywall contractor will also use drywall tape over
the edges of the drywall to create a smooth seam and reduce the chances of
cracking. The tape is a heavy paper, which is set in joint compound and
pressed in place. A spackling knife is used to push the joint compound into
the dimples and the recesses of the drywall edges.
The compound must then be allowed to dry. If you are building during the winter it is important to keep heat on at all times while the compound is drying. If you do not maintain a level temperature during the drying period the compound will crack as is dries. The cracks can be patched, but a repaired seam never looks as good as the original, and you may have difficulty matching the exact texture if you do the repair at a later date. As the drywall compound dries is shrinks. Once the first coat is dry the finishers will apply a second coat to all the seams and dimples. Once this coat is dry the walls should be sanded to insure that they are smooth and ready to be textured or painted. Drywall can be finished in a wide variety of textures. The texture you select will have an effect on the overall appearance and mood in the house. If you want a rustic cabin feel you can apply a skip trowel finish. This finish is applied by hand and creates a rough finish, which resembles stucco. A heavy knockdown finish could also be used to provide a rustic but not so rough finish. Spraying texture compound on the smooth walls and then lightly flattening the texture with a trowel, spackling knife, or knockdown roller produces a knockdown texture. You can have a light, medium, or heavy knockdown. The difference is the in how much and how big the pattern is applied when the texture is sprayed on. A light knockdown will have smaller patches of texture and create a finer finish while a heavy knockdown will have larger patches of texture and therefore look more rustic. If the texture is sprayed on and left to dry without knocking it down it is called an orange peel finish. Appropriately named because the finish resembles that of an orange peel. This finish may also be applied in a range of light too heavy textures. Both of these finishes can vary greatly, I recommend you see a sample of the finish before it is applied to the entire house to make sure you like the finished product. If possible, visit another house with a similar texture so you can see how the texture looks when painted.
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