A drywaller stands beside a pole sander.
Some do-it-yourselfers assume that it takes the magical touch of a master drywaller to create smooth, seamless drywall surfaces. However, the right set of tools makes drywall renovation and repair possible for many skill levels. Become familiar with the tools used to cut, hang and finish drywall, gather a set, and prepare to tackle both small patching and large repair jobs.
Tape Measure
This essential layout tool allows the repairman to accurately mark patches and pieces of drywall prior to cutting. The modern tape measure consists of a metal or plastic taped coiled within a roughly square-shaped case.
Drywall Square
The drywall square shares its shape with the draftsman's T square, and builders sometimes refer to this tool as a "drywall T square." A drywaller lays this tool across the length or width of a sheet of drywall and uses its edge to mark perfectly straight lines across the material.
Utility Knife
This multi-purpose tool is all you need to cut drywall. To cut drywall with a utility knife, the drywaller uses the tool's blade to score through the drywall's backing paper and snaps the sheet along the score with a quick, forceful push.
Drywall Tape
Drywall tape not only covers the seam between patches and sheets of drywall, but creates a sturdy, structural bond. There are two basic kinds of drywall tape: paper and mesh. Whereas mesh tape is usually self-adhesive, paper tape is set with a drywall joint compound.
Drywall Joint Compound
Joint compound, called "mud" by the professionals, is a thick, gypsum-based slurry used as a plaster across seams between patches and sheets of drywall. Mud dries hard to create a bond between drywall tape and adjacent pieces of drywall. Additionally, drywall professionals use mud to create decorative drywall textures on new installations and match existing textures during repairs.
Drywall Taping Knife
This broad-edged relative of the putty knife applies layers of drywall joint compound over joints and sheets of drywall. Like a putty knife, the taping knife's roughly half-circle blade attaches to a straight handle. Taping-knife blades are available in a variety of widths; small widths apply the first few coats of mud to a joint and broader knives apply the final, feathered coats. Taping knives are made of plastic or metal.
Sandpaper
Sandpaper smooths and shapes dried joint compound. For small repairs, a sheet of sandpaper is directly applied to cured joint compound. For larger projects, a drywall professional attaches the sandpaper to specially designed drywall-sanding tools, such as a hand sander or pole sander.
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