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| | | Also called wallboard, plasterboard or sheetrock, drywall is simply factory-made sheets of paper-wrapped gypsum plaster installed to create a flat, firm wall or ceiling as a foundation for paint or wallpaper. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Patch kits to repair small holes in existing drywall are $2 -$20; the more expensive kits contain materials to patch several holes or up to four feet of cracks. Simple repairs can also be made using joint compound ($3 -$15), a drywall hand saw ($5 -$16) and average household tools such as a hammer, drill and utility knife. Better Homes & Gardens gives directions for patching small holes up a few inches wide and larger holes up to eight inches across.
- Drywall materials (drywall sheets plus screws or nails, joint compound, tape, etc.) average 25 cents - 65 cents a square foot; professional installation is an additional 85 cents -$1.50 per square foot. Installing new drywall on the walls and ceiling of a 12x12-foot-room with 8-foot-high walls means about 530 square feet of drywall. For about 4,000 square feet of drywall on all the walls and ceilings of a small home, it's $4,400 -$8,600 or more. Factors such as cathedral ceilings or irregular layouts can bump the price higher. And it's easier to install drywall in a house that's under construction, so remodeling projects tend to be at the higher end of the price range.
- Do-It-Yourselfers can bring the costs down to $150 -$250 for a 12x12 room and $1,000 -$3,000 for a small house, but hanging drywall requires a lot of heavy lifting by at least two people, and getting a good finish on drywall requires a lot of patience and practice. DrywallBook.com sells a how-to guide with a texture tool and an email answer service for $11 (including shipping).
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| What should be included: | - Drywall sheets are heavy, so installation often requires at least two workers or specialized skills, tools and hoists. Because each coat of joint compound has to dry thoroughly, any drywall project other than a small repair patch usually takes at least three days.
- ThisOldHouse.com gives detailed instructions for hanging and properly finishing drywall.
- Be sure to check with the local planning department; a drywall project make require both a permit and an inspector. Some areas have extremely specific regulations such as whether to use drywall nails or drywall screws.
- c/netNews.com predicts that an environmentally safe drywall will be on the market in 2008, for the same price or a little bit more than standard drywall. Among building materials, conventional drywall is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases, just behind cement and steel. Environmentally friendly drywall uses a blend of materials instead of gypsum, allowing manufacturers to skip the numerous heating and mixing stages required by standard drywall.
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| Additional costs: | - It can be tricky to get the final product to look just right, so do-it-yourselfers without previous drywall experience should allow a fairly high margin of wastage, adding as much as 20 percent to the overall budget.
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| Shopping for drywall: | - Often individuals or small contracting companies will specialize in drywall and may be hired as a subcontractor for a larger construction firm. It's also possible to hire someone who works for a large drywall company to do a small project evenings or weekends. Referrals are available through the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
- Get several estimates, making clear what is (and isn't) included in each quote; understand which size sheets of drywall will be used (the larger the sheet, the fewer the seams) and if removal of the old wall and clean-up of all debris are included in the quoted price. Request and check references; ask about the contractor's length and type of experience; and be sure they're properly bonded, insured and licensed in your state. See if there are any complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
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Article updated July 2007 |
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