Boston Drywall Installation

DIY home handymen don't shy away from many home improvement jobs, but drywall installation in Boston tends to be a project that gives some pause. Boston drywall installation is one of those jobs that might seem pretty straightforward at first glance. Unfortunately, it's not. It's true that hanging drywall is a pretty straightforward process in the grand scheme of things. However, the job of preparing that same drywall for drywall finishing in Boston is no piece of cake. Here's a few tips if you're dead set on doing your drywall yourself, as well as some information on what to expect cost- and time-wise if you end up hiring this home improvement out to a pro.

Boston Drywall Installation for the DIYer in The Hub
If you're looking to cut costs, and have the patience to match your insistence on saving money, you can always install drywall yourself when the need arises. As mentioned above, don't go into this job expecting things to progress smoothly. If you haven't worked with drywall in the past, it's going to be a learning experience. Our best advice is to take things slowly and do your homework. Knowing that drywall is generally installed horizontally across the wall joists, for example, and that you should try to cut the drywall as close as possible at the ceiling and corners in order to prevent cracking at the joints over time, are the types of things you'll need to know before you get started if you want your project to move along swiftly and stand the test of time. Finally, while it's important that you get it right, don't forget that your focus in this first stage is on getting the drywall up, not getting it absolutely perfect. Getting things to look perfect is what the next step in the process is for.

Working With Mud in a Boston Drywall Installation
More than anything, you should know that the toughest, and messiest, aspect of working with drywall is applying the joint compound. It's going to take some practice to cover the seams so that when you paint over it there isn't any evidence of a gap or the compound present when the project is finished. Your goal is to cover the joints and the drywall tape, while at the same time smoothing the compound at the edges so that there's a seamless transition from the mud to the drywall. The only way to accomplish this is trial and error. Practice makes perfect, as they say. Once the compound has been applied, your next goal is to smooth things over. Many DIYers instinctively sand the joints down after the mud has dried. This style of Boston drywall finishing is a proven tactic, but a much easier way to create seamless joints is to go over everything with a damp sponge when it's time for drywall finishing in Boston. Not only will a sponge smooth out the irregularities, but you won't have to spend a half a day cleaning up the dust that comes hand in hand with going the sandpaper route.

The Cost of Hiring a Pro for Your Drywall Installation in Boston
When you add up the costs of doing it yourself versus those of hiring the job out, be sure to figure in your own time, the cost of materials and supplies, and the cost of frustration. Any drywall finishing in Boston is going to take a toll on the average Joe, and to be honest, for most homeowners this is one job that's worth the price to hire out. And how much is that price? An average drywall installation in Boston, based on the data that ServiceMagic collects on drywall installations in Boston that we provide contractor referrals for, runs $1,200. It's not cheap; but when you consider the learning curve involved with DIY Boston drywall finishing, and the time it will take you to master the task, for most homeowners it's a no-brainer. After all, there's good reason that most GCs in Boston don't do drywall themselves. It just takes too much time and effort for those that don't do this type of work day in and day out to justify tackling the job on your own.

Project Durations for a Drywall Installation in Boston
The other reason this job is often passed over by home handymen is the time that's involved if you choose to do it on your own. A drywall installation in Boston done by a do it yourselfer can take weeks or months to complete. An experienced drywall hanger, however, can get it done in a matter of days. Again, drawing from our own collected data regarding drywall installation in Boston, a pro will get the job done in an average of four days, with small jobs taking as little as a single day and large ones taking a max of 11. Compared to a weekend warrior, who has to learn the ins and outs of hanging drywall and working with joint compound on the go, hiring a pro means that your drywall installation in Boston will be done in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, you'll rest easy knowing that the job has been done right, which is a load off the mind of any Bostonian who has a major drywall installation looming in their future.