Drywall odd corners

 

drywall3

 

For most DIY handymen a drywall project is relatively simple.  Cut the drywall sheets to size and nail and / or screw it to wall studs or, in the case of a resurfacing project on top of older drywall or plaster. If the room or area that you are planning to drywall is relatively square, the aforementioned techniques work fine.

But what is the walls were curved? And what do you need to do for protruding corners or corner walls where two walls or the ceiling/wall meet?

Protruding corners/inverted corners 

Drywall corners are needed for protruding corners. These angled piece of metal is nailed into the stud over the applied drywall that is attached to the frame. It allows ease in the application of plaster and also provides protection for the wall from bumps, scrapes, and wear and tear. 

To tape inside corners (inverted corners), including the spots where the walls and ceiling meet, cut the tape to length and fold it in half. After laying the bed of compound, press the folded tape into the compound and feather the compound out at least 1 1/2 inches to each side. The corners require three coats, and the last coat should extend about 8 inches to each side. Sanding is required here, too.

To finish the outside corners, install a metal corner (from your building-supply store), then apply three coats of compound that taper up to the bead. The last coat should extend the compound on each wall to about eight inches wide. Sand as with other drywall joints.

Let the walls dry for up to five days, following the recommendations of the joint compound manufacturer. Give the surface of the drywall a coat of primer made for paint or wallpaper. When the primer is dry, sand the drywall surface lightly with fine-grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Be sure to sand between each additional coat of paint with fine-grit sandpaper. New drywall should receive at least three coats: a sealer, primer, and finish coat. 

Curved wall in home with a drywall face

What if the surface you wish to cover is curved?  Drywall doesn\’t bend overly well, it cracks.

Drywall comes in four thicknesses 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, and 5/8″.  While the most common thickness used in residential applications is 1/2″, the other thicknesses have definite uses.

To cover a curved wall in drywall the wall should be constructed of plates and studs, as you would a straight wall.  The wall framing can be either wood or steel.

If the curve is relatively shallow you can use 3/8″ drywall and 16″ centers for the stud spacing.  For tight curves use 1/4″ drywall and increase the studs to every 8″ rather than every 16″

Installing Drywall On An Outside Curve:

Step 1 : Measure the length of the curved surface and cut drywall to size.

Step 2 : Screw edge of drywall to stud in far corner.

Step 3 : Attach a temporary piece of 1×2 to outside edge of drywall.  Secure with screws into stud.

Step 4 : Moisten inside and outside of drywall at initial bending point using a water spray.

Step 5 : Apply pressure to drywall, approximately 3/4 of the length towards stud wall.

Step 6 : Once drywall has made contact with second stud, fasten it to the stud using screws, every 6″.

Step 7 : Moisten next section of drywall and continue bending, fastening and moistening as you progress down the full length of the drywall.

 

Installing Drywall On An Inside Curve:

 Step 1 : Center piece of drywall over curved surface.

Step 2 : Moisten entire sheet of drywall, inside and outside using a water spray.

Step 3 : Apply pressure to the center of the sheet of drywall.

Step 4 : Once drywall has made contact with middle stud, fasten it to the stud using screws, every 6″.

Step 5 : Fasten drywall to the other studs moving first to the stud to the right of the center stud followed by the stud on the left of center stud, followed by the stud second on the right of the center stud, using screws every 6 inches.

If you are using 1/4″ drywall you may want to consider installing a second sheet of 1/4″ drywall over the first sheet for more strength and rigidity.  Follow the installation procedure for the first sheet in the same manner, for the second sheet.