Drywall Installation in Fort St. James, British Columbia

Your gypsum board installation project

Here you are in front of your bare room asking yourself how you’re going to install your gypsum board. We agree that this project is a little bit more intimidating than a painting project. However, be assured that by using the right method, you’ll be able to work through it!

If you are still not excited about the idea of completing this project, you will always be able to hire a specialist.

A few tips for installing your gypsum board

First, you must be equipped with all the tools you will need to carry out your project. Most of all, you will need a drywall knife, a level and a T-square.

For a complete list of tools used when installing your gypsum board, please check out our article How to install gypsum boards?

Afterwards, check the location of obstacles such as electrical wiring, plumbing and switches. Remember to be very careful not to damage any of these elements during the installation process; otherwise, you could pay very dearly, in every sense of the word.

Now, the time has come to calculate the square footage of the room. Once you have obtained this measurement, divide it by the area of the panels you want to buy.

Although gypsum boards are available in both 4 x 8 and 4 x 12 sizes, it is recommended that the second option is chosen to limit the number of joints required at the time of finishing. Also, we strongly recommend that you choose panels that are at least ½ inch thick.

Errors to avoid during the installation of your gypsum board

In order for your project to run smoothly, it will be necessary to avoid making these small mistakes:

• Hitting panel’s corners on the ground inadvertently, as a damaged panel is an unusable panel;
• Install connections over a door frame or over a corner of the frame;
• Not choosing the right type of panels. In some cases, you will need soundproofing or waterproof panels;
• Aligning joints, resulting in a demarcation that is particularly difficult to mask.

Nails or screws?

That’s a really good question!  Although it is possible to use nails for the installation of gypsum board, know that it is better to use screws. Indeed, the expansion caused by changes in temperature may cause the nails to stick out.

When choosing your screws, opt for 1 inch and 5/8 thick models (if your partitions are ½ inch thick) or 2 inches thick, if your partitions are 5/ 8 inches thick.