If you are renovating a home and need to hang sheetrock, you can expect to pay at least nine dollars per sheet to have someone else hang the sheetrock. If your room is large, that nine dollars a sheet can really add up. Luckily, it is simple to hang sheetrock, so you can do this job yourself.
First, decide what type of sheetrock you want to hang. There are several thicknesses of sheetrock. If you are hanging it on the ceiling, you may want to choose the thinnest sheetrock you can find, since it can get very heavy when you are lifting it over your head. If you are planning to play drums in the renovated room, you should choose a sheetrock that has soundproofing properties.
Next, make sure that you are completely finished with insulation, plumbing, and wiring renovations so that you will not need to tear down your sheetrock right after you hang it. Check to make sure everything is in working order and that any building inspections are completed. If you sheetrock over a wall before the inspector has seen it, he will require you to take it back down so that he can make sure that everything behind the sheetrock is finished correctly.
After you are sure you are ready to hang your sheetrock, you will need to check to see where the sheet falls in relation to the studs in the wall. You should never hang sheetrock so that it covers the end stud completely, since you will need part of that stud to hang the next sheet of sheetrock. If you need to cut a few inches off the sheetrock, it is easiest to use a special sheetrock knife. It is not an expensive tool and well worth the expense if you plan to hang sheetrock in several rooms. If you don’t have this tool, you can use a utility knife to cut through the outer skin of the sheetrock on both sides and then use a metal ruler or an extra board with a straight edge to help you evenly break off the inner part of the sheetrock.
Traditionally, sheetrock is hung so that the eight foot side is vertical and the four foot side is horizontal. Lean your sheetrock into place and use drywall screws to fasten it to the wall studs. Every screw hole is a hole that you will need to patch later, so don’t overdo it. You should not place the screws any closer than one foot apart. Make sure you sink the holes a bit below the top surface of the sheetrock so that there will not be any lumps in your walls.
Once you hang your sheetrock on the walls, you will need to find a helper to install the ceiling sheetrock. If you cannot find anyone to help you, you can make a helper, called a dead man, from a two by four that is as high as the room that has another two by four screwed into the top of it to form a t shape. The dead man will hold one end of the sheetrock up while you screw in the other end.
Finally, it is time to finish your sheetrock. You will need joint compound, drywall tape, metal corners and caulk. Tape all seams between two sections of sheetrock. If you have outside edges, you will need to install metal corners. Cover the drywall tape with a smooth even coat of joint compound. You will probably need to sand and reapply joint compound after the first coat dries. Some people use joint compound to cover screw holes as well, but it is easier and quicker to caulk the holes. Now, you are ready to prime and paint your walls.
