As a drywall contractor, I often encounter situations where I have to patch walls of different thicknesses, from 1/4-in. to 7/8-in. for old plaster walls. Instead of carrying all those…

Making a wiggly line with your router is the key to keeping a piece of drywall from slipping before it's fully cut.

Use an inexpensive plastic speed square to quickly and accurately score pieces without a chalkline or straightedge.

When it's impossible to back the end joints of drywall on a ceiling, I use a batten of drywall about 6 in. wide, as shown. I screw through both layers…

This portable and versatile homemade drywall hanger is capable of lifting sheets for ceiling application.

When there are hidden pipes or wires you need to avoid hitting, this tip is a simple way to install backing without using screws.

Use readily available materials to build a jig for making curved pieces of drywall.

The secret lies in the attached metal corner bead

A notched squaring device helps everything line up.

Closely spaced studs plus added backing material make it easier to get a tight radius without having to cut or score pieces of drywall.

Use this creative custom solution to create a rounded 45° corner.

Use this nifty envelope trick to cut down on dust cleanup.

Years ago, my method for cutting holes in installed drywall was to use a sharp utility knife and some elbow grease. Now I get out my oscillating multitool and fit…

When it came time to raise high the drywall for my ceiling, I put together a pair of quickie drywall lifts out of some pipe-clamp fixtures and 4-ft. lengths of…

Whenever possible, our crew uses "in-line" framing for walls to save lumber (weight from above bears directly on studs, and plates are joined with steel splices). Because this style of…

Metal flashing goes a long way to avoid big problems from seasonal changes.

In my 20 years as a drywall contractor, I’ve worked on a lot of two- and three-story houses. In just about every one, the finished stairs are in place when…

Repair badly cracked plaster ceilings by covering them with a layer of 1⁄2-in. drywall.

The mother of all drywall jobs gave birth to this invention. We needed to cover the ceiling of a warehouse, soon to be a recording studio, with two layers of…

My work includes patching holes in drywall from time to time. And if the holes are in textured walls, either orange-peel or knock-down texture, I've got to set up my…

If you've ever had to slug it out with a wall to remove drywall for a remodeling project, you can appreciate how tedious it is. Faced with this problem on…

The secret lies in the attached metal corner bead

When 1 have to patch holes in drywall, I first install some 1x backing to support the patch. As shown in the drawing, I place the backing boards behind the…

Putting drywall on a ceiling by yourself is never fun, but at least you can minimize the agony by using temporary supports (called deadmen) to steady the panels as you…

These simple site-built jigs make hanging 12-foot-long sheets of wallboard easy, even when working alone.

I stuck a hunk of adhesive-backed 80-grit sandpaper on the back of my drywall square, as shown in the drawing. The sandpaper keeps the square's tongue from sliding around when…

Because of a crooked chalkline or a bad guess, I sometimes miss the stud or joist as I nail off the drywall. I used to remove these nails by plucking…

In kitchen areas, where people like smooth painted walls or wallpaper, I cut the first sheet of drywall in half lengthwise, as shown in the drawing, to keep a seam…

While building a recent addition I used the lift shown in the drawing to help position 4x12 drywall panels on the ceiling. The lift consists of a rectangular frame with…

The secret lies in rounding the corners.

During my 40 years in the trades, I've had a number of high-end drywall jobs that required dead-flat ceilings -- no telltale bulges allowed where the ends of the drywall…

Here is still another way to install a drywall patch in a spot that doesn't have any backing. First, cut an oversize patch, and nibble away at it until it…