Dry wall work

I've never done it myself, but I remember a co-worker trying to save money and do it himself without finding out how first. The two things I remember are that you have to "hang" the drywall using shims or whatever to leave a clearance between the bottom and the floor so it doesn't buckle when it settles, and you're supposed to start at the middle of a wall and work outwards. Again, never done it myself. But it seems like, once it's framed and all, the drywall part isn't that difficult. Good luck.

 

Friend,
Hire someone, or at least get some prices.
Regarding sheetrock:
Around here (way N.Cal), this work gets done for about .75$/sf wall/ceiling, labor and materials. Your garage can probably be completed for about $1000, for sheetrock hang/tape/finish.
Without a hoist (for the ceiling) you will not be able to do this work alone. With a hoist, you still better be one strong tamale.
You may want to insulate yourself. Very unpleasant work, as you would discover.
Make sure you got every bit of wire/plumbing, etc. in the walls before you start!
Good luck, Keith

 

It is not hard, just time consuming and messy. Hang the ceiling first, and take it right to the vertical studs, that way when you hang the walls, those pieces will help support the ceiling. Rent a dry wall hoist to hang the ceiling, it makes it very easy. You want to put construction adhesive on the studs as you hang each piece. This allows you to use far fewer fasteners. You can either screw or nail the pieces up, but I find that using dry wall screws and a cordless drill is much easier. The fasteners should be about 10" apart on walls, 8" on the ceiling. Sink the fasteners just below the surface then fill w/ mud. Put tape on the seams and corners and buy some quality finishing tools (4" & 10" trolls for applying mud and a mesh drywall sander w/ a pole to attach to it when doing the ceiling). The edges of each sheet are tapered to allow room for the tape and mud. Always end a sheet of dry wall 1/2 way across a 2x4 to allow a fastening surface for this piece and the next. To cut to size, score the pieces w/ a utility knife (about 1/2 way through the sheet) and then lift the piece and snap it in the opposite direction. No need to cut it all the way through. Then cut along the crease from the opposite side of the board to cut the rest of the way through. Wear a mask when sanding! Have fun.

 

doing insulation is the worst job on the planet...be sure you don't wear a tee shirt or you will scratch your arms off...

 

Good for you trying to DIY. I try this method as much as I can, just because I really enjoy working on my house, my car, my computer etc.

I'd like to recommend a really good forum on garages, called www.GarageJunkies.net. Great ideas and good peeps too.

There are numerious threads on drywall installation at that forum.

FYI, I put myself through college doing drywall in San Francisco - this skill has safed my tush many a time. Enjoy the work and enjoy learning about new muscles in your body!

 

I just got done finishing mine last week. Fortunately the ceiling was already done but the walls are 10.5' high. Not easy carrying a sheet of drywall up a ladder and have a cordless drill close enough to grab while you hold that sheet up and start a screw. Yeah it sucks but the price to have it done is ridiculous.

Before I did mine I installed 3 220V sockets and a half dozen more 120V. There are never enough receptacles in garages. I now wish I would have put more 120's in. 120's are a piece of cake but 10ga wire for the 220s is not easy to thread through the studs.

PM me if you have more questions...oh yeah...I did find that the insulation (yellow) from Home Depot was much easier to cut than the pink stuff from Lowes.

 

Keep in mind that if you hang the sheetrock, and then later decide to hire a "pro" to mud / tape / finish the job, then you might have a difficult time finding someone to do the job. Most pro-installers would rather install the drywall themselves along with finishing it as they all have their unique ways of doing the job, and don't particularly like going behind someone else to finish. I went through that hassle when I built our first house.

 

You can rent a drywall jack for about 35 bucks a day at Home Depot, or buy a used one from them. I paid $275.00. They also rent sanders, which look like electric weed eaters with a sanding disc on it. You will be amazed at how fast they sand. I hung close to 200 sheets in the last two weeks, no big deal, no talent, just time.

 

Lots of good info.

Only things I would add are,

1. They now make 1/2" 4' x 12' sheets that are High Strength (HS) for ceilings. Now that most construction is 24" centers for rafters/ceiling joists, you can minimize the chance for sagging by using this 1/2" HS instead of going to 5/8" thickness.

2. If you are not using insulation that already has a vapor barrier on it, be sure to install a 4 or 6 mill poly vapor barrier between the insulation and drywall.

3. As stated before make sure to leave a gap between the floor and the drywall... any water that touches it will wick up into the sheet and over time that can really break the stuff up.

4. As a personal preference I like to use solid tape in the corners (wall/wall and wall/ceiling), but use the self adhering mesh on the regular seems.

Have fun, post pics =)

 

I hung all 144 sheets to finish my basement---perfect instructions...

 

Man, you're really well hung!

 

Here's a "rule of thumb" that I go by. If the materials are more expensive than the labor then pay to have someone do it. For example, I would never try to install my own carpet. If you mess up it can be costly.

 

I had 2 rooms added to my house last year w/ dry wall done by "pros". Well, with harsh light, bumps & warped sheets are quite visible. Easier said than done.

 

Right!

I can't either....

1 or 2 buddies and some beer makes the project a lot easier

 

I've done this a number of times myself. I predict pain!!!

 

And when you "float" the joints with spakling compound, be sure to fill in all the cracks so the stench of rotting flesh can not escape.

 

Consider the use of other products for the project.In my mind,sheetrock is not the ideal material for the project.................

 

... and what is then, based on what he wants in his garage?