Featured Drywall And Plastering Articles
"An Easy Fix for Drywall Holes"
As durable as it is, drywall can usually only stand up to a certain amount of punishment. In the average busy home a hole or to popping up in the drywall is not unusual. If you need to repair the damage in a hurry you can, using just a few tools and a little patience.
"Is the Drywall in Your Home Making you Sick?"
While the construction industry took advantage of the housing boom of the mid nineties a shortage of drywall led to imported Chinese drywall being used in the construction of a number of new homes. It is now known that some of that drywall was toxic and unsafe. But what can you do if you believe that you have bad Chinese drywall in your home?
"From Plastering to Drywall"
Drywall is a relatively new material. Up until the 1950's plastering was used as the surface for interior walls. In fact plastering was a technique used for almost 3000 years. Thin wood strips, known as laths, were nailed horizontally, about 1/8" apart, to interior studs. These laths would hold the plaster in place. The plasterer would then plaster in between these laths to ensure the final coat would hold. Plaster was reinforced by fibers such as horsehair.
"Steel Stud Construction"
Used for over a century in commercial applications steel studs are now making inroads into the residential housing market. This includes both exterior as well as interior applications. Recent costing statistics show that in many areas of the country steel joists are 18% cheaper to buy and install than the wooden ones.
What is Drywall and Why Should You Hire a Professional to Install It?
Even though you probably walk past miles of the stuff each and every day, you probably never give too much thought to drywall. When people are planning to have a new house built they spend a great deal of time thinking about the types of kitchen cabinets they will have installed, the placement and design of windows and doors and, of course, the layout of the rooms. They rarely give much thought to how the walls and ceilings of those homes will actually be constructed.
For the past 50 years or so, the majority of homes have been constructed using drywall. Prior to its introduction, walls and ceilings were made of plaster. The structures were built by smothering layer after layer of plaster over wooden strips that are called laths. The whole process was time consuming and very labor intensive. It could take even the most skilled of plasterers days to complete even a relatively small area of wall.
Then drywall arrived on the scene and slowly changed the face of home construction for good. The material, which is also known as sheetrock or gypsum board, is made primarily from gypsum, a naturally occurring mineral found in large deposits or beds all over the country. Raw gypsum is mixed with a number of chemical additives blended together to form a thick paste which is then sandwiched between two sheets of paper and baked at high temperatures until a solid board is formed. After the process is complete, the material is cut into different sized sheets suitable for construction use.
There are those who decide to take a dry walling project on as a do it yourself project. That may be feasible if you are particularly handy and have only a small area to work on -building a dividing wall to separate a large bedroom for instance. For most people installing new drywall of any kind means calling in the professionals in order for the job to be done right the first time.
Nothing can ruin the look and value of a home more than walls that are lumpy, bumpy or, in some cases, just plain crooked. Walk into most new homes and you will see that the walls look as if they were constructed from one seamless sheet of drywall. In fact, they mask a fairly complicated structure of frames and joists that hold the whole thing together, so finding the right contractor for the job is imperative.
When looking for a contractor to drywall your home, experience should be your biggest consideration, as well as the reputation of the company you are considering. Do a little homework about each of the contractors you are considering and consult a construction referral service for help finding reliable firms in your local area. A reliable firm will be happy to provide references for you to check out for yourself, which you should always take the time to do.
Do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to in order to make a decision when hiring a dry walling contractor. A reputable contractor will not be offended by your queries, they understand that it is just all a part of the process and will be happy to address all your concerns both before the project begins and whilst it is in progress.
