For questions about drywall (aka plasterboard) installation, repair & finishing.
28
votes
8answers
36k views
How do I run wires for a wall-mount flatscreen TV?
Like a lot of you, we have several wall-mounted LCD HDTVs in the house. The TVs have two wires -- power and HDMI -- running down the wall to the power outlet and cable box.
I've historically been too ...
18
votes
5answers
3k views
What is the best method to patch a large hole (2-3 inches) in drywall?
I have a large hole where a TV wall mount once was (I believe the hole was used to run power and coax cable to the TV). I have since moved the TV and would like to patch the hole. What is the best way ...
15
votes
8answers
42k views
How much weight can screws in drywall withstand?
I've always had the question of how much weight can a single screw into a drywall withstand?
For instance, I would like to do things like this:
It's hanged with 5 screws. The whole thing weights ...
16
votes
4answers
734 views
How do I fix a hole in drywall?
There is a hole in my drywall from a doorknob repeatedly hitting it, is there a straightforward way to fix it?
8
votes
3answers
2k views
What benefit do plasterboard/drywall screws have?
I have some plasterboard screws like this:
However, without a drill I have a job getting them into the wall. Am I safe to use normal screws on hangings that aren't going to be taking a great deal ...
8
votes
3answers
17k views
How do you know when and where it is safe to drill into a wall?
Lots of home projects involve cutting or drilling through walls (everything from nails, screws, or hooks to mount things to cutting through drywall and drilling through studs to run wire).
In ...
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
534 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
8k views
Does bare drywall need to be primed before painting?
Is it necessary to prime bare drywall before painting? And do we need to prime existing textured, painted walls before we mud over them?
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
5k views
What is the usual maximum load for drywall? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How much weight can you mount to a wall?
I've only recently moved beyond yellow wall plugs and into a different style of self taping plug that's rated to significantly ...
0
votes
2answers
4k views
Should I install a moisture barrier behind drywall in house with T1-11 siding?
My home interior walls are thick redwood paneling in the bay area mountains.
i'm about to start removing the wood in my second bedroom and want to install a moisture barrier on the 1 outside wall of ...
10
votes
4answers
8k views
What are the different types of drywall anchors, and what are the advantages of each?
I recently put up wire shelving in my pantry, and spent forever figuring out what type of drywall anchor I should use. I even found several types that I didn't even know existed. It might be good to ...
15
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I find studs when stud finders won't work?
I was trying to hang my TV at my new place, on an interior wall (between living room and a bathroom). Using the stud finder on other walls worked fine, but on this wall I got some very strange ...
11
votes
7answers
814 views
Is fiberglass mesh tape a good choice for drywall?
I'm going to be doing some drywalling shortly and was wondering what experiences other have had with the self adhesive fiberglass mesh tape.
Is it a good choice or am I going to regret using it?
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 ...
8
votes
1answer
830 views
How should I mount a TV stand on a wall covered in drywall?
How should I mount a TV stand on a wall covered in drywall? Should I trenail it to the wall?
6
votes
3answers
649 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
773 views
Will my pocket door affect my installation of a tub surround?
My wife and I have decided to install a tub surround around our tub (best place to put it!). We are planning on removing the tile and the drywall behind the tub and installing one of the surrounds ...
6
votes
3answers
14k views
How do I repair a curtain rod anchor that was ripped out of the wall?
My children managed to pull on the curtains hard enough to yank the bracket which attached the curtain rod to the wall out. What is the best way to repair this?
Here's what it looks like:
5
votes
2answers
991 views
Drywall - final joint compound coat
While remodeling an older house (where nothing is quite straight) we used fiber glass mesh joint tape and 3 coats of joint compound. The first coat was applied with a 4 inch knife, the second with an ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
What kind of wall material should be used in wet areas in a bathroom?
I'm replacing a one piece fiberglass tub with a two piece (tub + surround) unit. In the bathroom right now, there's just drywall, no special material. Should I replace the drywall with greenboard, ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
Is there a way to trace water pipes through walls?
I recently purchased my house and I am trying to find my internal valve to turn on my external faucet.
Unfortunately the previous owner put in a bathroom in over where the water line enters the house ...
4
votes
2answers
278 views
How do I insulate space in loft to create music studio
I have 3 DIY created rooms in my large live/work studio/artist loft. They are made with 2x4 and 2x6, framing with drywall walls and plywood ceiling.
The apt has 14' 7" ceilings so we just have ...
3
votes
2answers
186 views
Will this moisture problem persist after drywall is installed?
we remodeled a trailer home recently, removed the aluminum siding, put up osb in place of the siding, then used the Lowes brand of house wrap. we installed new vinyl siding over that without using any ...
3
votes
1answer
457 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
4answers
744 views
How should I remove the texture from the ceiling *without* tearing it out?
We want to get rid of the texture on our ceiling. It's a very ugly stipple effect.
However, there's a foot and a half of insulation over this ceiling. Knocking it down to install new drywall is ...
3
votes
1answer
508 views
How do I replace missing drywall strips after an asbestos abatement?
I'm getting ready for my first major DIY project (about a week away). Here's a summary:
We confirmed the presence of Asbestos in our house heating vent insulation and acoustic ceilings. We're ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
Why does the plaster crack beneath the window sill?
Sorry if this is an obvious question.
Can anyone tell me why the dry lined plaster in our house so frequently cracks beneath the edge of the windows?
At first I thought it may be relating to the ...
2
votes
1answer
200 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
473 views
Is this wall board made of dangerous material?
There's a room in my house that has walls made of a material that I've always thought was weird. It's not like normal drywall. Recently, I pulled up the base boards I got a better look at the bottom ...
