In remodeling or building your home, there are a lot of choices that need to be made. Decisions are required from flooring all the way up to lighting. Each choice is an important piece that will later make up the whole of your home.
One decision that often doesn’t get as much thought is what material to use on your walls. There are a surprising amount of options that all have their advantages and disadvantages. Drywall is one of the most popular options and a cost-effective one.
Walling is probably not as big of a decision as what cabinets to use. All you have to decide is what sort of look you want and choose the walling that achieves that. Drywall is the best for a smooth, clean look that won’t break the bank. Here are some things you should know before you install drywall.
1. You Need to Hire Someone
It is important that you hire one of the commercial drywall contractors in your area before you try to install drywall. There are a few tricky things about installing drywall that will probably require professional help. It is also important just to get a quote so you can make an informed decision in your walling.
You may think drywall would not be hard to install. It comes in sheets already and all you have to do is nail them in place. You would be kind of correct, but there are still quite a few problems with installing your own drywall.
The main problem is the weight. Drywall is premade in very convenient, but very heavy sheets. Carrying the sheets around is difficult because of their size as well as their weight. Usually, it will take a couple of people to carry drywall upstairs or hold it up to nail into place.
If you are completely rebuilding a home you will probably also want drywall on the ceiling to achieve that clean look all over your desired room. Lifting drywall onto the ceiling requires a specialized machine. The weight and size of drywall will mean that hiring someone will be much easier.
Finally, you need a professional to make sure the finished look is perfect. If the drywall is not taped properly and installed properly you may be able to see the joints between sheets. That is not a good look. Professionals know how to avoid that and give you the perfect end result.
2. Look at Drywall Options
Drywall is a very functional product. It may be a bit crumbly if you aren’t careful during installation, but once it is up it stays up. Drywall holds up over time and rarely cracks.
The only problem with drywall is that it is not naturally water-resistant. Luckily, there is more than one type of drywall. There are actually quite a few drywall options for your home.
The main difference between normal drywall and your other options is the water and mold resistance. Normal drywall is the cheapest option so you might want to use that in the majority of the house, and then have some green or blue board in your bathroom as tile backing. The blue board is excellent for basement spaces.
Looking to see which drywall works best for which space in your home is a great idea. It means you won’t be wasting money on board you don’t need. It also means you won’t need to replace moldy drywall because you didn’t get the water-resistant option in areas you should have.
Luckily, you won’t have to worry about fire resistance at all. Drywall is naturally fire-resistant because it is made with gypsum which retards flame. That makes drywall an ideal option in kitchens and bedrooms. The comfort of naturally fire-resistant walls is something that is worth the small investment drywall takes.
3. It’s Cost-Effective
Drywall is widely regarded as the cheapest walling option. It is cheaper than plaster by about two dollars per square foot. Cheaper does not mean worse quality in this case.
Drywall holds up very well over time. One of the main reasons it costs less is because it can be made cheaply, and sometimes even recycled to make more drywall. Gypsum is a natural resource so it is very easy to find the products needed to make drywall.
The only places in your home it might be worth it to spring for plaster is over tricky curves in your walls or ceiling. Since drywall is all one sheet it can be hard to cut it exactly to size over odd curves. Still, a professional might be able to manage it and keep the cost down.
If drywall is so well priced and does not give up quality for cheapness then why choose anything else? The only reason to choose a walling option other than drywall is to achieve a look other than the clean lines drywall provides. Using drywall in every place other than where you want a specific look will save lots of money and time in installation.
Conclusion
Drywall is an attractive, mostly natural walling option that will not break the bank. It leaves you with lovely clean walls with straight lines and edges. Drywall also holds up over the test of time as you can see by looking at homes from the 60s.
Drywall provides you with many options for whatever kind of wall protection you need in a room. All drywall is fire resistant, but there are also water and mold resistant options. There is even paperless drywall that protects the gypsum with fiberglass. There is drywall for every room in your home that will give you the peace of mind that your walls are safe and sturdy.
Finally, professional drywall contractors can give you the beautiful walls you want. They are great at handling the heavy sheets and applying them to your ceilings and walls. Contractors know how to keep your drywall from showing joints, and from cracking over time.
There is no reason to not look at your drywall options. Finding a professional and getting a quote is a great idea in any home renovation. Make sure you are informed of all your drywall choices and needs.
