What is drywall??????

Question

How do you put it up? What is it? Does it look like an actual wall? is it expensive? How long does it take to install for an average sized room?I want to drywall a wood-paneled room.

Answer 1

Drywall is a paper covered plaster board that comes in 4' widths and varying lengths, and is about 1/2" thick.  It is screwed/nailed onto ceilings or walls.  It's cheaper than other wall construction materials, but count on some labor costs if you don't do it yourself.  

Yes, it becomes an "actual wall" like you see in most homes.

The crack/seam, where two pieces meet, must be "mudded", "cured", and "re-mudded", sanded and painted so the seams won't show.

It's not something people ordinarily do themselves.  The drywall is very heavy, and almost impossible for a non-professional to put on a ceiling.  And, it is a MESS to apply.  When you cut it, and it generally must be cut to fit, fine white dust goes everywhere.

Getting the seams to disappear is, in my opinion, an act of magic that only the pros can do.  I've tried and tried and tried.  Just can't do it.

A pro can finish an average sized room's walls in a day, but that's just putting up the drywall, and perhaps the initial "mudding" of seams.  I'd figure on a week to ten days from start to final paint.

If done right, it will look great and lighten up the room a lot, if you keep your final paint a light color.