Techniques for Installing Drywall

Hi Hector, thanks for sharing your experiences. We just started a small biz in the industry. Always good to connect with others in the Drywall Installation game and swap notes.

We just started our drywall business in lakewood Colorado! https://www.lakewooddrywall.com I'ts always good to get a perspective on how other pros get the job done. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on the subject with us. I know Drywall is not an extremely exciting topic to write about.

Hello,

Awesome website by the way!
I have a 1950s home in Toronto that has double brick walls. The kitchen is being redone on the perimeter wall which has fiberboard of some sort that is mounted on furring strips to the brick and then plastered. I'll be removing the original cabinets and I'm sure the plaster/backerboard will come with it. Keeping in mind what you've taught me about how the old double brick system works for drying etc...What can I use to cover up the brick again so that I can butt up to the plaster further down the wall and keep the wall working like it was? I'd need to mount something about 1 inch thick in total to get flush to the existing plaster (Is there a similar fiberboard I can sheath with and then mount drywall to that? or would doubling drywall sheets be ok?) John C

Hello John,
Moisture protection against the brick is a good idea, easy to do with Tyvek or some other house wrap. Then foam insulation boards, fiberboard even drywall are fine for levelling. It would be a good idea to put a poly vapour barrier just under the last layer of drywall. All of this is to stop the household moisture where it is still warm, and let it breath to the brick and beyond behind the vapour barrier.
jon

When renovating a bathroom from the 1950s home which has plastered walls and ceiling‘s key can you drywall over the old plaster ceilings .

Hello Richard,
Definately YES you can drywall over a plastered ceiling. You just need to use screws long enough to dig into wood on the other side, either lattes or joists. You might want to check for any high spots first that would make the drywall uneven. If they are minor bumps, just scrape them off before drywalling.

jon

I want to patch a 6"x6" hole in my drywall give me some tips svp

How about another video. In the list of videos / drywall repairs / patching large holes: https://joneakes.com/learning-curve/59-drywall-filling-large-holes
Jon

how do I make my drywall seams so they are flush

Hello Frank,
That is what I tried to show you with all these videos. I really recommend one little video that is often skipped: http://joneakes.com/learning-curve/41-drywall-light-shadows-and-paint -- the last one under the "taping joints" tab.
-- Jon

I have 1-1/2" Dow Cladmate on my basement (concrete) walls; all seams are taped or sealed with spray foam; next is 2x4 walls with R12 batt insulation.
My question: Is vapour barrier still required ?

Hello Keith,
The official answer is yes you still need the vapour barrier -- but it could depend on where you live -- ordinary Canada or far north? Take a look at http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/776-WHERE-IS-A-VAPOUR-BARRIER-TO-BE-PLACED for some details.
R-10 of Dow will most likely keep you out of trouble with no other vapour barrier in a basement.
-- Jon

we are renovating an older home new roof system was installed this summer plan to insulate R40 the install super6 mil vapour barrier then screw on resilent channel and then attach half inch drywall am I on the right track and what should the spacing be for the channel

Hi Ed,
All that works. See the videos on Using Resilient Channels in this series for details.
-- Jon

About 2 years now we remodeled our master bath,since the remodel,whenever you turn off the water in any faucet be it in my newlly remodeled or the other batroom on the same floor there are ticking noice in the wall ,15 min later the noise subsides what could be the cause Brenda anne

Hello Brenda Anne,
This is generally caused by the pipes being fastened too tightly to the studs. The move when they get hot, and then move even more slowly back when they cool down. If you can get to the pipes, or when you renovate again, loosen the fasteners so the pipes are not "stuck" and creeping against the wood.

I have a question, how do I join cement board to drywall above a NG fireplace surround for heat shield?

Hello Bill,
Screws, close to the fireplace, can carry a lot of heat through to the studs. I would recommend hanging the top edge of the cement board with screws into the studs, but with the screws as far above the heating unit as possible. This will give you a mechanical hold against sliding down but a minimum of heat on the exposed screw heads. For the rest of the board, use high temperature silicone sealant as an adhesive. Just snake the caulking on the back of the cement board and push into the drywall, attaching it with the screws at the top.
-- Jon

What do I use to cover the insulation under a bathtub against an exterior wall with? I thought I could just drywall it, or maybe a piece of cement board. It seems like I should be covering the insulation with something

Hello James,
It requires a vapour barrier, but nothing else is required because it is not exposed to the habitable space. Often people do put some kind of panel, just to protect the vapour barrier.
Jon

Hello Garry,

If the flange of the tub will cause the backer pannel to bulge out at the bottom, stop 1/4" above the lip and then seal the joint down to the tub.  Since you are using Kerdi you would leave your Kerdi sheet long enough to go down to the tub deck, or use the Kerdi Band and then use a good adhesive/sealant like Kerdi-Fix to make a waterproof joint with the tub.  The tile will hang out a bit over the lip but the space is filled in with the thin-set mortar during the tile installation.  A good tile profile at the joint with the tub without any sealant is the proper way to finish a Schluter installation.

If the flange of the tub is recessed flush into the wall, then simply run your backer board down to within 1/4" of the tub deck and seal the joint with the sealant -- all before and behind the tile installation. 

You can see more details in the video Gypsum Panels / Tub and Tile section on the left.

Hello Julio,

I guess part of the problem with over 2 hours of video on a subject, it can be difficult to locate a specific question. 

The ceiling goes first so that the wall panel helps to keep the edges of the ceiling from drooping.  You can see that at the begining of the video section Attaching to Wood Framing / Panel Layout Patterns - in the index on the left.

i have to replace gypsum board around my bathtub it has a flange next to the studs i am putting on cement board and would like to know if i should put the cement board onto the flange or above. i am putting ceramic tile onthe board and kerdi wrap underneth. thank you for your answer

what should i put first ceiling or wall sheetrock

Hello Hector.

For the drywall question -- foam insulation panels must always be covered by something that has a 20 minute fire rating.  Ordinary 1/2" drywall satisfies this requirement and that is why we usually cover this insulation with drywall.  Other materials could be used if they have a documented 20 minute fire rating.  These coverings could be glued to the foam, but in addition the code requires that they be mechanically fastened, so that if it gets hot, the glue won't just let go and expose the foam.

You could put up the drywall with long screws through the foam into the wall studs, or you could put strapping on the wall, screwed to the studs then the drywall screwed easily to the strapping.  Dow actually makes a product called WallMate that has a grove for such strapping.

Technically you should put a vapour barrier on the warm-in-winter side of the insulation, but in reality the extruded polystyrene panels (not beadboard) is good enough. 

Follow this link for a lot of information about your basement floor.

Hi, JanMy name is Hector , I live in Montreal, and this last June we've bought this house; a bungalow.The basement is not finished. They just put up 2" styrofoam on all 4 walls and painted them.The inspector that saw the house said it is a fire hazard. Questions:1. Is it a fire hazard?2.The styrofoam is screwed onto the walls, do I remove it or do a finished wall with gyprock etc. over it. By the way the cement is paintedunder it.Ther's novapor barrier(plastic) between the cement and the styrofoam.Also I would like to finish the floor. On it they have glued vinyl sheets directly on the cement.I would like to up a floating wood floor. Do I remove the vinyl or put up the floor over it?Looking forward for your advice.Best regardsHector

Hello CRMay I encourage you to look at the video list on the left. Under Gypsum Panels / Tubs and Showers I actually deal with this question in a video.1) yes there should be insulation in or on any exterior wall, but insulation is not necessary on an inside wall as there is a warm room on the other side - although it could give you some sound proofing.2) For shower and tub tiles on outside walls with insulation, the tile assembly is considered a vapour barrier, although not a perfect one. Few people have noticed but the building code actually forbids a vapour barrier here. With a vapour barrier, the drywall would collect moisture, sandwiched between two vapor barriers.For the best of the installations you could actually use the new Kerdi membrane over ordinary drywall: visit www.SchluterHouse.com and click on the bathroom.Jon

We are currently renovating a room in the basement to become the Master Bedroom. A so called, "expert" installed GREEN drywall sheets with NO insulation behind or vapor barrier! We've halted the renovations at the moment. I've had a 2nd opinion come in and taken a look and he agrees with use that there should be insulation and a vapor barrier. Question: Should there be insulation on 2 exterior brick walls and the 1 interior brick wall?