How to Plasterboard a Brick Wall

Installing Furring Strips

• 1

  Hold a 2- by 4-inch furring strip vertically against a corner of the brick wall, with the 4-inch side against the wall. Ensure this length matches the height of the wall. Position a level next to the strip to ensure it is level, adjusting as required.

• 2

  Wear safety glasses and insert a masonry bit into the drill. Bore a series of 3-inch-deep holes through the furring board and into the brick. Space the holes 16 inches apart along the length of the strip.

• 3

  Insert the tip of a 3-inch-long fluted nail into a hole and tap it with a sledgehammer until it is flush with the wood. Repeat the process of inserting nails into the remaining holes.

• 4

  Measure 16 inches horizontally from the top of the furring strip and mark the spot on the wall. Also measure 16 inches from the bottom of the strip and mark the spot on the wall. Snap a chalk line over the two marks to form a vertical line that marks the location of the second furring strip on the wall. Repeat this process to measure and mark every 16 inches along the span of the wall for the strips.

• 5

  Position the second furring strip over the first vertical chalk line. Use a level to straighten it and bore pilot holes through it, spaced 16 inches apart. Drive fluted nails through the holes to secure this strip to the wall. Continue this process with the remaining chalk lines.

Hanging Plasterboard

• 6

  Assign a helper to hold one end of the drywall panel while you hold its other end. Lift this panel up against the first furring strip, ensuring the corners meet. A drywall panel generally covers four furring strips because it measures 8 feet in length.

• 7

  Drive 1 1/4-inch drywall screws into the panel every 16 inches to secure it to the furring strip directly below. Repeat the process to secure the drywall panel to the remaining three furring strips.

• 8

  Hold a second drywall panel up against the wall, with its edge matching the edge of the previous panel so that they share the same furring strip. Drive drywall screws to secure this panel to the four furring strips it covers. Repeat this process of securing panels to the strips until you cover the brick wall completely.

• 9

  Hang another row of drywall panels above the installed row. Position the lower edge of a drywall panel directly above the top edge of the first panel in the row below. Secure this panel to the furring strip the same way you secured the previous panels. You may need to score drywall panels with a utility knife and snap them into smaller sections to fit the gap between the first row and the ceiling.