How to Install Drywall by Yourself

Instructions

• 1

  Before starting to install a drywall, take care of any necessary electrical, plumbing or insulation work which needs to be done in the walls.
• 2

  Now you need to mark where the wall studs are. Using a temporary marker or a piece of chalk, mark the location of wall studs, both on the floor and the ceiling, in several places. The marks will help you locate the wall studs when you begin installing the drywall.
  
  
  
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• 3

  Raise the drywall about 1/2 inches off the floor. Put the drywall on a piece of scrap laid on the floor to raise the drywall.
• 4

  Butt the raised drywall in one corner and make sure that the other end of the sheet is in the center of a wall stud. You can install the drywall panels either vertically or horizontally.
• 5

  To hold the sheet in place, install drywall screws using a drywall gun in at least three to four places. Now you need to install screws all over the drywall. Starting at one corner, install screws around 6 to 8 inches apart from each other. Referring to the wall stud marks you made on the floor and ceiling, install screws on all wall studs in contact with the drywall.
  
  
  
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• 6

  Continue screwing drywall sections all around the room. You may need to cut some drywall sections in order to resize them. To cut the drywall, measure the dimension and the mark of the drywall where you want to cut it. Join the marks to form a cut line. Deeply score the drywall along the cut line using a sharp utility knife. Snap back the cut section which will leave the panel in two pieces. Finally cut the paper holding the two pieces together.
  
  
  
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• 7

  You may need to cut sections in the drywall to allow space for outlets such as switchboards. This can be tricky because the measurements you make have to be very precise and accurate. Measure the distance between the edge of the outlet for which you are making space and the edge of the panel. When you mark the measurement on drywall, you will know where the outlet starts. Repeat the same measurement from each corner of the outlet to the adjacent corner of the panel. Mark all the measurements. You now have outlined the outlet on the drywall. Cut the opening for the box using a drywall saw.
  
  
  
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• 8

  Now you need to do a few finishing jobs. Fill the joints between sections of drywall with joint compound. Apply drywall tape on the joint and push it into the joint compound using a taping knife. Leave the compound to dry overnight. Apply two more coats of joint compound, letting the first coat dry before applying the second coat. Sand the area using a fine sandpaper.