Hanging Drywall Over Plaster Walls

Drywall is the most common type of finish for walls and ceilings.

Hanging drywall over plaster walls. Attach your drywall over the plaster. It is not always possible to repair plastered walls especially in old homes. Instead use a screw because they won t break the plaster wall. Covering plaster with 1 4 inch drywall will achieve the same if not greater thickness as 5 8 inch drywall on the studs which is quite good.

When attaching sheets of drywall always make sure you start at the top of the wall and always install your drywall sheets horizontally. It usually comes in 4 8 or 12 foot lengths. Cut a small hole in the ceiling to locate a joist if there isn t one already. They can generally support pictures of up to 20 pounds.

Use drywall screws to attach the drywall to the joists or lath. This piece doesn t have to be a perfect fit. This message has been edited by lawrence edited. Plaster screws have a washer type fitting that helps prevent the plaster from cracking.

Cut a piece of drywall to fill any holes. Using 1 4 inch sheets you can cover old imperfections without adding too much additional finish work. For lighter items simply screwing into the plaster with a 1 1 4 drywall screw is usually enough to get the job done. The drywall should be the same thickness as the plaster.

Drywall is available in different thicknesses up to 5 8 of an inch. Hanging drywall over cracked or damaged plaster can give your rooms a face lift. A practical and economical solution to make old walls look as good as new is to hang drywall over plastered walls. This is the most effective way to attach drywall over plaster.

Screws and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail. As mentioned earlier avoid using nails on plaster wall because they will likely cause the drywall to crack. Using a caulk gun apply a generous amount of liquid nails to the surface onto the wall. Plaster hooks or hanging picture hooks are a common solution for hanging pictures on plaster wall.

Repairs take much work and can destabilize the walls even further. It s made from gypsum calcium sulfate which is ground up made into plaster and pressed between paper in the factory. One of the fastest ways to cover old damaged or cracked plaster walls is to hang drywall over them.