About Drywall Tools

Hanging Drywall

• Drywall professionals refer to the process of cutting, lifting and fastening drywall as "hanging." The most common tool used to cut drywall is the standard utility knife. Drywall hangers mark sheets of drywall, score the sheet's surface with the knife and a special layout tool called a drywall T-square and break the sheet along the score. For professional-level jobs, hangers lift and hold the cut sheets of drywall against structural framing with hydraulic or mechanical lifting machines called drywall lifts. To fasten drywall sheets to framing, hangers use power drills or specially designed self-loading drywall screw guns.

Taping Drywall

• Following hanging, drywall installers cover the seams between adjacent sheets of drywall with drywall joint tape and joint compound; builders call this process "taping." Drywall tapers use self-stick joint tape or embed non-stick tape in a base coat of joint compound. The traditional mud application tool is a broad-bladed, flexible putty knife called a drywall taping knife. Alternatively, busy professionals use mechanical tools, called automatic taping tools, to quickly apply both tape and mud. Tapers apply successive layers of joint compound until seams are imperceptible.

Finishing Drywall

• The most notable component of drywall finishing is sanding and even professional taping jobs require smoothing with sandpaper. Drywall finishers run abrasive sanding blocks or sheets across a taped surface to remove excess joint compounds, smooth scuffs and level uneven areas. Drywall finishers attach rectangular sheets of drywall sandpaper to hand sanders or pole sanders. A drywall hand sander consists of a rectangular base plate and top-mounted, U-shaped handle. Sandpaper attaches to the underside of the baseplate via clamps. Instead of a U-shaped handle, the pole sander has a threaded, flexible attachment that accepts an extension pole.

Surface Treatments

• Drywall finishers create familiar surface treatments, such as knock-down textures, with either hand and power tools. To manually create surface textures, drywall finishers apply extra-moist joint compound to wall's surface and manipulate the joint compound with drywall taping knives. Drywall professionals also use power tools to create textures. The most common texturing tool is a gun-like spray machine that attaches to the average air compressor. The texturing gun consists of a hopper, which holds wet compound, and pistol-like spray tool that splatters compound onto a wall.