We can help with:

 

• Remodels	• Sheetrock Installation
• Additions	• Taping & Mudding
• New Construction	• Texture & Smooth Wall Finishes
• Steel Stud Framing	• Primer

 

Remodels: More homeowners should keep drywall in mind as a possible design item when building a new home or remodeling an existing home. Drywall has a range of treatments that can turn a dull and dreary room into a room that has culture and theme.

You can look at remodeling the archways, using rounded corners, layering, and texture. It is often thought that an archway cannot be done in drywall because it is too stiff. Not true! An archway can be used to bring definition to a large room. This works well in vaulted ceilings and is also common in many new homes.
Using curved corners on archways and windows can give any room a modern look. They are done by placing “bullnose” corner bead on instead of square corner bead.

Drywall layering is a innovative technique with which you can create a design or pattern in the ceiling as you like. It can update any room and give your ceiling an interesting touch.

Using drywall is an elemental way to update your home and to give your home a unique look and design. Whether remodeling your home or constructing new, make sure that you are keeping the drywall in mind!

 

Additions: Another way of upgrading your home and making it more enjoyable can be done through the addition of a room or transforming a space into usable square footage. Either way, planning out the seemingly mundane aspect of the walls of this new area can really add to your experience of it as a finished part of your home.

As basements are transformed around the Puget Sound from storage use to living space, we have been busy making them warm and comfortable places in which to spend time.

 

New Construction: One of the areas in which we excel is in bringing speed and accuracy to the task of completing new homes. We make sure the details are right and finished on schedule, if not ahead of schedule. The skill of our workers and critical eye of our owner makes all the difference.

 

Steel Stud Framing: Steel frames are more widespread in new home construction as they are able to withstand the typical damage done to traditional wood frame homes. Steel frame homes are more resilient to treacherous weather conditions, and in locations where earthquakes are prevalent. Drywall panels can be affixed to steel frames as easily as to wood frame contruction.

 

Sheetrock Installation: Drywall panels cover most walls and ceilings in homes built over the last 2 generations. These panels have a layer of gypsum sandwiched in between heavy paper backings. A waterproof type sometimes called “green board” is used in bathrooms and other areas subject to heavy moisture. The sheets are generally 4 feet wide, 1/4 to 5/8 inch thick, and 6 to 16 feet long. The standard size is 1/2 inch thick and 12 feet long.

Drywall sheets are fastened to studs, joists, or rafters with drywall nails or screws, or adhesive. Joints between the panels are covered with paper or fiberglass tape and coated several times with layers of a smooth joint compound, like plaster.

Most ceilings are built similarly. They consist of framing joists rather than wall studs and are normally clad with drywall or plaster. These ceilings are normally hung before the drywall is attached to the walls.

 

Taping and Mudding: Taping can sometimes take up to three times as long as hanging the sheets, a surprisingly long time. This is what gives the room a more professional, appealing look, and can help reduce the appearance of lumps and other issues in your wall.

First, we apply mud over the joints between the drywall sheets. Typically this is done in three coats. Then, we permit the mud to dry in between layers. After sanding the third layer of mud, we begin applying drywall tape. The joints will be coated and the excess mud pressed out from under the edges of the tape. We finish by spreading a very thin layer of mud on top. Once everything is dry, we use varying levels of sandpaper to smooth any lumps or ridges for a finished look.

 

Wall Finishes: There are smooth and textured finishes. Textured ranges from light to medium and heavy, with both simple and complex patterns. There are two types of smooth wall finish: “smooth for wallpaper” and “smooth for paint” (a paint roller leaves a slight stipple finish); or “level 4: and “level 5”.

Level 4*
If the final decoration is to be a flat paint, light texture or lightweight wall covering, a Level 4 finish is recommended. Level 4 has been modified to read, "All joints and interior angles have tape embedded in joint compound and two separate coats of joint compound applied over all flat joints and one separate coat of joint compound applied over interior angles. Fastener heads and accessories shall be covered with three separate coats of joint compound. All joint compound shall be smooth and free from tool marks and ridges." Before final decoration it is recommended that the prepared surface be coated with a drywall primer prior to the application of final finishes. Gloss, semi-gloss and enamel paints are not recommended over a Level 4 finish.

Level 5*
Level 5 finish is recommended for areas where severe lighting conditions exist and areas that are to receive gloss, semi-gloss, enamel or non-textured flat paints. Level 5 requires all the operations in Level 4. Additionally, a thin skim coat of joint compound, or material manufactured especially for this purpose, is applied to the entire surface. (This definition is referenced to Terminology, Section II, Page 2 of GA-214 to make the description of "skim coat" clear to all.) The surface is smooth and free from tool marks and ridges. Before final decoration it's recommended that the prepared surface be coated with a primer prior to the application of final finishes. The Level 5 finish is required to achieve the highest degree of quality by providing a uniform surface and minimizing the possibility of joint photographing and/or fasteners "burning through" the final decoration.

If you are attempting to match existing drywall’s texture, it's important to let your drywall contractor know the type so a more precise estimate can be acquired.
* www.nationalgypsum.com

 

Primer: Primer is necessary to fill in any tiny depressions, holes, or pores in the taped gypsum board. Primer’s high filling capability, due to its high-solid content (pigment), makes it essential before painting. They also have low resin content, making the primer’s film surface very slightly rough, which is a great surface hold for paint.

Some people mistake primers with sealers. Sealers are resistant to paint.