Drywall: The Devil's Work

 

Drywall dust is the bane of my existence. It gets everywhere. It invades every hidden nook and cranny of the house. It gets in your hair, on your clothes, in your mouth. Blerg! On a positive note, I think our final drywall installing days are over! We hired a pro in the new house to install it! Enjoy some views of our process.

If you're wondering what the process of installing drywall, let me give you a quick rundown. (This is by no means comprehensive. I just want to give a better picture of how this process works.)

Installing Drywall

1. Measure the space you want the drywall to go, and then cut the drywall to fit that space. If installing full sheets, the drywall goes in horizontally rather than vertically. 
2. Using a drill, put screws in the drywall making sure you hit studs. 
3. Cover all joints with tape (we prefer fiberglass) and mud over joints. Also fill in screw holes with mud. It's best to make all the mud as smooth and flush as possible, so that you have to sand less. 
4. After the mud dries (this takes a day or two), sand all mud smooth. Safety note: wear a mask or respirator for this. It's nasty! Mr. Venture likes to "sand" with a damp sponge when the mud is still wet but very firm, because it produces less dust. You have to make sure the sponge is not too wet.
5. Mud over joints and holes again, but less thickly. 
6. Let dry and sand again.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until your wall is smooth.
8. Pass out from exhaustion and promise to hire a professional next time.

Do you have any drywall experience? Do you hate it as much as I do? Leave a comment and tell me about it!