In the process of repairing a living space, it often becomes necessary to level existing walls. If for some reason the use of plaster is impractical, then other options have to be considered.
In such situations, it is better to give preference to drywall (GKL). It allows not only to smooth surfaces, but also to decorate them with various niches, shelves and lighting fixtures.
The material is quite light, well processed and has an acceptable price tag. You can even build such a partition with your own hands. A drywall wall can be made in many different ways and, most importantly, it will not put additional stress on the foundation of the house.
On how to sew surfaces with plaster yourself and what you need to know for this, read our article.
What partitions can be built from GKL?
Gypsum sheet is a very malleable building material. From it you can build a curlypartition, equip it with the required number of shelves and lighting fixtures.
A self-assembled drywall wall can perform three functions:
- delimit space in one room;
- serve as a solid interior wall;
- be a decorative finish on an existing brick or concrete wall.
In order to zoning space in small rooms, light and openwork structures are installed. There may be several of them in one room, they can be installed asymmetrically.
When it is necessary to divide one room into several different rooms, solid rectangular walls are mounted. To prevent sounds from passing through such partitions, they contain soundproofing materials.
Often drywall is used only for leveling surfaces. In this case, one side is sewn up with sheets. This method allows you to mask flawed bases and give them a completely new look.
A DIY plasterboard wall is very easy to process. It is characterized by absolute smoothness, which makes it easy to paste over surfaces with wallpaper, tiles, apply plaster, paint and other finishing options.
These walls have one drawback: they are very light and fragile. Heavy furniture cannot be attached to them, finished with bulky cladding (for example, natural stone). This must be taken into account when arranging.
What types of GVL can be used to create walls
Before considering how to build a drywall wall with your own hands, pay attention to the rules for choosing materials for this purpose.
In the construction market, you can find several varieties of gypsum boards. Each of them has its own purpose. First of all, look at the labeling of the material. It can be represented as three combinations of letters:
- GKL - the simplest sheets with a minimum price tag (about 180 rubles per m2);
- GKLV - moisture resistant options (with a price tag of 280 to 350 rubles);
- GKLO - refractory varieties (their cost starts from 350 rubles per m2).
The choice of material is based on the specifics of the room in which the partition will be installed. If the work will be carried out in the bathroom or in the kitchen, choose moisture-resistant sheets.
For the arrangement of working premises and workshops, purchase fireproof materials (labeled GKLO).
For zoning living rooms (and leveling surfaces), you can choose the simplest and most affordable types of drywall.
Choosing the metal components of the wall
The construction of a false wall consists not only of gypsum sheets. The material is installed on a metal frame, which takes on the main load. It is assembled from profiles.
To make a drywall wall with your own hands, photos and instructions will not be enough. You need to understand what materials you need to purchase forframe and how many will be needed.
All metal profiles are marked. It indicates for what purpose one or another option can be used. The designation is represented by letters:
- CD - the basis of the frame for attaching the sheet. It is used in cases where a drywall sheet needs to level the existing surface. Standard size - 60 x 27 mm.
- CW - rack elements. Of these, create a frame for double-sided gypsum walls. Available in sizes from 50 x 50 mm to 50 x 100 mm.
- UD - guide profile. Used on ready-made concrete bases for fixing CD elements.
- UW - guide profile. Used for fastening CW-planks when installing a plasterboard wall with your own hands (for double-sided walls). It has dimensions of 50 x 40, 75 x 40, 100 x 40 mm.
If you need to create a frame of a large width (to install shelves and lighting in it) or simply align existing walls, use CD and UD profiles. For the arrangement of double-sided partitions, purchase elements marked CW and UW.
What tools and materials are needed to build a drywall wall with your own hands
Finishing uneven surfaces or building new partitions is done with a variety of tools. This list includes:
- hammer drill or drill;
- screwdriver or several types of screwdrivers;
- Bulgarian;
- jigsaw;
- construction knife;
- measuring tool;
- construction pencil;
- level;
- metal scissors;
- pliers;
- plummet;
- paint cord;
- hammer.
If you need to wire the wall and install sockets with switches, you will need a cutter to make the appropriate holes.
To make a drywall wall with your own hands as quickly as possible, prepare all the materials necessary for the work in advance. Get the right amount of plaster sheets, countersunk screws, hangers, profile bolts, "quick fix" (dowels 6 x 40 mm) or self-tapping screws for woodworking.
If you are going to make a partition, then its thickness will be equal to the width of the profiles you have chosen. Don't forget to buy thermal insulation material as well.
When everything you need for work is available, start making a plasterboard wall with your own hands. The step-by-step instructions given in our article will help you with this.
Create a wall of drywall on a finished base: apply markings
Where to start work when you need to sheathe finished walls? This whole process is represented by several stages:
- Marking the base, ceiling and floor.
- Metal frame assembly.
- Base lining.
- Finish.
Special attention is paid to the markup, since the evenness of the entire structure depends on its correctness. In the process of drawing control lines, use the building level.
Work in the following order:
- Draw a straight line on the ceiling. A guide profile will be located along it. It should pass at a distance of 40 mm from the wall, which you will finish with plaster sheets. If insulation will be placed between the wall and the sheathing, add the thickness of the selected thermal insulation to 40 mm.
- To draw a straight line, step back from opposite corners of the room an equal distance and mark it on the ceiling. Fix the masking cord between the applied dots, pull it back and release it. Hitting the ceiling, he will leave an even imprint on it. At this level, do-it-yourself plasterboard wall cladding will be carried out. The step-by-step instruction says that the line needs to be transferred to the floor. Use a plumb bob for this purpose.
- Mark a few points on the floor, draw a straight line through them.
- Make markings on the wall itself. Step back from the corner about 10 cm and draw a line from the ceiling to the floor. Repeat marking every 60 cm of the wall. You can also use a plumb line for this. CD-profiles will be installed in the designated places.
- On the resulting vertical lines, mark the installation locations of the suspensions. They need to be placed in 50 cm increments.
Thus, prepare all the walls that you plan to sew up with drywall. After each step, check the markup with a building level.
Make a drywall wall with your own hands: assemble a frame from profiles
After marking all the surfaces, you can start assembling the base forsheet mounting. There is nothing difficult in this process. Profiles are quite easy to cut and fixed with self-tapping screws. The main thing is to evenly assemble the frame on which the drywall wall will be equipped (with your own hands). The step-by-step instructions for this process look like this:
- Cut the guide UD profile to the length of the sheathed wall. Fix it to the floor and wall with dowel nails.
- In the places indicated on the wall, fix the metal hangers. If walls from hollow blocks are to be finished, use special fasteners (designed for porous concrete). In other cases, use dowel-nails.
- Cut the required amount of wall profile (CD) according to the height of the finished surface. Install them in the guide rails and fix with hangers.
- In order for all CD profiles to be located in the same plane, install the side rails first. Stretch a cord between them and align all other vertical elements of the frame with it.
- To make the wall strong enough, the frame must consist not only of vertical profiles, but also of horizontal lintels. To create them, you need to cut the wall rail to the desired width, make cuts from each end. Bend the side parts, and fix the central part on the vertical bar with self-tapping screws. Reiki are installed in a checkerboard pattern. According to this principle, create a frame on all surfaces to be trimmed with plaster. After that, you can start working with drywall. Do-it-yourself walls are even easier to assemble than a frame.
Pleaseattention to the fact that in the process of assembling the frame, the profiles can bend. For this reason, each bar must be checked with a level or a long rule. If irregularities are detected, the profile should be replaced, otherwise it is fraught with curvature of the entire structure.
Don't forget about electrical appliances and soundproofing
Step-by-step instructions for cladding walls with drywall with your own hands include the stage of insulation work. However, in cases where you simply level the finished base, you can refuse to insulate the structure.
If the drywall construction has a large width (when cabinets and shelves are located in it), then metal elements can "ring" in the empty space. To prevent this from happening, soundproofing should be installed between the vertical posts.
To install the backlight and install sockets with switches in the frame, you need to run electrical wires. It is advisable that before starting work you have a diagram in your hands, according to which you can bring the wires in the right places.
All wiring must be in plastic corrugation. The wires must not touch the metal frame members!
The corrugation must be fixed on the frame. In the places where the lamps are installed, the wires are pulled out by 10-15 cm. Separate power supply must be provided for switches and sockets.
Next, do-it-yourself plasterboard wall cladding is done. Photos of this process will help you imagine the complexity of the upcoming work.
GKL fastening technologyto frame
At the next step, you need to fix the gypsum sheets on the fabricated frame. If your wall looks even and straight, then this work will take a minimum of time and effort.
Designs of complex geometry require preliminary preparation of the material. To make a drywall wall with your own hands as quickly as possible, pre-cut the sheets into elements of the required shapes and sizes. This work does not require much labor, as the sheet material is cut very easily.
The sheet is marked according to the shape and size of the frame. A rule is applied to each cutting line, after which you need to draw a construction knife along it. Once you have cut through the cardboard layer, fold over one of the sheets and cut off the paper shell from the other side. The plaster must break exactly along the fold line.
Next, you can fix the material on the frame. Its installation is carried out using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. When performing work, adhere to the following rules:
- The edges of the sheet should be in the middle of the profile. If you fix the end of the sheet on the edge of the metal strip, over time the material will begin to crumble and the wall will quickly fail. As a result, you will have to re-install the drywall wall with your own hands.
- To securely fix the material on the base, the screws must be screwed in increments of 25 centimeters.
- Caps of fasteners must be recessed into the sheet. However, you need to be careful here: if you do not screw the screw onthe desired depth, it will interfere with further surface finishing, and if you drown it too much, it can violate the integrity of the gypsum layer. Try to screw the hat 1mm below the paper layer.
Rough finish of the GKL wall
At the end of the do-it-yourself installation of drywall on the walls, you need to prepare the resulting structure for finishing. All joints of sheets and its main surface are subject to careful processing.
Do the following:
- Cut the edges of the material at a slight angle at the joints of adjacent sheets. The work is done with an ordinary clerical knife. The maximum width of the resulting seam should be about 5 mm.
- Glue all joints with sickle.
- Using a roller or brush, treat the entire wall with a primer. Avoid uneven application, sagging and excessive wetting of the cardboard. Use smaller paint brushes when working in hard to reach areas.
- When the wall is dry, re-treat it.
- Mask all joints and caps of fasteners with starting putty. Apply the composition so that it lays down in a uniform thin layer.
- After the putty has dried, apply a primer on it.
- Using a wide trowel, cover the entire area of the wall with the starting putty. At all external corners, fix special plaster corners. They will protect the material from delamination and prevent the formation of chips and cracks.
- When the walls are completely dry, sand them with fine sandpaper. So you take everything awayirregularities and stains on putty.
- Smooth surfaces with a primer.
If in the future decorative plaster will be applied to the wall or it will be pasted over with wallpaper, then at this stage the rough finish can be completed. In cases where the wall will be painted, it must be covered with a layer of finishing putty.
This can be considered a completed DIY plasterboard wall assembly. Photos of ready-made options published in our article will help you understand whether you have done all the necessary work correctly.
Frameless plasterboard wall cladding method
The method of creating false walls described by us is the most relevant and popular. However, the frame method of fixing the material "eats up" the space of the room, so it can only be used in spacious rooms.
But what to do in cases where the walls need to be leveled, but there is no space for the frame? Then you can use the adhesive method of cladding the walls with drywall with your own hands. Step-by-step instructions for these works look like this:
- Remove old finishes and plaster from the wall.
- Clean surfaces from dust and dirt. Wipe them with a damp cloth. Treat the walls and the back of the gypsum board with a primer.
- Apply glue or starter putty to the back of the drywall. Spread the composition evenly throughout the base.
- Press the plaster sheet against the wall with a longregulations. Control the correct installation of all elements with a level.
- Pay drywall over all the desired walls with this method.
After the adhesive mixture has dried, make a rough finish on the walls. The work is carried out according to the principle described above.
Working with drywall is within the power of any novice master, however, in the process of its installation, all the requirements listed in the article must be taken into account. If you treat the process of creating walls with all responsibility, you are guaranteed a good result!
