Others say...

"Book is very helpful - even for advanced dry wall work."
I found this book to be more helpful than I expected. Having done a lot of rough drywall years ago I wasn't sure how much I would learn, but I was surprised at how many useful tips I found while grazing through the book.

The book is laid out in a well-organized and easy-to-read manner.

The author not only explains how to hang, fasten, tape, sand and texture drywall - but provides very practical insights on how to put up and coat drywall in an efficient and effective manner. For those who do not know what tools to buy or use - the Author introduces different products throughout the book - providing practical information on to use them without turning the book into an advertisement.

I think there is probably something in this book for everyone. For example: Did you know that drywall has fibers that make it stronger if fastened across wall studs than if fastened along the wall studs?

It's inexpensive and informative.





"Read the reviews! This book is great!"
I have zero home remodeling experience but after reading this book have done an awesome job hanging my drywall. You would never know I did the work my self. And I'm a woman. The biggest help (after reading the book) was buying a drywall hoist as well as other tools listed in the book. I was able to complete the entire job, ceilings too, completely unassisted. And I have 10' walls.

"Great book with good advice on proper installation"
I bought this book because I decided I needed some insight into proper drywall installation techniques as I felt I had done a poor job repairing part of a wall. I am impressed with the amount of information it contains and found some good advice to help me re-do my repair job correctly. The section in the book on texturing wallboard was useful, as I need to repair another wall where there had once been wallpaper.

"Comprehensive, useful"
I just drywalled a basement with the help of this book. It was valuable at two levels. I "hung" the basement about 80% myself. I never intended to do the finishing (though this book discusses that thoroughly). I'm 63 and frankly got tired of the physical labor, so I hired the final 20% done professionally. The finishing is happening almost as we speak. The book has also been valuable in evaluating the work of those I have hired to finish the project.

If you want to do a drywall project, I can't imagine a better guide.

"Every DIY'er should read this book."
I purchased this book after having done significant drywall work in my own home. It was a humbling experience as page after page showed me ways I "could" have done the work or ways that I could have made my task easier. Not that my results were bad, but there were a lot of "raised eyebrow" sections of enlightenment - what a good book like this should evoke.

After reading this, you're not going to want to shop at the Home Depot for your stuff as you'll realize that there's quite a depth of products around drywall that the big-box stores don't handle.

On the down-side, as stated by other reviewers here, is the lack of framing prep or correction information - the book assumes you're work site is pretty much ready for the drywaller. Make sure you learn a bit about basic carpentry along with your new drywall skills. Also, the author is a bit dismissive when he discusses plaster. Those in older homes who love their plaster and the inherent advantages it brings may not like the dismissive tone taken about plaster. But if you need to put up drywall (and a scant few of us can plaster a wall from scratch) then it's a great learning resource.

That said, from a DIY'er perspective, I feel this book is a must-read before tackling that first drywall project.