Drywall, Texture and Plaster
Some history
The finish of the interior walls of a house have changed a lot over the years. At one time leaving the building materials of the outer walls exposed was common and almost unavoidable. Large tapestries or arras were hung to cover the stone, brick, or other building materials. Wainscotting, decorative wood paneling, was also used. This old popular finish method still maintains its popularity today. Lathe and plaster used to be the way walls were finished. Labor intensive and time consuming lathe and plaster gave way to easy to hang gypsum wall board with a sprayed on texture. Gypsum wall board, drywall, is now the most common method of finishing interior walls.
Hanging drywall
Drywall is a pre-manufactured board usually measuring 4' x 8' or 12', that is made of gypsum or other plaster material between two layers of paper backing. Drywall is 'hung' by either nailing or screwing the board to the framing members or to furring strips over masonry. Typically the nails are 6 penny (6d) and the screws are #6 drywall (d.w.) screws at 6-7" on center (O.C.). Drywall panels should be hung ceiling first and then the walls from the ceiling down. When hanging drywall on the walls, the drywall should be hung with the long dimension horizontal and the joints lapped. There is the temptation with 8' ceilings to hang the long dimension vertically as this is physically easier. On interior non-bearing walls this is not much of an issue. However, drywall hung horizontally provides stuctural strength against racking to the wall, and sometimes is a part of the engineered values of the structure.
Finishing drywall
Finishing drywall should not be confused with texturng. Finishing drywall consists of mudding in the joints with a mud / stucco compound and taping the joints with a paper or fiberglass mesh tape. This compound can be readily bought at a hardware or lumber store. The typical list of tools include: a mud box, 8" and 12" mud knives, a corner knife, a pole sander, 120 to 150 grit sandpaper or sanding screen, and possibly a sanding sponge. Note should be made that mudding and taping may seem like an easy job, it is actually a job that takes a little skill and practice to be proficient. After initially mudding and taping the joints, and letting the mud dry, the joints must be sanded. Sanding usually reveals depressions and voids in the mud and several applications must be made.
Texture
Now that you have a reasonably flat surface with the drywall, tape and mud, a
texture is generally applied. Start with the ceiling first. Typically today's textures are applied through a air driven hopper. There are also roll-on paint type products and of course you can always hand trowel on the mud. The typical list of tools include: air compressor and hose, texture hopper, safety goggles. A texture called a sand finish is an option, but it requires a perfectly flat surface and will show any and all blemishes. Other options include: knockdown, orange peel, splatter, popcorn, and acoustic. Texturing the walls is very much the same as texturing the ceiling. The style of texture should take into account the usage of the room and whether or not the walls will require frequent cleaning. Texture options include: Sand finish, knockdown, orange peel, splatter. More creative textures can be applied by hand trowling the mud on with various
instruments and/or brushing, pulling, sponging the applied mud.
Style
Using drywall and texturing techniques can add interesting architectural and design
touches. A common option to square cornered walls is "bullnosed" or rounded corners. Used through out the house or just at architectural details, bullnosed corners give an elegant softened appearance. Adding a decoratively cut second layer of drywall is another inexpensive way to dress up a home. Applied to a ceiling as a border to a room or can help define a specific area. Applied at a light or fan as a medallion gives a room a coffered ceiling look. Applied to the lower portion of a wall, perhaps with a contrasting texture, will give a wainscot look.
Whether building a new home or remodeling an existing one, drywall sheathed walls
and ceilings present a inexpensive, asthetically malleable surface which can be both functional and decorative. With some planning and thought the walls of your home can be more than mere partitions between rooms.
Written by: Geoffrey M. Duggan
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