If you are intent on remodeling your basement for the better, taking care of the basement drywall is one of the first things you should mind about. Basement drywall is used to give a finishing look at the interior walls and ceilings. Taking care of this part of the basement is important for both aesthetics and comfort level inside the basement.

Drywall is normally made up of gypsum paper. It is a panel that is pressed between two thick sheets of paper: usually brown paper on its back and soft paper on its front. Drywalls are often in light gray color and are sold in pairs, available in 1/2 and 5/8 inch thickness. The 1/2 inch type is preferred for walls, while the 5/8 inch is for ceilings.

Drywall’s other main purpose is to control moisture and prevent molds from growing in the basement. But a careful inspection of the plumbing and leaks inside the basement should be done firsthand to prevent damaging the drywall.

Installing Drywall

Drywall is prepared by many households compared to other wall materials. For one, it is easier to install compared to plaster-based interior finishing. Drywall requires only hand finishing along its joints and fasteners (thus, the term “drywall” because of its speedy way to put up).

There are two ways to install a drywall: horizontally and vertically. The main consideration as to installing Drywall repair near me is to lessen the amount of “joints” as much as possible. A joint is defined as the meeting point between two drywall sheets. Professional installers prefer to use 12 to 16 foot sheets to truly minimize the number of sheets. Using long sheets require at least two persons doing the job, unless you have specialized equipment for it.

Using a compound called “mud,” the joints can be smoothened out. There is a sort of art involved in smoothing out using the mud compound so be sure to do it properly. When mounting the basement walls, put a minimum of 0.5 inch clearance between the floor and the drywall. This is to prevent the basement drywall from soaking water like a sponge when there is sudden flow of water on the flooring.

Does it Really Remove Moisture and Molds?

However, there have been various complaints regarding the paper drywall being vulnerable to moisture and mold growth. Because of its paper and cellulose materials, drywall can be a source of food for the molds especially when there are plumbing leaks and floods. As an alternative, fiberglass drywall is being used by some people. There are other plastic materials also for basement walls that are purportedly 100% water-proof and mold-resistant even if there is a leak.

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