Covering Up Gypsum wallboards are the odds-on favorite for covering walls in any area of the house.
This material consists of gypsum plaster between two layers of cardboard, forming a plaster sandwich.
Sheets range up to 4 by 12'.
With the exception of wood-grained gypsum wallboard, which is pre-decorated, it lends itself to any decorative finish - paint, paper, fabric or texture.
The decorative material may be applied as soon as the joints are thoroughly dry.
Paint can be applied by brush, spray or roller.
For all paints, be sure to apply the proper primer or sealer as first coat.
The type of primer or sealer will vary with the sort of paint selected, so follow the paint manufacturer's directions.
The various types of gypsum wallboard are: 1.
Regular or standard gypsum wallboard, available in 3/8" and 1/2" thicknesses.
The board is preferred in new construction.
Generally, these boards are made with square, beveled and tapered edges.
The square-edge board is used, as a rule, where no decorative treatment is required.
The beveled edge is used where an accented joint is desired for architectural reasons.
The tapered-edge board is to be used with the tape-and-cement joint concealment system.
2.
Type X gypsum board, made in and thicknesses and with both square and tapered edges, has a specially formulated core designed to increase resistance to fire and sound transmission.
Wallboards are easy to cut; just score with a knife and break.
Nailing is easy, too, but the paper face must not be broken.
The big panels cover up to 48 square feet of ceiling or wall surface and go up quickly.
However, it takes some patience in plastering and sanding to insure that the joints between the panels will be invisible under a finish coat of paint.
Hammer dents or nail heads must be spotted with joint cement and perforated tape used at all joints plus inside and outside corners.
All surfaces must be primed before painting unless you purchase wallboard with such faces as knotty pine, bleached and dark walnut.
The following are some tips to make your wallboard installation easier: 1.
Make sure that the framing members (the studs and joists) are straight and in alignment.
2.
Start with the ceiling.
If possible, span the entire width or length of the ceiling with one piece of gypsum board.
This will reduce the footage of the joints that will require concealment later.
3.
Nail the boards properly, using the annular- ringed, bright-finish nails specially recommended for the application of gypsum wallboard.
Start nailing at the center of the board and work outward.
Nails should be spaced up to 6" apart on the ceiling, up to 7" apart on the sidewalls, and never less than 3/8" from edges or ends of the board.
The area of I the board immediately surrounding each nail should be held tightly against the framing while the nail is being driven.
4.
It is generally advisable to apply the long dimension of the wallboard at right angles to the studs or joists because it usually reduces the amount of joints to be concealed.
In such horizontal application, start sidewalls at the ceiling.
Fit lower boards snugly without wedging.
After you have applied the wallboard to the ceiling and all the walls, you are ready to proceed with "welding" and concealing all the joints and treating the nail heads.
As the first step in joint treatment, use a 5" broad putty knife to butter adhesive into the channel formed by the tapered edges of the board.
The adhesive, recommended by the gypsum-wall-board manufacturer, should be mixed to a putty-like consistency.
Apply moderate pressure, filling the channel evenly.
Then lay the special reinforcing tape neatly into the adhesive, centering it over the joint.
With the knife, press the tape firmly into the adhesive, removing all air pockets and excess cement.
Next, cover the tape with a thin coating of adhesive.
When the first coat of adhesive has dried, remove any remaining roughness by sanding the surface lightly and then apply a second coat, feathering it out on both sides of the recess, leaving it too as smooth as possible.
After the second coat is dry, again remove any roughness by sanding and then apply a final smoothing coat of adhesive, feathering it out beyond the second coat.
If any rough spots remain after the adhesive has thoroughly dried, sand very lightly with fine sandpaper.
Nail-heads are concealed with the same adhesive used to treat the joints.
They should be spotted with adhesive at the same time that each of the three coats is applied to the joints.
If the nail-heads are not completely covered with the first layer of adhesive, they should immediately be driven further into the dimple with a crown-headed hammer.
Other Covering Materials Aside from gypsum board, you might also use paper board, which is available in extra-large-sized sheets, up to 8 by 18'.
While awkward to handle without assistance, they speed up wall construction.
Fewer joints result, and nail-spacing may be greater.
Thickness is about 1/2" and 3/2" nails are used, usually No.
9 flatheads, galvanized or cement-coated.
Nails are placed 10 to 12" apart along the edges and staggered on alternate studs through the center sections at similar intervals.
For sheets this size, 1/8" spaces are left between sheets to allow for expansion.
Paper board may also be glued to studs and framing with special glue provided with the sheets.
Cut with a knife or saw.
Finishing can be done with wallpaper, paint or textures.
Another material is fiber board, usually made from wood pulp.
It is light in weight, usually available in 4' widths and lengths from 6 to 8' up to 12'.
They form a wall that is insulated by the material itself and, for the most part, provide sound-deadening qualities.
Some are available in square tile form.
Application is on furring strips except in the cases where, by means of adhesives, they may be attached directly to the wall as a flush surface.
Others are beveled and the arrangement of panels will add eye appeal in lines or checkered squares.
For attaching to furring, the usual nail is a 2d type, blued, or No.
17 flathead brad.
Being soft, these fiber boards may be attached to furring with staples.
Since fasteners should be spaced at 4" intervals, staples are real time and labor savers.
Where a thicker variety of fiber board is used, longer nails up to 3/2" are required.
The material can be cut with a knife or saw.
Where rough-edged fiber board is applied to walls and ceiling with butt joints, a crack filler is used, frequently with a paper strip to conceal crack and nail heads.
Many types of fiber board are avail-able ready-finished and require no more attention, once in place.
Others can be papered, painted or finished with texture paint that will also fill in cracks and cover damage.
Hardboard is made by exploding wood chips into fiber form and, after processing, pressing the fibers together with heat and pressure.
The result is an extremely dense, rigid, and durable material, capable of standing an enormous amount of wear and tear.
Since these panels and squares are put up to form a finished wall without further covering, the completed finishes cover a wide range.
Simulated wood grains in all colors, baked-on enamels and leather-textured surfaces are only a few of the choices available.
When nailed up, furring is required under all edges.
Nails should be 5/4" long, lightly countersunk, and the heads concealed by hole fillers.
Space nails at 4" intervals on edges, 6" on center studs and supports.
Cut with a saw.
These materials may also be affixed to walls with adhesives, with beveled joints left to form a pattern or filled as desired.
They may also be put up with special metal or wood strips used both as support and to conceal the actual joints.
Owing to the strength of hardboards, they make an excellent covering for old broken plaster walls which they support and conceal.
With their virtually waterproof finish, they are ideal for kitchen and bathroom and may be washed repeatedly.
Plywood is a firm base for the application of tile, linoleum, fabric, wallpaper or paint.
There is little shrinkage or warping, cracking, or curling under normal household conditions.
Plywoods may be obtained in literally hundreds of forms.
Thickness varies from 1/4" to over 1", with increasing sturdiness.
As a rule, one side is rough, the surface side ready for the final coating.
Unfinished plywood paneling is sold in sheets, usually 4-by-8' and larger.
They may be cut with a hand saw.
Nailing, or screw fastening, should be made at 16" on centers.
Nail sizes depend on the thickness used, the nail being 3 times as long as the wood thickness.
Butt joints can be made invisible with fillers in most applications.
Striated plywood finishes help to conceal joints.
In plywood, nails should be countersunk - in which case finishing nails and brads are more practical - and the holes then filled with plastic wood to be concealed later by the final finishing processes.
Fabricated panels, including tongue-and-grooved sheets, are applied with special clips.
While this leaves a slightly raised joint, the finished panels can be so arranged that the seams are invisible or else used to accent the paneled effects of the room.
Solid wood, of course, includes such paneling as knotty pine, clear pine and specially beveled and striated lumbers milled according to order for specific purposes.
Random widths, special finishes and stains all combine to make paneled rooms as modern or as provincial as the decorator's fancy desires.
Application to old walls or new should be on furring strips for adequate nailing surface.
The Finishing Touch When the framing has been covered with the material of your choice, all that remains is the application of moldings to the top and bottom of the wall to conceal gaps between the wall and the floor and ceiling.
Styles available at all lumber yards vary so widely that one can be found to match any decorating motif, but methods of application are standard.
Sketches suggest application ideas.
To apply baseboard and ceiling trim, cut to size, mitering at corners as needed.
Use finishing nails driven through the trim into studs.
Counterset nail heads and fill with wood putty.