# Sheetrock work....is it like brain surgery?



## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

I ask because we just got the quote for having the sheetrock installed...$2100 for labor and roughly $1000 for the sheetrock.

This is for a 32x36 space and the ceiling.

So...looking for alternatives,no way we are spending that sort of money on something we don't like in the first place.


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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

Sheet rock has come down in price just this week here.
By the time the sheet rock is mudded three times, sanded, primed, and the painted it brings the costs up. But that still sounds to high., There is tile, paneling of your choice----some people are getting old barn wood and using it. Think about what you really like and go for it, it is your house and you will be living with it.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

That price is finished ready to be painted,not painted.

We have all wood walls upstairs,maybe we should just do that.


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

No, it's more like Rocker Science. 

If that's just to have the sheetrock installed you're getting ripped off. If that's installed, taped, mudded and sanded that's a pretty good price.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Keep that wood! Dang, it looks nice.
As to sheetrock, we do our own on our remodeling projects...Sheetrock and spackle=cheap. Time to spackle let dry, sand, repeat 3 times=laborious. Still, the price quoted seems hign to me.
Matt


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

The wood runs about $450/1000 board feet.

We can do the work ourselves and probably much quicker than the sheetrock would take,plus no painting....

We will have to see what can be done.
Of course all the new wiring was for sheetrock,so the outlets are not set for the wood....


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## mtnmenagerie (Jun 16, 2007)

edited - oh wait I read the dimensions wrong - deleting my math 
Did the Installer break the quote down to price per board?? (maybe that's $21 per board material / $45 installation) ? Sounds high to me? We had some drywalling done last year (by a pro installer) and he charged $25 per board installation. I had the materials delivered myself and I remember they were about... $15 a board. I realize different prices depending on regions, but that's high!
BTW - we have a 2 story loft ceiling... We took cabinet grade maple sheets. sealed/sanded/sealed it. They turned out BEAUTIFUL


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I agree with doing your own sheetrock. It's not really all that difficult to do and a lot cheaper than they want to charge to do it.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

The thing is,we don't even LIKE sheetrock...LOL

I can handle it on the ceiling but otherwise it is simply not a great material for anything.

But it can be put up quickly I guess.

The quote was us being responsible for the material being on site as well.

Kind of thought of some sort of 4x8 sheets of.....something.LOL


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

We're going to use wood paneling on the guest house and plastic/vinyl bathroom wall board in the back room of ds's house. Neither are heavy so it's a pretty easy DIY project. And either can be done in about 1/3 the time it takes to install sheetrock. Dh figured that after you factor in the tape, mud, primer and paint the cost is pretty much the same. For the ceiling he wants to use plywood, screwed in place with some sort of decorative "washer" around the screws.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

2k to install and mud 70 4x8 sheets of drywall sounds cheap to me. 32x36 is an 1152 square area. Length times two plus width times two divided by 32 or a 4x8 sheet for estimation ((32x2x8)+(36x2x8)/32) walls+((32x36)/32)ceiling =70 4x8 or 32 sqft sheets Not that they'd use 4x8 sheets nessicarily and I'm assuming the ceiling is nicely strapped and shimed level.... which it isn't before they start is it? I am assuming at least the place is framed to be drywalled as a bare minimum, no oddball stud spacing or weird ceiling heights like 9 foot 7 and 5/8's inches. Is there a bathroom to consider in that area too, which might take densheild and water resistant drywall? Lots of water and electrical cut outs?


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

went to the sawmill yesterday and priced out wood planks similar to that used upstairs,but planed down to 5/8 inch thick.
$400/1000 board feet,rough guesstimate is 3000 board feet and we can install it ourselves to cut down on labor costs.


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## Farmerwilly2 (Oct 14, 2006)

Either go with your wood paneling, or hang the rock yourself and just hire the crew to tape and finish. (I'd go with the wood myself, feels warmer and no need to fuss with it in the future).


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
I did the sheet rock for a good part of one house we lived in.

Did not find it very hard -- there is a little bit of a learning curve. Key is to not glob too much on, just use thin coats. I got so I did not have to do any sanding. Buy the right tools -- need a hawk and a good flexible knife.

But, its time consuming. Takes a lot lot lot longer than the pros take to do it.

Gary


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

I would do it myself. Haven't seen a good drywall hanger in years. Usually you end up with busted corners and poor cutouts. "The finisher will fix it" Crap... the hard part is the ceiling and you can rent a lift for that or make a couple T's if ya got enough help. Try and use 12ft stuff. The walls I would stand up the 8' way. After the ceiling is up. Push them up tight to the ceiling. Easier for a novice to finish. No butt joints Make sure its screwed and not nailed. 
Shouldn't be more than 500.00 for rock. they are probably charging to go get it.. Good crew would have it hung in two or three days at the top.
Ya could always put wood on the ceiling and just do the walls and trim the top of the rock.
And ya get a chance to buy new tools LOL


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

ahh heck just hire some illegals they will do it cheaper !!!!!

a good crew will have it hung in a day and the mudder will have the first coat on.
the second day sand and touch up. 
they have the tools and the expertise if they are a good crew and it will be cheaper than trying to do it yourself once you figure your time and tool rental, wasted material Etc. 
Ive seen far too many folks spend a dollar to save a nickle


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Why would I want to hire illegals?


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

that part was a joke


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Well funny thing is,the guy we got the quote from is supposedly Mexican....or Hispanic.
I wasn't there when he gave the quote.

But the price is about the going rate so I was told.

We would rather not have sheetrock,it is just normally the cheapest product.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/[email protected]&state=TN&hotline=&marketcode=

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/ite...troll-compound&utm_campaign=fine-homebuilding


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

There are somethings that make drywall easier, like using 12 foots if it saves a seam and not being too frugal you try to use up scraps. Yeah you'll save a $6 sheet but you'll burn off more in materials and time makign it look good. Butt joints are more difficult to blend, the tapered sides are much easier, horizontal seams are easier than vertical. We use mesh tape and sheet rock for the first coat, as it goes through the tape and locks into t he joint, but you have to be light and even using it as it really doesn't sand worth a darn. Then a coat of mud, sand and touch ups and block sand. We use a disc sand/vac first it gets the lions share smoothed out quickly. Pricey to buy @ almost $1000 but you can rent them. Rent a dry wall lift for the ceilings it really cuts down the job and you can dry fit cut pieces easily.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

IF you don't glob on the compound, use the roller and wipe clean with a knife. You can use a hard damp sponge and wet sand. Very little dust that way. Doesn't work if you put the compound on 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Personally I don't use the 12" blade. I use a 12" finish trowel and a 16" just to go over and catch the slop. I also use a hawk rather than a pan. But that's because I started out plastering and find it easier than the pan.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

We are going to solve all the issues we have with sheetrock by using wood...LOL


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

Probably a good way to go if you don't like sheetrock. When I was tapping sheetrock I'd get calls from all these homeowners who started because they thought it was so easy and the bids they got were to high. By the time I got done fixing the mess they started and finally getting it done my bill was just as high or higher as if they had just hired someone to hang, tape and sand.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I do my own when I have to. The best rockers are usually busy doing commercial work. They fly through the hanging and first mud, have a guy or two that comes out for the second after a day or two, and then the contractor is usually banging on them for the one guy to come out and do the finish, so the painters can come in. The guys hanging are so fast that if you don't move, you'll find yourself rocked into the wall. Don't put a tool or a coke down either. I think they get a kick out of entombing stuff.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Well here are the walls with the wood on them...
This is inside the pantry/storeroom,it is about 8x20 and hopefully will be able to store AND hide all of our junk as well as food....








To the left of the dark doorway is the entrance to the pantry,the dark doorway is the laundry room,10x20 but still needs wood put on some of the walls,the fuse panel is in there and we REALLY want everything sorted out before we close it in.









This is the wall in the 'big room',we haven't yet figured out what this room is called...it has sliding glass doors leading to the outside,a small 'wet bar'(kitchenette??) thing will be along one of the walls so MIL can have her breakfast when she gets up or whatever..

























One of the bedrooms,we tried to get the wood to match from wall to wall in the corners but sawmill lumber(or at least the stuff we were using) was sometimes bigger,and sometimes a little smaller...nothing a little trim won't cover up... Bedrooms are both 12x10 with a 6x8 walk in closet


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## barnyardgal (Sep 21, 2009)

really nice but then i like the wood look..i put half logs(logs flat on back side & rounded on front) in my living room wall since i can't afford a log home...ha..ha..


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