The Walls Came Tumbling Down-Part 1

Hi everyone!

Hope you all are having a great weekend.  I've been getting a lesson in drywall from the school of hard knocks.  Im midway through and im not so sure im passing at this point!

In my last post I spoke on my not-so-smart decision to pair liquid nails and walls.  Long story short....I started on a concept, changed my mind halfway through, and jacked up the walls in the process. 

Such is DIY, I guess. 

Thus began the biggst home improvement project we've taken up so far: replacing the drywall. 

***********************************Disclaimer**********************************

We are absolutely not professionals.  We have never attempted to install drywall ever before. We wanted to try to do it ourselves first, before we called in a professional if needed.  We were  relying heavily on our internet research and YouTube videos to guide us through this process.  Many of the techniques we used are probably wrong, but they worked for us. 

******************************************************************************

We started by knocking out the section that needed to be replaced. Though my sweet Naomi is not nearly as eager as I am to dive into home improvement, she got in on the demolition action. 

After demolition it looked like this

Then I measured and cut the drywall to size using a T-square and utility knife

While the studs were exposed I marked a line above and below the openings so we knew where the studs are

We used 1 5/8 " drywall screws to screw the drywall in place.  Ensure that you screw in your drywall in center of the stud.  You can see the hole above from a screw we took out of the existing drywall during demolition

From what we gathered during our research we were told that the screws should be indented slightly into the drywall like so

After all the drywall was up it looked like this

*Handy Tip-try like the Dickens to get the seams as close as possible.  This was the hardest part for us. 

Next we moved on to the mudding and taping phase.  We picked up some premixed all purpose joint compound

I used a trowel and an 8" knife for the mudding and taping. We read to use a 6", 8", or 10".  We went with 8 since it was in the middle.   Even though its premixed you still need to add water and mix the compound til you get it to the desired consistency.  During our research we found that people were all across the board when it came to the appropriate consistency of the mud.  Some suggested the consistency of pancake batter and others suggested it be the consistency of icing.  I just added water and mixed till it was loose and easily workable, but not runny. 

Then I proceeded to mud and tape the seams. 

In the end my first round of mudding and taping looked like a HOT MESS!!! I now understand why people suggested using a 6" knife. 



This is where we left off since this coat needed to dry for 24 hours before sanding and applying a second coat.  Sanding this beast is NOT going to be fun or pretty, but Im super proud of us.  I never thought in a million years that we would be brave enough to ever attempt something like putting a wall back together. 

Lessons learned thus far-

1. Do your research

2. Cutting drywall is harder that it looks

3. Always start and end a piece of drywall on a stud

4. Measure, Measure, Measure

5. Try to get the seams as close as possible

6. Mudding is messy business

I'll be back with part 2 soon.  So have you ever attempted to drywall?  I'd love to hear about your experience.  Until next time.....

XoXo-Shavonda