Wallboard panels contain compressed gypsum.
Wallboard lies beneath the smooth interior walls in a new home. After the contractor frames the walls and runs the electrical wires and plumbing, he attaches these large, paper-faced sheets of compressed gypsum particles to the wall studs. Wallboard replaces the old lath and plaster method of constructing walls. Whether you're installing the panels on a ceiling or a wall, you'll get better results if you follow some standard installation techniques.
Instructions
1. Measure wallboard panels precisely before cutting. The edges of each panel must meet, or "break," on the center of a stud or a joist.
2. Use a utility knife to score the front surface of a wallboard panel and bend the wallboard backward quickly, snapping the panel along the scored line.
3. Snug wallboard panels tightly together during installation to reduce joint taping.
4. Use the factory edges on the wallboard whenever possible. Where two wallboard factory edges meet on a stud, they create a slight depression in the wall to make taping out the joints easier. While you can position cut edges together, it will require more taping to make the wall appear smooth.
5. Insert screws designed especially for wallboard installation. These screws feature a trumpet-shaped head that sinks smoothly through the surface paper on the wallboard without tearing the paper.
6. Countersink the heads of the screws just enough to dimple the wallboard paper, but not enough to tear it. This is called "dimpling."
7. Apply premixed joint compound to all seams between the wallboard panels and smooth it over screw head dimples.
8. Use a 6-inch taping knife to put the compound on the wall. Switch to a wider, 10-inch or 12-inch knife to smooth out the surface of the wet compound.
9. Apply paper or fiberglass tape during the initial application of wet compound. Fiberglass tape is self-adhesive and features a mesh surface. You can apply fiberglass tape directly on the dry seams and put the compound on over it -- pushing the compound through the mesh and into the cracks beneath.
10. Use paper tape on top of the first layer of wet compound. Paper tape is thin and professional tapers use it for the smoothest walls, but it's more difficult to work with. The wetness of the compound holds it in place and you will smooth it out with a taping knife.
11. Apply two or more thin coats of compound to the seams in drywall. The compound shrinks as it dries, so applying multiple coats offers the best results.
12. Sand the entire wall or ceiling with a pole sander, fitted with a drywall-sanding screen.
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