When homeowners take on the task of hanging drywall there are tips on installing drywall that will make the process simpler and with a look of professionalism. Before beginning you should have the access to the proper tools for getting the job done correctly and efficiently.

Drywall is available in various sizes and styles. Sheets of drywall can be purchased in four feet wide by eight, ten or twelve feet in length, as well as green board which is used for a bathroom or any other area that will be prone to excessive moisture. Thickness also will vary with normal use of 1/2 inch for walls and 5/8 inch for ceilings. The larger pieces of drywall are difficult to hang so for those not accustomed to doing this type of work it is recommended that the four by eight sheets be used.

To get the measurements needed, measure the complete area floor to ceiling and around entire perimeter. Square feet is the length times width so to find how many sheets of drywall are needed divide the total square feet by thirty two. This will give you the amount of four by eight sheets to purchase, get an extra one or two for errors. You will also need a screw gun, screws, drywall mud, a drywall knife, keyhole saw, drywall tape, mud pan, a six inch mud knife, eight inch mud knife, ten inch knife and sandpaper.

Before hanging any drywall the building should have passed previous inspection to include framing, electrical wiring, insulation and plumbing. The ceiling will be the first to be completed and requires lifts or jacks to hold the sheets in place while screwing into the framing. Put a screw approximately every twelve inches apart along the length of the stud. The screw or nail should be recessed in order to prevent popping later.

After completing the ceiling begin hanging drywall on the wall starting at the top. For the best and sturdiest results hang each sheet in a staggered fashion. Working down the wall until reaching the floor. There should be a gap of approximately 1/2 inch away from any sub flooring. Use the keyhole saw to cut around electrical boxes and a drywall saw for removing any excess length from the drywall sheets.

After all the drywall has been hung the remaining part of this process is to do the finishing. Put corner bead on the corners either by using mud or screwing into place, it will depend on the style of beading you have purchased.

Next using the six inch knife apply a layer of compound over a seam then place the drywall tape over the mud. Using the six inch knife and light pressure slide the knife over the tape starting in the center and working up, then from center down. The knife should have slight pressure and lay almost flush against the wall. This pulls the mud from the center out through the tape to make it adhere and lay flat. Using the small knife fill in all screw holes. Allow to dry overnight.

On the following day you will be filling in the seams to provide an even surface. With the eight inch or a ten inch knife if eight was used to tape, start at the bottom of the wall and apply a layer of mud smoothly over the tape. It will be thick but, try to avoid excessive bulk. This will need to dry overnight. The next day you will sand and apply a skim coat. When sanding the seams avoid putting to much pressure on the sanding or it will go through to the tape. When all sanding is complete, using the ten inch or twelve inch knife, apply a fine layer of mud over the seams. During this step very little mud is used and most is removed, it is only to provide an extra smooth surface. Vacuum all dust in between coats and remember to wipe dust from walls prior to painting. These tips on installing drywall also apply to those who are hanging green board in moisture prone areas.

Discover those drywall suppliers in your area with the best prices. Finding local building materials should be something that is easily accomplished.

Tags: Building material, Drywall, drywall instructions, drywall supplies, Electrical wiring, how to drywall, Sandpaper, Wall Floor and Decorative Finishes

By Jason Whitney

In today’s tight real estate market, those who do choose to put their houses on the market are certainly looking for any available advantage in the tight competition they are sure to face. Finding low-cost techniques that add charm and character is one great way to accomplish this goal. The good news is that you don’t have to invest a lot into a simple fix to make your home stand out. One technique you can do yourself is drywall texturing. You can follow some simple steps and find Drywall Texturing Made Easy.

First, be sure to allot a good amount of time for the project. You don’t want to rush through this artistic process. Also remember that the room will need to be painted when you are finished. To get started, the first step is to remove outlet and light fixture plates from the walls. Cover the floor, since even Drywall Texturing Made Easy can get messy. (Also, at this point, be sure to remove any wallpaper. It will not provide an adequate base for the joint compound that you will use, and will end up becoming a time-consuming mess to fix. This is not what you want a potential buyer to see in your home!)

The first step in Drywall Texturing Made Easy is to spread a thin coat of drywall compound around the walls where you want to start with an 8-12 inch straight trowel. A thickness of about 1/8 of an inch is ideal, but for a more varied texture, spread thicker. Start with just a small area; you don’t want to compound to dry before you complete the texturing portion of the application. It’s better to under estimate the time involved than to over estimate at this step.

After you’ve spread the compound, you can make any kind of texture you want. Experiment a little bit until you find something you like. Ideas include using old paintbrushes, wallpaper brushes, sponges, or even your fingers and hands. Go ahead and have some fun at this point, but remember that less is usually more when the texture is covering an entire room. Be sure to wear latex gloves if you are using your fingers or hands. It might not be a bad idea to wear them anyway. After you’ve finished a small portion, simply continue to work your way around the room, alternating between applying the compound and texturing it.

Jason Whitney writes about drywall texturing at http://www.drywalltexturepro.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Whitney

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Tags: Drywall, drywall supplies, drywall texture, home improvement, Wallpaper

by Fred Cann

Jr’s Solutions, LLC Construction Management and Builder based out of Long Island, NY has come a long way from 10 years ago when started by owner Frederick Cann. The company always demonstrated values that held presidance over profit. Over the years these practices have helped evolve Jr’s Solutions into the preferred builder on Long Island. Our best practices include education, pricing, craftsmanship and etiquette.

Education is the one factor that keeps our company ahead of the rest. We strive to introduce new building practices and products to our clients. It is of utmost importance to have a clear and present understanding as to what we are trying to introduce to our clients. To achieve this we spend at least 8 hrs a month researching, attending seminars or webinars, or just making time to sit with representatives from manufacturers. Just last month we introduced a product called zip board which has been on the market for awhile to the town of Riverhead. The town, which has never been asked to use such a product, asked for us to provide them with the benefits. After a handful of literature and a quick explanation they agreed to allow us to use it. Furthermore this system turns out to be cost efficient rather then using traditional cdx as sheathing. This leads me into my next practice which is pricing.

Pricing has been a challenge. The success ratio solely relies on the time you invest into new ways to be cost efficient. In the current market it has been very difficult to find ways to be more competitive. We have reduced our staff, overhead, and have not distributed any profits for the first 3 quarters of the year. All these factors have kept us even, and even in this market are ahead. A useful practice that we spend time on each and every day is material pricing. Material pricing changes all the time. If you are not on top of these changes you may be losing. We had a team that strictly would spend time on material pricing. Some days we would spend three to four hours pricing materials. Not to long ago as we were pricing materials and searching on Google for drywall supplies in Huntington NY, we came across a website called www.bidformaterials.com The website connects contractors to suppliers in search for better material pricing. The interesting fact was that it was not an auction site. It simply connects the two similar to match.com. Contractor posts his material lists and suppliers send confidential bids for the contractor to choose from. The best part its instant and costs me $50.00 per month and suppliers are free. This tool saved me $500.00 on an interior door order with a supplier I never even heard of. At the end of the day spending a little time and maybe money will help bear fruit in material pricing that can help reduce your pricing and make you more competitive.

Craftsmanship should be the only concern when exiting a job. The impression that you leave behind will literally last a lifetime. On each and every job that we do, I walk through with my binder which has dividers in it. The dividers are for each trade. I have gathered a list of complaints and callbacks that we have had in the past. I generalize this list in each trade and then walk through and try to see if any these topics are issues that I want addressed before we hand over final billing. Just last week I got caught by a homeowner who snuck up on me and asked me “What are you doing? I though you were done here?”. I said, “ What you think is done and what I think is done are two different things. I have to make sure you don’t call me on Christmas eve and tell me that your front sink in the powder room is leaking”. At the end of my walk through the homeowner turned to me and said thank you for taking the time to walk through. I am glad I chose you do build my house”. In today’s market it benefits me to do this.

Etiquette is something that many people let fall by the waist side. In my opinion it is the most important value or practice that keeps a company afloat. I have very strict rules about how my company from clerical to tradesman to laborers present themselves. If they come to work late, they will more then likely go to a jobsite late. True, I have GPS on my vans and I do have project managers that follow crews around from time to time. Should I have to spend time doing this? The answer is clear. No. If you hire an employee that shows up 5 minutes early and stays five minutes late. I can almost guarantee that he will spend the extra minute to measure twice, or pick up a mess, add an extra nail, etc. We will not accept anything less.

Our company has been around for ten years and from day to day our success changes. We believe that success is not a destination but a journey. If we continue to stand behind our values which become practices we will continue to lead the pack. There really is no better time then now to practice values.

Tags: bid for materials, drywall supplies, frederick cann, jr's solutions, long island, New York

by Claude Solnik
Published: September 30, 2009

 

Building material prices have been falling amid a decline in global and local demand, hurting firms that sell materials and tantalizing builders who could get better deals if only they had the work.

 

Edgar Goodale, president of Riverhead Building Supply, said the prices reflect fewer requests for products due to a construction slump.

 

“It’s simple supply and demand,” Goodale said. “There’s too much capacity in the industry for the amount of housing being built nationwide.”

 

The price slide across most products comes after prices for labor and materials rose over the past two years.

 

“Two years ago construction costs skyrocketed,” said Gregg Rechler, co-managing partner of Rechler Equity Partners. “Commodity costs skyrocketed. Now demand is considerably lower. Prices have leveled off from the highs of 2007 and even 2006 and gotten back to the 2005 level.”

 

Builders said prices for materials fell 25 to 50 percent in the past 18 months, except for oil-based products, which are holding strong.

 

Petroleum-based asphalt shingles over the past 18 months shot up from about $18 to $28 as the price of oil rebounded, according to Goodale.

 

But two-by-four studs fell from $2.59 to $1.99 and 18-inch cedar singles dropped from $80 per bundle to $38.

 

Frank Perruzza, president of New Hyde Park-based Block By Block Builder said four-by-eight sheet rock fell from $12 a board last year to $10.  Lower demand for concrete and metal in China drove down prices for those commodities as well.

 

“Last year when China was building so much, the United States was selling it to China,” Perruzza said. “We found a shortage. They [concrete suppliers] started charging us more. This year it went down.”

 

New ways of obtaining supplies such as online bidding also could drive prices down further. Various Web sites let suppliers bid for work through online auctions. And Fred Cann, owner of JR Solutions, a contractor in South Huntington, recently launched Bidformaterials.com, letting builders buy supplies from vendors who bid in an effort to offer the best prices.

 

“We have less time to spend shopping for materials,” he said. “More and more managers are having to work themselves, which eliminates time in their day to perform these duties.”

 

Goodale is optimistic demand will bounce back before the winter lull, saying “the coming months look much better than the past months” and that “people seem to be dipping their toes in the water, signifying they may be starting to do something.”

 

But Cann sees the winter around the corner as bringing further price reductions. “Everything fluctuates by season,” he said. “We’re going into the winter months, so prices will come down more.”

 

Contractors are seeing another trend in terms of building materials as more residents seek to save by buying their own supplies, which sometimes causes problems.

 

Perruzza talked about one resident who insisted on buying a faucet online, which he said led to additional complications and costs.

 

“The plumber said, ‘Where’d you buy this faucet?’” Perruzza said. “Online. That’s your mistake. It’s not made for New York. You have to upgrade it.”

Tags: building materials, construction supplies, drywall supplies, electrical suppliers