For questions about drywall (aka plasterboard) installation, repair & finishing.
5
votes
2answers
6k views
LCD TV mounting bracket does not “fit” the studs location in the drywall - how can I overcome that?
I would like to mount my 32" LCD TV to a wall using a swivelling bracket that I bought. The wall it needs to go to is plasterboard so I need to mount it on the studs. However, I've got a problem - the ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there a way to store drywall vertically on its side?
I am going to have a surplus of 8 sheets of 5/8" 4x8 drywall (4 type-x, 4 QuietRock 525) until my next soundproofing job this Summer. I have been storing 8 sheets at a time stacked flat on my ...
1
vote
1answer
309 views
How can I attach a light fixture to plasterboard?
After some water damage and a ceiling repair I cannot locate the joist to refix the light fitting. It is a circular fluorescent light weighing about 3 and a half pounds.
Is it safe to fix all 3 ...
6
votes
3answers
650 views
Can I hang a 60 lbs TV on 1 inch drywall?
Can I use drywall screws with plastic contraption 3/8" diameter to put a TV on the drywall?
What is the load limit for 1 inch drywall and how many screws and how close apart they can be put to carry ...
2
votes
2answers
936 views
Could this cracked drywall be caused by a shifting house?
We are in southern Illinois and last Sunday my wife noticed a crack above the kitchen cabinets. We started looking around and have found cracks all over the house in different areas that were not ...
13
votes
4answers
3k views
What is the purpose of tape when taping and mudding drywall?
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it doesn't seem immediately obvious how a thin strip of paper tape actually helps the mudding process in drywall installation except for perhaps reducing the ...
1
vote
1answer
115 views
How do I add fire protection to a common (shared) wall?
I own a condo, built in 1961. I've started remodeling and in tearing out my kitchen I discovered the wall between me and my neighbors is only that: a wall. No fire protection just drywall, regular ...
6
votes
4answers
678 views
Why is the drywall in my garage sagging?
The drywall on my garage ceiling is sagging badly. Is this because it's too thin (I think it's 1/2" and I guess it's supposed to be 5/8") or is it because of humidity or something else? If I ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Should I sand each layer of mud when joining drywall?
I'm plastering my first drywall and have been given advice from a friend who as done it a few times before. He believes I should not sand down the mud (a.k.a. jointing compound) between coats, but I ...
3
votes
1answer
4k views
Paint got ripped off when trying to remove double-sided foam tape
I was trying to remove a picture frame which was adhered to the wall with some double-sided foam tape.
Unfortunately, the foam tape was so sticky and ripped some of the paint off the wall (see ...
2
votes
1answer
170 views
How should I treat a rusty corner bead in the bathroom before covering it again?
The paint got scraped off the corner bead in my bathroom, and now it's rusty. How can I treat it before spackling and repainting?
0
votes
0answers
51 views
Rewiring House (Coax and Ethernet) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do I run ethernet, speaker wire, and coax through a wall into a crawlspace?
When my family moved into our house, there were holes in the floors where the coax cables ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I prepare patched drywall to be painted over?
I am in the process of painting my room. I have some big patches on the drywall. I am yet to begin painting that wall. Before i start i wanted to take advice. Is there anything i need to do with those ...
2
votes
2answers
144 views
How do I patch my wall with tile along the seam?
I just removed the top 6" of tile from my bathroom wall which is tiled from the floor to about 4 feet up. I just didn't like the pattern of tiles at the top. The tile seems to have been attached to ...
1
vote
2answers
142 views
How should I prepare drywall for wallpaper?
If I am posting wallpaper, is it still necessary to apply joint compound? I though that corner could be cut because the surface won't be exposed especially if i cut all the beveled edges off and ...
8
votes
1answer
354 views
When finishing drywall, is it a common practice not to mud the bottom of horizontally-hung drywall?
I hung drywall horizontally in my bedroom and hired a company to mud and tape it so that I could prime and paint. As you know, drywall sheets are recessed along the edges in order to hold drywall ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
Can I use 2-1/2“ metal studs to hang 1/2” drywall?
I am in the process of remodeling my basement, & it's ready for studs; the basement is small, so to maximize as much space as possible I was thinking of using 2-1/2" metal studs opposed to the ...
2
votes
1answer
241 views
Is it common for professional drywallers to tape narrow corners, but not mud over the tape if it's going to be covered with moulding?
Sorry to spam SE with questions relating to a job done by a company I hired to finish the project in my room, but some things seem very questionable to me.
In the below pics you will see a narrow ...
2
votes
1answer
243 views
How can I cover water stains on this wall
During sandy storm I had some water leakage in my home. The damage isn't much in the sense that the drywall is still hard. It just has water stains that I'd like to get rid of.
Here is a pic of what ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
how to find out my primer color
I have some scratches on the drywall which was primer'ed dry wall from moving furniture. I'd like to just apply a coat of primer on the spots where the scratches are. I don't plan on painting just ...
2
votes
1answer
201 views
Which primer to use on an old drywall?
I have a dry wall in the kitchen that has some stains on it. I would just like to put a new coat of white primer on that dry wall so it doesn't look stained.
My questions are:
Should I sand the ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
How do I properly prepare newly-finished drywall for priming?
What is the minimum amount of dust that can be left on a wall before it adversely affects primer application? If it has to be completely free of dust, how do you get it all? Taking a damp rag over ...
3
votes
2answers
173 views
Can drywall with ripped paper be repaired?
I damaged some drywall when doing demo in a bathroom. Some of the paint peeled back and exposed the paper, which ripped off of the drywall. Can I do a thin coat and sand? please help, already ...
5
votes
1answer
215 views
How do I mount this non-standard wall plate to a completed drywall wall?
I have this
But it only has what you see in that pic. I was told I needed the box thing to go behind it to mount it to in the wall. There is no hole in the wall right now, so how do I get this to ...
6
votes
1answer
166 views
How do I install an old work junction box around fire blocking?
I have an interior wall with a one-gang light switch; it contains a dual dimmer. I'm trying to change this to a single dimmer, and to add a new switch (to drive the other load) on the opposite side ...
3
votes
1answer
638 views
Can I hang a bathroom cabinet on a single stud and drywall anchors?
I have a 15-20lb wood bathroom cabinet (24 inches wide, few feet tall) and I'll be looking to load it up with heavy bathroom supplies. Problem is there is only one stud available. Do you think one ...
4
votes
2answers
405 views
can i paint my bathtub wall?
One of our bath walls is green Sheetrock with a white semi gloss paint finish.
As you can see on the pictures attached, the paint has started to bubble and strip.
What can we do now?
shall/can ...
1
vote
1answer
328 views
Should I primer my walls/ceiling before I spray on texture?
I have removed a wall and upper cabinet, replacing some sheetrock. I have skim coated and sanded the existing walls and removed the "popcorn" ceiling. My question is: do I need to primer the walls ...
11
votes
1answer
718 views
Are these drywall screws driven too deep into the sheet?
First off, I apologize for the asking and deleting my previous question about this. I thought it was more of a dupe of this question that I asked a while back. I'll be more central to the actual ...
8
votes
2answers
535 views
What are the implications of driving a drywall screw too far into the sheet?
I'm not gonna lie. The early stages of my very first home improvement project completely smacks of novice DIY'er. I did so many things wrong that I've since learned from, but the first mistakes are ...
9
votes
4answers
979 views
Should I be worried if I missed the studs while mounting my TV?
I think I missed the studs based on how easily the drill moved through the drywall. My LCD only weighs 27lbs and the mount itself is 5lbs (rated to hold 165lbs, and uses 4 8mm lag bolts). I pulled as ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
How can I repair a towel rack that was ripped out of the wall?
The towel rod has been ripped out of the wall. It looks like it was attached to the wall by two dry wall anchors which were not attached to the stud. Basically a very junky installation in my ...
3
votes
1answer
637 views
How should I insulate around pipe/cable holes in drywall?
Notice the gaps between the pipes and the drywall in the pictures above? These gaps appear in both the walls and the ceiling, and I feel like in at least one case, I've noticed a difference in air ...
1
vote
1answer
366 views
Should I use acoustical insulation or acoustical drywall for interior walls?
We are getting ready to begin a multi-room renovation project and are thinking about sound deadening. We want to either add sound deadening insulation or acoustical drywall to the interior walls but ...
1
vote
3answers
337 views
When hanging two layers of drywall, can the first layer be hung with the facing to the studs?
I am hanging a double layer of 5/8" type-x drywall with Green Glue, a soundproofing compound, sandwiched in the middle. If I hang the first layer with the face facing outward like normal and then ...
4
votes
1answer
368 views
What is the code approved way to cut and patch fire rated drywall hung on the ceiling of a basement?
My new house is still under construction, and for code reasons the builder is required to hang fire rated drywall on the ceiling of the basement.
I am sure the situation will arise eventually where I ...
3
votes
1answer
460 views
Should I cover a skylight well from the inside?
I made the mistake of having a Velux skylight installed in my bedroom. The installation was done by pros, both inside and out, and it has never leaked through 2 hurricanes. The installation was done ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the weight capacity of your typical 2 1/2“ drywall screw when driven 1 1/2” into a stud?
Update 11/3/2012: In spite of being informed by multiple sources (here on SE, a guy at the Genie Clip Canada office, someone at the SE physics site, and even my own personal test) that I should be ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
How should I apply brick to an interior wall?
I don't want to use veneer, I want to use real brick. Is it as easy as using tie-ins to the studs and setting the brick as one would normally?
The existing wall is drywall, So I was thinking of ...
19
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I get a wire that is outside a wall to be inside a wall
I recently removed an abominable drop ceiling from my dining room and found this close to the ceiling on the one side of the room.
There is definitely a stud between these two holes. On the other ...
6
votes
1answer
412 views
Can I install drywall on the ceiling, without removing crown molding?
I'm in the process of replacing a failing plaster ceiling in my finished basement with drywall. I originally had intended only to scrape down the popcorn finish and have it skim coated, so I did not ...
5
votes
4answers
969 views
Finishing drywall: How do I finish over screws that refuse to recess/dimple into the drywall?
Update 10/30/2012: See comment I left under gregmac's answer
I just finished installing QuietRock 525 over existing walls. Half a sheet of 525 is heavy backer board and I am thinking that's the ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it safe to use Greenboard drywall in a shower?
I've seem a lot of people telling that greenboard drywall SHOULD NOT be used in bathroom and wet areas. However, in Brazil (where drywall is kind of a novelty yet) the manufactures recommend ...
4
votes
1answer
442 views
How do I install a glass tile backsplash on 1/2" drywall?
I am currently building a house and am at the point where the builder has just finished the drywall and is ready for the kitchen cabinets and countertops to be installed. There will be no backsplash ...
2
votes
3answers
365 views
Do I need to cut into my drywall to install a switch?
I'm looking to put a light in outside my house. The light is going to be positioned directly behind the outlet I have pictured below where the wires are sticking out. I want the switch to control ...
5
votes
1answer
259 views
How can I replace ceiling gypsum board and loose fill insulation at the same time?
I lost most of a ceiling panel due to water saturation and collapse. It was removed along with insulation residue and a temporary fiber board panel tacked in in its place. Now I would like to install ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
How should I insulate the walls and ceilings of this 1920's semi-detached brick house?
I'm renovating a 1920's semi-detached house. The plaster on the walls was slapped straight on the wall about an inch thick, and the ceilings were lath and plaster which had been overboarded. Most of ...
4
votes
2answers
742 views
How do I mount the new work electrical boxes with the nail-in flange?
I have to install several electrical boxes for outlets, switches, and fixtures before installing some drywall. The boxes I have look like this:
The distance between the front of the mounting ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
Will grid-lines in textured ceilings show through paint?
We just finished texturing our ceilings with a knock-down texture, however the following day we noticed wide grid-lines in the ceiling everywhere we taped and mudded. We did not prime/seal the ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Under what circumstances is 5/8" drywall required?
From what I understand the code usually discusses things like fire rating (not specific thickness) as they relate to required material, and also the fastener pattern and what thickness to use versus ...
