Drywall questions-my first time.

[gtrotter]

Hey, I have a few questions about hanging drywayll. First, my situation. I bought this house about a year ago, from the original owner/builders son. It was built in the 50's and has plasterboard. Not plaster, but not quite drywall.

Anyways, I was wanting to just put up drywall, as it will be much easier than refinishing the walls. I have already stripped off all of the wallpaper.

Can I hang drywall directly over the plasterboard? Should I use a thinner drywall since I already have the board behind it? Also, I assume I should still use a stud finder and anchor it off that?

Sorry if these questions sound stupid, but this is my first home at 23 years old. Old man never taught me anything, so I usually learn the hard way.

 

[Zeke]

What's wrong with the walls that you have to completely cover them?

Drywall is a LOT of work getting it right. You could put some of that work to fixing the existing walls. Plasterboard, as you call it, is just a skim coat over a drywall like substrate. Today, they call it blueboard. You could get some finishers to skim out your existing walls and not have any trouble with adding thickness.

By adding thickness, you will have problems at doors and windows. They only place to place drywall over another system is the ceiling.

 

[losttechnician]

Zeke is dead on with this. If you lay over the top, your outlets, light switches, window/door trim will all become a lot of work to get done and looking nice. If you absolutely MUST put up new, tear out the existing and open up the numerous cans of worms you will find, and go back with new.

More work than most folks wanna tackle, myself included.

^^ Voice of Experience ^^

 

[gtrotter]

Well, here is why I was wanting to just cover it up. They had fake wood panel on the bottom half of the walls. I got some of it off, and the glue underneath just doesn't want to come off. I tried sanding it, but it is very resistent to my efforts. I'll throw up a pic in a bit on that. I figured it might be easier to hang new, but you (old) guys might know a thing or two.

BUT seriously, that is why asked someone experienced first.

 

[gtrotter]

 

[RECox286]

Look for a drywall contractor. They usually can do the job cheaper than I can

buy the materials, and much faster too. You will be better off to do the removal, and

any woodwork that needs to be done. You may want to get the insulation upgraded

while you are at it. Spray in foam is the best thing I've seen come down the pike.

Uncle Bob

 

[losttechnician]

If DIY is absolutely gonna happen (and why shouldn't it??), learn yourself some texturing techniques. Check out youtube, lots of good (and tons of bad of course) methods shown on there. You can cover up a lot of ugly with some good texture.

Also the voice of experience.

 

[PassnThru]

I've taken walls that had a rough texture on them and just skim coated with mud to even things out. Mostly where the previous owners had pulled wallpaper off but not removed the paste and then just painted over it. If the damage is on the bottom half of the walls then consider chair rail to split the wall between good/damaged sections and then you don't have to feather in the top part after building out the lower part with mud.

 

[Boomer343]

Everything has a best before date and your old drywall is at that point....why cover up when you can have fresh....pull it out and put up new. Insulate and update electrical at the same time....money well spent.

 

[cyamaha2007]

If you do new(and i dont suggest that) you can remove the old electrical boxes, leave the wire and install new work boxes in place of the old. The trim will be a major pain.

 

[PassnThru]

Everything has a best before date and your old drywall is at that point....why cover up when you can have fresh....pull it out and put up new. Insulate and update electrical at the same time....money well spent.

You might mention that some localities would require you to update the electrical once you expose it. Don't get me wrong - a house that old probably needs it anyway. You might ask - what difference does it make? He doesn't have to pull a permit to strip his walls and hang drywall. But having drywall on the walls of a house that old with old wiring could come back to bite him if he sells and the buyers have an overzealous home inspector.

 

[Dustball]

Can I hang drywall directly over the plasterboard? Should I use a thinner drywall since I already have the board behind it? Also, I assume I should still use a stud finder and anchor it off that?

That's exactly what I did with this bathroom. The house had what was similar to concrete board and plaster on the walls with steel mesh at the inside corners- huge PITA to take down.

I glued and screwed 1/4" drywall over the existing walls and it turned out very well.

 

[Norcal]

If a overlay is done, box extensions will have to be used at all switches, & receptacles, Arlington makes some decent ones that are plastic (NM), I used a lot of sheet metal ones & they are no fun when working them hot, which should not be done, BTW.

Bowers cat # 220EXT is the number for the metal ones, NM ones are suggested though.

IMHO, either skim the drywall to repair the surface or rip it out, good time to upgrade wiring & insulation, I am not fond of overlay anything.

 

[e-tek]

I'm on Dustball's side - and he showed some very nice results. I had to do the same when we moved in here - the original owner was a "Do it to Yourselfer" (or more like a "Do it to the next Guy"!) I went over it all with 1/4 inch and then furred the casings with 3/8" or 1/2" stripping. Most electrical boxes didn't need to be touched, as 1/4 spacers are available. If you know how to mud, have at 'er, if you don't (or hate it like me!) hire that out.

 

[gtrotter]

As far as wiring, the house was completely rewired roughly 5 years ago. So no need for that, just a refinish. I was *thinking* to cover, paint, lay tile, and do some trim.

 

[Harix]

 

[NUTTSGT]

As a homeowner, you either have to learn how to do it yourself or pay somebody to do it. You might as well decide where you're going to be, make the decision and do it.

 

[Devildogs]

Hard to picture what your dealing with with just that one close up picture.
If the wall is very uneven then i would use a thicker drywall and screw it to the existing studs. A skim coat is easy to do, once youve mastered the technique, but you can give a pro 300 bucks and he will do the whole thing in 1/4 of the time and it will look great.
I like to learn how to screw it up first and then i can really apreciate the work a professional can do.