# recommend a book



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

There's dozens of web sites on how to dry wall just do a key word search and print it out.
A basic drywall job just can be explained in just few simple steps and would not require a whole book and added expence. Arches, rounded corners, textures would take a lot more info


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## ltd (Jan 16, 2011)

theirs some nice books at lowes that i have skimmed thru from time to time they seem complete and easy to understand  about 20 dollars


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

All home centers have plenty of books.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

I have not bought or read a drywall book. But I have recently purchased and used books on framing, wiring and plumbing. I find the Creative Homeowner books to be well done and easy to use. The books from Taunton Press (Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking magazines) are usually very good, too. Some of the Taunton books assume you already have the basics. The 123 books at HD are good, too.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Some of the 123 books are lacking in accuracy correctness when it comes to industry fundamentals and basics, so be careful subscribing to those writings. Always verify what they have to say through another source.


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## coupe (Nov 25, 2011)

nvr2low said:


> I will be starting my first drywall project soon. can anyone recommend a good how to book? this forum is great but digging through the forum is tough to get all the info at once...


you want good book? I'll type readers digest version.
page 1- make sure room is square, pulling 3,4,5 measurements. chalk line

figure how much drywall is needed?

page 2- find helper, buy drywall, 2 drywall hammers/nails or screw gun/screws? build 2 benches with step up about 2 feet high, or buy 2 adjustable legged drywall benches. measure length to reach center of ceiling joist, checking for centers of each joist. chalk nail/screw line if needed? blue chalk not red! red is permanent. put glue on each joist. grab one end of sheet, helper other end. carry over to benches, walk up, push sheet up, start nailing/screwing. complete entire ceiling this way. remember you only have 1/2 or 5/8" to play with, try to keep tight to walls, scribe if needed?

page 3-

measure wall sheets from which ever side you're comfortable working from? cut sheet to length, carry to wall, lean sheet against wall, start nail in sheet in center of each stud about 1 1/4" down, lift sheet up to ceiling, drive nails/screws. complete all walls in this fashion. don't forget to glue and stagger all joints! use drywall kickers for low sheets, nail/screw every 6-8 inches

page 4- when all drywall is up, get Spackle/mud,drywall tape, 1 4" Spackle knife, 1 6" knife, Spackle pan. or 12" 14" 16" drywall trowel longer is better. also need hawk for mud. find old paint brush.

page 5-

open mud bucket with screwdriver,take off lid, remove plastic cover. use drill and mixer, mix well getting as much air as possible out

set up benches with 2x12 planking for scaffold. fill Spackle pan with mixed mud. measure corner tape by placing against wall, holding and moving along entire wall, place tape between thumb and fingers, running length of tape bending to form inside corners.

climb on scaffold with Spackle pan, paint brush and 4" knife in your pocket. start painting mud onto corner about 3-4', place folded tape in corner, smooth out with the knife in pocket.

while you're doing this, helper is measuring outer corners for ceilings and uprights, and folding them for you. as you're painting on mud, look for large gaps and fill gaps with mud, when running knife along corners, run knife on sheet with gap first, keeping knife tight to other sheet making nice straight corners. you might want a 4" corner tool?

after ceiling corners are done, start vertical corners from top down, as far as you can reach, again pain brushing mud on looking for gaps.

oops! forgot joints:furious: use 6" knife on joints apply mud to joints heavy, do all butt joints first, tear tape length of joint, place tape centered over joints keeping as straight as possible. measure tape to lap over tapered joints by 3/4-1" slap mud in hard to any gaps? fill them up oh yea! do all joints before starting corners. after mudded in and tape in place, hold tape with one hand while running 6" knife smoothing out tape and mud, smooth it out as best you can, it's going to shrink as dries, sucking tape into cracks.

back to vertical corners, when you've ran as low as you could, get down and finish bottom, lifting tape to above still we mud, brush rest on then finish corner as started. use end of knife at bottom to push mud out, keeping walls and floors as smooth as possible, no globs behind baseboard or under flooring! oh don't forget to coat all countersunk nails/screws! let everything dry, at least overnight.

page6-

need, Spackle pan, 4" knife or 4" corner tool, 12" 14" or 16" trowel and hawk, and paintbrush. set benches/scaffold up 1-2' from wall. load hawk with mud, climb on scaffold, hawk in one hand, trowel of your choosing in other, hold hawk on just enough angle to get mud on trowel without pouring on floor. you need enough mud on trowel to cover 4' butt joints. do all butt joints first, ceiling and walls.
start coating about 1/2" from corners on ceiling holding trowel with mud as near straight up and down as you can without pouring on floor, as pulling trowel across joint, gradually flatten trowel to get good heavy coat over tape, steady pressure all way across, until reach tapered joint then straighten trowel back up/down, leaving no mud, only white streak past tapered joint. you'll get the knack of smoothing it in one swipe in time? till then, go over until smooth. depending on how many butts you have and how long it takes? should be dry enough to run tapered joints when they're done. if not? just coat up close and wait to co over till dry enough. on longer tapered joints, get enough mud on trowel to get you out 3-4', then work backwards, from dry into wet mud. gain, you'll get the knack of straightening and leveling the trowel to leave no lap marks in time. lust takes practice. after all joints are done, you're ready to coat corners. use brush and mud pan as the first time when taping corners. brush mud into corners, then smooth I prefer corner tool myself, keep corners tight ito vertical corners, making nice/clean/sharp corners where intersect. again, you'll lean to lift and lower tool to get smooth unlapped corners. when done, you'll begin to see how good of job you're doing? let dry at least overnight. next day same process all over again. let dry overnight.

page 7-

bring 6" knife, sandpaper, sanding pole, paint brushes/rollers/pans,face mask and paint.
put sandpaper-simi fine grit on pole, put on face mask and begin sanding lightly mostly over feathered edges, less on actual tape, careful to not scuff paper on drywall or go through coating and scuff tape. any imperfections, gouges/ridges? use 6" knife with mud to cover again before sanding, gouges, run knife over entire gouge, ridges, run taper over both sides to smooth out. after sanding, I recommend wiping ceiling and walls down to remove excess dust before painting

paint walls and ceiling, I recommend two coats of paint. don't be alarmed if see every joint and nail through paint? it's normal until paint dries. after second coat of paint, go home.

come back tomorrow and admire the job you've done!

there you go, entire how to book on 7 pages. print it out and publish it. but I expect rewards!

as always, just my thoughts.

take what helps? ignore the rest!

good luck

coupe/Larry

PS. if we make money with book? I'll private message you with name and address to send royalties


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

To keep you honest, nv; http://gypsum.org/pdf/GA-216-2010.html

Tips; ceiling first- of course; http://www.finehomebuilding.com/PDF/Free/021174058.pdf

http://bestdrywall.com/files/ReduceCallbacks.pdf

Cruise around reading books with "previews" here; http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=how+to+drywall&btnG=

And here: http://gypsum.org/download.html


Gary


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## coupe (Nov 25, 2011)

thank you Gary, I think my instructions were pretty honest and on mark?

as always, just my thoughts,
take what helps? ignore the rest!

good luck

coupe/Larry


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

No offense to you, coupe!

"To keep you honest, *nv*; http://gypsum.org/pdf/GA-216-2010.html" -------did you see I directed the "honest" comment to *nv*----- short for nvr2low..... in fact, the whole answer was to him. I've referred many here to the "Google" books for directions over the years I've been posting, probably just the first time you've seen it. Nothing toward you, keep 'em coming!

Gary


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