How to Hang Drywall by Yourself

In the lakehouse, I did a major demolition down to the studs in the bathroom. Now I am taking the blank slate that I am left with and covering it with fresh drywall! This project creates a fresh base that is ready for its new finish!

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Prepping Behind the Walls for How to Hang Drywall by Yourself

I had a plumber come in and reroute the lines into the wall. He also replaced the copper piping for the drain and vent. The plumber also gave me a shower which I am so excited about. To start, I am reinforcing some of the vertical studs with 2x4s that I am placing horizontally on top of the damaged base plate of the wall. I am also going to close up the cavity from the medicine cabinet by adding a stud.

The insulation in these walls needs to be replaced, it is ripped and ruined. I am just pushing the insulation behind the wall because it will not do any harm in there. Once the old insulation is out of the way, I have to cut a new piece of insulation. I am stapling the new piece of insulation to the studs. I am also replacing the insulation around the exterior wall, but I have to replace the window first!

Cutting and Prepping Drywall

I am measuring 4 feet down the wall and marking. Then, I am going to screw in small pieces of 2x4s to use as a kind of shelf. I will set the piece of drywall on top of it. I am doing this so that I do not have to have a person sitting there holding the drywall up while I screw it in. Some people choose to do the bottom piece of drywall first, but I am choosing to do the top first because the ledge is not thick enough. I am using an impact driver to screw in the 2x4s because it is so much stronger and I do not have to pre-drill. I am using an Xacto knife to pre-cut the drywall. Then, I give it a pat so it busts right down the line that I cut.

Ceiling Patch

Before I can put up the walls I have to patch up my ceiling. I ran my new insulation through the ceiling and my electrician came and fixed the electric wiring in the walls and ceiling. I cut my ceiling board, which is thicker than the drywall used on the walls. This is going to be hung above where the sink will be. This part could use two pairs of hands, but I did it alone so it was a bit tricky. I pushed the square of drywall into the ceiling with the help of my head and used my driver to put screws in.

Hanging the Drywall

Once my drywall was cut to size and the ceiling was patched up it was time to hang the drywall. I ended up cutting my big sheets into two smaller sheets, that made it more manageable for me. The first piece of drywall I placed fit so well!. Once the first piece was placed I moved on to the second piece. At this point, I am just setting them on the shelves I created out of 2x4s. With both of the top pieces places, I am putting the bottom piece of drywall into place.While I am placing the bottom piece I am using my oscillating multitool to cut the drywall to fit. To keep all of these sheets of drywall in place, I am using by driver to screw them into the studs.

My plumber forgot to put a nail plate over the pipes and I put a screw through one of them, so I did have to take a break from hanging drywall to let the wood dry.

Building a Recessed Cavity

While letting the wood dry I am building a little nook. I want to do a recessed cavity next to the vanity, between the wall studs. This is going to give me the storage I need because I will no longer have a medicine cabinet. To put the little storage space into the wall I need support lumber, I drilled pocket holes into both ends of a 2×4 so the screws go at an angle into the studs. Before I screw this in I need to level it. Once the support lumber is level I am screwing it into the studs. I am going to add the nook itself a little later when the drywall is installed fully. I will install it by nailing it in to the studs next to and below it.

Back to Hanging Drywall by Yourself

Now that my studs are dry, I am going to hang the drywall. I successfully screwed the bottom sheet of drywall in without hitting another pipe or the nail plate. When placing the sheets of drywall, before screwing them in, I am making sure the sheets are tight together at the seams. It is important, when screwing in the drywall, that the screw goes just barely beneath the surface of the drywall. You do not want them sticking up above the drywall, but you do not want to stick them too deep so they do not hold.

Taping and Mudding Drywall

Once all of my drywall has been hung and the screws have been hung every 8-ish inches, it is time to tape and mud. I am filling my seams with joint compound. Once the seam has been filled I use paper tape, it is the best for crack prevention. I measure out how much tape I need, cut it, run it through a bucket of water, then apply it to the joint compound. In the corners, I am putting mud on both sides then using the perforation on the tape to get the 90-degree angle I need. Most visible areas in this bathroom are going to get three coats of this because I am doing a flat wall, not a textured wall. Once all of my mud is dry, I am going to sponge-sand it flat.

Once you have finished sanding, you are done and the wall is ready for primer and paint! I hope this post helped you build your confidence in how to hang drywall by yourself! If you liked this interior upgrade DIY and want to see more, my post on how to lay self leveling concrete is a great place to start!