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Drywall Materials and Tips

Here are some pro tips related to drywall. These tips are useful if you want to Do-It-Yourself or if you are wanting to make sure your contractor is using the best materials for your home improvement job. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Choosing the right drywall

The basis of drywall hanging uses drywall sheets, tape, joint compound, various fasteners, and treatments for the edge. This all seems easy until you are ready to decide specifically which item to purchase online or in the drywall aisle of the store.

The following questions, answers, and tips will help you in making the best decisions for your home or business needs.

Is drywall fire-resistant?

There is “Type X” drywall that is 5/8 in. thick. It is designed to slow the spread of fire. It is recommended that and, in some cases, required on garage walls and ceilings that adjoin living areas. Discuss this option with your local house/building inspector the requirements for Type X drywall. There are many varieties, each with a different fire rating.

Is drywall resistant to mold and moisture?

There is an item called “greenboard”, mold-and-mildew-resistant 1/2-in. drywall is a somewhat different to deal with. Manufacturers use various methods to eliminate or treat the paper that covers the gypsum core. To keep mold and mildew from growing they have to get rid of the organic paper food source. Builders used to install it in wet and damp locations, placing it behind tile in shower and bath enclosures. Those enclosures have already been or soon will be replaced as the greenboard fails. In summary, greenboard is not recommended. It has not shown to stand the test. There are better alternatives for use in wet areas-like cement board.

Drywall Depth

You have the choice of the depth of drywall. We will discuss the most common options of drywall. There is half inch drywall, three- eighths inch drywall, and quarter inch drywall. Your local drywall repair company can discuss these options further with you related to specifics you need for your home interior walls.

Half-inch drywall

1/2-in. drywall is the best choice for most walls and sometimes for ceilings. There are both standard weight and lightweight versions. Lightweight is stronger and weighs 25 percent less than the standard option. If you spend a few extra dollars and get “ultralight” or “lightweight” drywall, it will be easier to handle and stiffer, so it can cover ceilings that have joists spaced at 24 in. Some stores no longer carry standard 1/2-in. drywall, because the lightweight option is so much better.

Three-eighths inch drywall

3/8-in. drywall can still be found in some situations. If repairs are needed in a house that was built before the 70s, you may find they have 3/8-in. drywall installed. You will need to match that thickness to patch an existing wall. You can measure the existing drywall by taking off a switch plate cover to find the thickness. But unless you’re matching existing drywall, we don’t have a reason to use 3/8-in. drywall. Another important note is that window and doorjambs are designed to be flush with 1/2-in. drywall.

Quarter inch drywall

1/4-in. drywall is a very thin material, so it is typically only used to cover bad walls like in the case of cracked plaster or unremovable wallpaper. Because it is flexible, it also may be applied in two layers on curved walls or can be used on archways. There are specialty stores that carry super bendable drywall even flexible enough to drywall the inside of a large tube! Keep in mind, screws don’t countersink well in 1/4-in. drywall, so in place of screws construction adhesive is a good choice. You can tack it in place with nails until the adhesive sets.

Which drying compound is the best?

Drying compound comes premixed in buckets and boxes. It hardens as the water in it evaporates. There are variations, but there are two basic types: All Purpose Joint Compound and Lightweight All Purpose Joint Compound. Also there is setting compound that is mainly used for repairs and touch ups.

All-purpose compound contains a lot of adhesive, making it the hardest, strongest type of drying compound. So this is the best choice for the first coat, the part that you embed the paper to the drywall.  You can use it for following coats too, but the sanding will be very difficult.

The lightweight all-purpose compound has an advantage. The main advantage of lightweight mud is that it is easier to sand. But as mentioned before, it is not as hard or strong as the other. Also it is a bit more likely to dent when bumped or to crack at joints. Look for the term “lightweight” on the label. Don’t use lightweight compound to embed mesh joint tape; that combination often leads to cracks.

What is setting compound, why do we use it and which type do I need?

Setting compound is a powder that you mix with water just before use, it is comparable to cement. It hardens by chemical reaction instead of drying time. Besides hardening fast and allowing you to apply the next coat sooner, setting compound has three advantages over other joint compounds: It is harder, stronger, and shrinks much less. Setting compound is perfect for filling larger holes and bedding tape, but its’ much harder to sand, so it should never be used as a last coat. Regular setting compound is very hard, very strong—and almost impossible to sand. There is also Lightweight setting compound. The Lightweight versions sacrifice a little toughness but are much easier to sand than regular setting compound.

Don’t forget to the roll of paper tape.

When it comes to drywall there are three main types of tape: paper tape, fiberglass mesh tape, and reinforced paper tape.

Paper tape is cheap and, surprisingly, stronger than fiberglass tape. Unlike fiberglass tape, it is pre-creased in the middle so you can fold it to tape inside corners. But, it does take a bit more skill to embed it in drywall seams. So if you prefer this option you may want to contact a professional or be prepared to have help with getting it into those corners neatly.

The second main type of tape is fiberglass mesh. Mesh is far easier to use than paper. It has adhesive on one side; you just stick it to the wall and mud over it. Mesh tape is very forgiving and highly recommended for first-time tapers. You will still have to use paper tape or reinforced paper tape for corners at wall-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling joints. Since it is not as crack resistant as paper tape, setting compound is usually recommended for embedding mesh tape.

The final option for tape is reinforced paper tape. This is designed for inside corners and for wall-to-ceiling angles, reinforced paper tape has metal or plastic strips on the back side. They don’t make the joint stronger, but they provide a stiff guide for your knife, making it easy to cut the corners straight and neat.

Fasteners: Screws or Nails?

Fasteners are another important item in the role that they play in the installation of drywall. The options between drywall screws or nails depend on your needs. 

You should choose drywall screws over nails—nails are more likely to work loose and cause craters or “pops.” The screw length depends on the drywall thickness: 1-5/8-in. screws are for 5/8-in. drywall; 1-1/4-in. screws are for anything thinner. Coarse threads are for wood studs; fine threads for steel studs.

How do I finish the edges of the drywall? A Variety of Edge and Corner Beads  is the answer.

Whenever drywall meets another surface like stone, brick, or paneling, you need a neat way to finish the edge. You can always use wood trim, but there are some other options.

Corner Beads

You have many choices for outside corners: metal or vinyl, square or bullnose, and bead for non-90-degree corners or arches. The main difference is how they will be installed. Standard metal can be nailed on and then taped; vinyl corner bead should be installed with adhesive and staples. Paper-faced versions get glued into place using joint compound.

This covers all the basic materials needed to start your drywall installation or drywall repair job. Keep in mind that a DIYer can do the job, but the results will last for many years. So depending on which area of your house you are hanging drywall you will want to consider how important the quality is. If you just have questions or need an estimate. We gladly provide free estimates.

Contact us today.