Internet sites teach fine points of drywalling

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/06/2005 (7513 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MOST do-it-yourselfers despise drywalling. The materials are heavy and awkward, mudding is messy, sanding is dusty and dirty and producing invisible joints is a skill many in the DIY set, me included, have trouble mastering.

Know the feeling? A research mission on the Internet is in order.

An excellent starting point is www.westroc.com, the bilingual website of BPB Canada, a Mississauga, Ont.-based manufacturer and marketer of interior wall and ceiling products.

On the home page, pick the language of your choice and if it’s English, place your cursor over the Information Centre heading on the next page that arrives. Then click on “do-it-yourselfers.”

Here you’ll find a list of rooms that are suitable for drywall finish, as well as installation guides that can be downloaded or printed for easy reference. The folks at BPB stress that planning is the key to any good DIY project, especially drywalling, and on this page, you will find information that will ensure you subscribe to the company’s credo. You’re given a list of the necessary tools, a description of the kind of drywall you will need and how to install it with minimal joints.

Installation instructions and diagrams explain how to cut drywall, attach the boards to the wall and even how to overcome the challenge of drywalling ceilings. To avoid back pain, pay heed to a diagram that shows how to use T-braces to support drywall sheets until they are attached overhead.

The page also includes explanations of where in a room the first sheet should be installed and there is plenty of detail about using drywall screws and nails, how to cut openings for electrical outlets, light fixtures, windows and doors, and how to finish corners.

A finishing guide gives a handful of valuable tips that should help produce uniform and smooth finished joints, noting with an exclamation mark that “the finishing process requires patience!”

If you’re unsure how many sheets of drywall you’ll need, click on “Materials usage calculator” and a handy tool appears on the page that will do the math.

Another strong site is sponsored by CGC Inc., another Canadian drywall maker, also based in Mississauga and found at www.cgcinc.com.

Like the BPB site, it has an extensive section dealing with installation by the DIYer that touches on most drywall-related topics. The frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) section will answer most queries, including the origins of gypsum (a non-metallic mineral found as a rock that was called alabaster by the ancient Assyrians, who used it for sculpting), the size of sheets of drywall, how to cut and fasten it and how to tape joints.

This site is also equipped with tools that enable the home or cottage owner to calculate the amount of drywall, joint compound, tape and fasteners that is required.

The website for Rona building stores at www.rona.ca goes one step further than the aforementioned sites. At the top of the page, click on renovation and construction and when a list of projects shows up, choose “drywalling, painting and finishing.”

Not only will you learn how to drywall, you’ll also get tutorials on how to insulate ceilings and walls, choose interior paint and painting accessories and hang wallpaper — most everything you will need to finish a room before you put your furniture back in place.

— CanWest News Service