hanging drywall

/ hanging drywall #1  

abbub

New member
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Jul 1, 2002
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1
I've seen people hanging drywall on TV and they position the drywall onto the wall and start driving screws. How do they know where the studs are without measuring?? Is there some trick i'm not aware of or are they just good??
 
/ hanging drywall #2  
<font color=blue>Is there some trick i'm not aware of or are they just good??</font color=blue>

In simple terms, they are just good but you have to remember, it's still just TV. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

In reality, if you want to mount drywall on an already covered wall surface, they sell these things called stud finders in hardware stores and in places like that. I've never thought much of these things. A good drywaller can tell where the studs are just by tapping the existing wall surface and listening to the 'tone' of the knock to determine if he's hit a stud or empty space. The greater dangers though are a) if you have irregular stud framing different from the normal 15-16" stud separation (this is especially prominant in older houses 'done over' by inexperienced home improvers or when state building codes were not in place) and b) figuring out where the behind the wall electrical lines are running. You hit one of these lines by accident.....and this will require yet a bit more extensive wall rehab. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

.....Bob
 
/ hanging drywall #3  
Don't forget about the "how did that water pipe get there" problem either.
 
/ hanging drywall #4  
They're just good!

My version of that is to mark the stud locations on the ceiling and floor and then either chalkline the drywall, or eyeball it.
The pros get pretty good about eyeballing .... and you still find the occasional "miss" when repainting. Remember that television = editing ... tha's why they show all the fun bloopers at the end.
 
/ hanging drywall #5  
Most construction is built with studs 16" on center and ceilings 24" on center. Drywall comes in 8' and 12' lengths, so on walls your splitting your sheet of drywall into 6ths or 9ths for walls. Same idea for ceilings.

The pros do miss, I taped drywall for a while during undergrad, they are just quick to load another screw into the gun and keep going. Some leave it to the taper to remove the loose screw -- jerks. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
/ hanging drywall #6  
I watched while some of our house was being "rocked". All I can say is they're VERY good! Four man crew. One screwing, one measuring, one cutting and the fourth helping to either measure or position/screw. And talk about fast!

In reality, it's not that hard to hit the studs without chalklines etc. I can't do it anywhere as well/fast as the pros, but with some attention to it you can get there /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
/ hanging drywall #7  
I've hung a bit of drywall and taped and bedded too. It takes practice to hit a drywall nail "just so" and have it properly dimple the drywall but not crush it.

In anticipation of hanging some more drywall, I bought a cordless drywall screw gun with belt fed screws. How about that... a semi-auto scew pistol. It is almost as good as having three hands AND you don't drop any screws AND you dont get any metal slivers in your fingers AND it puts the screws in uniformly.

Patrick
 
/ hanging drywall #8  
I agree their fast - Hard to find (very busy in Central PA) - Here's a idea I'll use to find the studs in my house - If your building a new house or adding on give it a try. Take Pictures of everything - Digging for septic system - foundation - ceiling/studwork in every room (might want to identify which room it is) - wiring - in a word EVERYTHING - Digital pictures are free except for your time and hard drive space and you'll have them for a lifetime.
One thing I did do was stay out of the worker's way. Nights and weekends./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif I probably took over a 1000./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
 

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/ hanging drywall #9  
Is that the same as/similar to the new decking guns they have out? Last time I went to get a box of screws, seems like the belt fed screws were exremely expensive. Did I miss out or misread something?
 
/ hanging drywall #10  
i agree on the taking pictures suggestion, i've gotten myself out of a couple binds when the memory just wasn't there..i was wondering, from the picture you posted, it appears the house is on a crawl space??? why do plumbers always put the p-trap in the wall, instead of under the house??
heehaw
 
/ hanging drywall #11  
One trick I forgot to mention...

I take a huge black marker and mark all the stud locations on the floor next to the wall. Same for the ceiling joists. After I hang the ceiling I do the same for the top of the wall studs but now use pencil so it won't bleed through any paint.

The floor marks also help if you put base trim on before carpet. It only takes a couple of minutes but I need all the help I can get /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
/ hanging drywall #12  
Those who install drywall and finish it are indeed patient people and should be admired by all.

Egon
 
/ hanging drywall #13  
I had enough experience with the adapters for cordless drills that I went out and bought a good Dewalt corded screwgun (too much experience with running out of battery when I wasn't ready to quit quite yet) before I started in on the shop. Man, what a good investment. I opted to do without the belt feed just to keep the cost of fasteners down.
Nothing like a tool that's designed for a specific job to ease your workload. I put up the walls in one afternoon and the celing over the weekend (took a bit longer than I'd planned as I had to re-center most of the doggone trusses). Hard enough to do gyprockin' (oops, I mean drywallin') when you're by yourself ... even worse if you're fighting with the tiols too.
Unfortunately ... I ran out of interest before I ran out of drywall ... got it all taped exept for one wall that never did get completed (and now has boxes covering it from view).
 
/ hanging drywall #15  
I've got the same gun and it makes a world of difference. I don't mind, kinda enjoy hanging the rock, but taping/sanding is the pits.
 
/ hanging drywall #16  
I don't know about "NEW" decking guns but there are semi-auto screw guns with extended handles for putting down flooring and the like without bending over, crawling on your knees, or doing the "Duck Walk." Never used them myself but have seen them. Seemed too high dollar for my limited useage. I paid under $200 for my screw gun with two batts, a charger, and a spiral saw thingy (about a hundred bucks separately) that uses the same batts.

Belt feed screws are more expensive than typical drywall screws but if you do much drywall at all and don't have a ready supply of trained helpers, the belt feed sure makes the work go easier. Maybe my reduced capability, advanced age, and lack of appropriate technique put me at a disadvantage that neccessitates my use of technology to compensate.

As I write this there is a track hoe with a 4 ft bucket and a D-6 Cat playing in the dirt around a pond just down slope of my house building site. The track hoe is $85/hr and the Dozer is $55 (with operators, no delivery charge) and I think it is a bargain. I'm not sure what they are doing that I could't do with my tractor for the most part B U T it would take me years and wear me and the tractor out. I feel that way about the screw gun too. I have a couple cordless drill drivers and the screw driving attachments to hold the screw while it gets started (real neat accessory) but the semi-auto is to the regular cordless as a semi-auto pistol is to a muzzle loading flintlock pistol. The muzzle loader will get the job done but not as quick and easy. (My particular muzzle loader is a 75 cal and is fun to shoot, just not practical for getting off very many rounds.)

Patrick
 
/ hanging drywall #17  
Wingnut, I have two pretty good cordless drill-drivers that share four batteries between them. With two charging and one in use I can't run out of power. For jobs where charging isn't available I have the 4 batts which last a good long time even when driving many big screws. I didn't start out to have two drills and four batts with two chargers. I had one drill and the trigger switch went intermitent. It took so long for the repair station to get parts I bought another drill. Sort of glad I did since it is GOOD to have two chargers and 4 batts.

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, both of my chargers died within a few days of each other after a few years of service. Both have an open in the primary of the power transformer. One blew a fuse and the other didn't. First thing I tried was taking the good fuse from one and putting it in the one with the blown fuse but no joy. I recently received a NEW charger from the national parts supply point for my drill. Cost about $36 incl shipping. Not too bad.

Now I can open it up and see what the secondary voltage is on the transformer so I can buy replacement parts from radio shack. Then I can trouble shoot/repair the circuit card if needed as it is mostly discrete components with the highest tech chip in it is a three terminal regulaltor which can be replaced from off the shelf components. Then I will have 3 working chargers and four batts. One bat in drill and the rest on chargers, if needed.

Eventually a batt will go bad or get too tired to be effective. I will use it to make a power cord that will plug into a cigarette lighter so I can have a "corded" DC drill. Even an 18 volt drill does pretty good on 12 volts, just not full speed.

Patrick
 
/ hanging drywall #18  
I find the taping "fun since it is challenging to get it right ... right being a minimum of sanding to me .... but I must concur on sanding ... boring and creates a mess.
 

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