Drywall installation · Calgary, AB
Drywall installation for Calgary renovations
New walls and ceilings for renovations, additions, basements and rooms opened to the studs. Hung so the finishing comes out flat, with the board type matched to the room.
Free estimate · No obligation
Common requests
- Kitchen and bathroom renovations
- New, moved or removed walls
- Basement developments
- Additions and garage conversions
- Rooms opened up after damage
- Ceilings replaced or lowered
- Usually includes
- Hanging, then taping and finishing. Confirm what your quote covers.
- Before it starts
- Framing, wiring, plumbing, insulation and inspections complete.
- Priced by
- Area, ceiling height, board type, openings and corners, finish level.
Hanging drywall
Good finishing starts with how the sheets go up
Drywall installation, or hanging, is fixing sheets of gypsum board to the framing with screws (and sometimes adhesive). It looks simple, and in a sense it is, but the choices made here decide how much work the finishing needs and how flat the wall looks at the end.
Layout
Sheets are laid out to use as few joints as practical and to keep butt joints (where two uncut ends meet, without the tapered edge) away from the middle of a wall, where window light shows every ridge. Ceilings go up before walls so the wall sheets help support the ceiling edges.
Fastening
Screws are set just below the surface without tearing the paper, on consistent spacing into the framing. Overdriven screws lose their hold; underdriven ones show as bumps. Both show up later as pops.
Openings and edges
Electrical boxes, pot lights, vents and windows are cut out tight so the cover plates and trim hide the edges. Joints are kept off the corners of door and window openings where possible, because those corners are where cracks tend to start.
Ready for drywall? Check first
- Framing is straight, and blocking is in for cabinets, TVs, grab bars and railings
- Electrical, plumbing and ducting are roughed in and final
- Insulation and vapour barrier are installed
- Any required inspections are done and signed off
- Photos taken of the open walls, showing pipe and wire locations
Part-way through a renovation?
Tell the contractor where the project is up to. They can schedule the drywall around your other trades.
Materials
Which board goes where
Standard gypsum board suits most rooms. A few locations call for something different, and the quote should say which is being used.
| Board | Commonly used for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 1/2" | Commonly used forMost interior walls | NotesThe everyday choice for house walls. |
| Sag-resistant or 5/8" ceiling board | Commonly used forCeilings | NotesStiffer across joists and trusses; less prone to sagging. |
| Moisture-resistant board | Commonly used forBathrooms, laundry rooms | NotesResists humidity; not a substitute for a waterproof tub or shower surround. |
| Cement board or a tile backer system | Commonly used forBehind tile in showers and tub surrounds | NotesPaired with a waterproofing membrane, per the product instructions. |
| Fire-rated (Type X) board | Commonly used forLocations where a fire rating is required | NotesWhere it is required depends on the project; confirm with the contractor. |
Typical sequence
From bare studs to ready for paint
Installation is the first of several steps. Each one has to be done properly for the next to work.
Step 1: Check the framing
Crooked studs and missing blocking are much easier to fix now than to hide later.
Step 2: Hang ceilings, then walls
Sheets laid out to minimise joints, fastened on consistent spacing, openings cut clean.
Step 3: Corner bead and tape
Metal or paper-faced bead on outside corners; tape bedded over every seam and inside corner.
This is where the taping and mudding stage begins.
Step 4: Build and feather the coats
Two or three more coats of compound, each wider and thinner, dried between coats.
Step 5: Sand and prime
Sanded to the agreed finish level, then primed so paint goes on evenly.
The later stages are explained on the taping and mudding and drywall finishing pages.
Planning
Renovation drywall in Calgary homes
In Calgary, drywall installation requests most often come from basement developments, kitchen and bathroom renovations, and main floors opened up by removing a wall. In older homes, a renovation can also mean deciding what to do with original plaster and lath: repair it, cover it, or remove it and hang new drywall.
If your renovation needs permits, check with The City of Calgary before walls are closed in, and agree up front who is arranging them. Inspections of framing, wiring and insulation normally have to happen while those are still visible.
Common questions
Drywall installation questions
Question not answered here? Ask it in your estimate request.
Does drywall installation include taping and finishing?
How long does it take to drywall a room?
What thickness of drywall is used?
Can you drywall over existing walls or plaster?
What has to be done before drywall goes up?
Related
Also worth reading
- ServiceDrywall taping and muddingThe next step after hanging, and where most of the finish quality is decided.
- ServiceDrywall finishing levelsFinish levels explained, and which one suits your walls and lighting.
- ServiceBasement drywallWhat to settle before a basement development is boarded.
- GuideWhat drywall installation costs depend onEvery variable that moves the price of a drywall installation.
Free, no-obligation estimate
Get a free drywall installation estimate
Describe the space and where the project is up to. Plans or rough measurements help, but are not required.
Useful to include
- Which rooms, and roughly how big (or a floor plan)
- Ceiling heights, and any vaulted or stairwell areas
- Whether framing, wiring and insulation are done
- Whether you want it finished ready for paint
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