Drywall Calculator: Calculate Materials, Size, and Cost

Drywall is a sort of board used to create the inner walls of homes that is constructed from plaster, wood pulp, or other types of materials. You must first measure the size of the wall before estimating how many drywall boards you’ll need to cover a wall or ceiling in your house. The drywall calculator then makes it much simpler for you to ensure that you won’t have to buy more than you actually need.

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Drywall calculator: What is sheetrock (drywall)?

Plasterboard, wallboard, sheetrock, or gypsum board are further names for the building material known as drywall. Gypsum board was created in its current form during the first part of the 20th century. Its popularity increased during World War II, a time of extremely expensive building material prices and a severe labour shortage. Fortunately, even in a DIY situation, drywall was inexpensive and simple to install.

Gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) is squeezed between two heavy sheets of paper to create drywall, which is a panel. We may increase the drywall’s resistance to moisture, water, mildew, sound, and even fire by adding certain additives to the gypsum mixture. Drywall is frequently used to surface brick or cement walls that are already there, as well as to create interior walls or ceilings.

Since drywall does not need to be cured, it is a great substitute for plaster. If you have any skill, you can quickly finish drywalling the entire house in a matter of days. In fact, using drywall to finish homes is the contemporary norm. Simply cut it to the proper size, then nail or screw it into place, which is all that is required for installation. Furthermore, all you need to do is swap out the damaged sheet with a new one if it becomes soiled or damaged. It is as simple as it seems.

Keep in mind that basic drywall kinds are not water-resistant. They should not be used in the bathroom or kitchen since the moisture will cause them to soften and finally turn into a paste. In these spaces, you should use tiles, cement boards, or drywall that is water resistant.

Drywall calculator: Advantages of using drywall

Drywall can save against fire. Gypsum, the substance that makes up the core of a drywall sheet, has a significant amount of water in its chemical composition, as seen below:

CaSO₄.2H₂O

The water in gypsum becomes liberated and evaporates when the drywall is exposed to flames. What is left behind is calcium sulphate: CaSO₄. This process, known as calcination, uses a tremendous amount of energy. Because of the energy required, it takes some time for the fire to penetrate the drywall layer.

Drywall calculator: Drywall sheet varieties

Different drywall varieties exist. The extra materials added during manufacture, which change their function, are the cause of their variances. Listed below are a few of the several drywall types:

Regular drywall: This type of drywall is often white and comes in a variety of thicknesses, ranging from thin (1/4″ or 6.5 mm) to thick (3/4″ or 20 mm).

Soundproof drywall: Sound-absorbing materials like damping polymers have been used to make drywall more soundproof.

Greenboard drywall: Drywall known as “green board” may be identified by its green paper coating. Water-repellent molecules were added to the coating. While more expensive, this drywall does not soften when exposed to moisture. It makes sense to use it in areas with a lot of moisture, like a kitchen.

Blueboard drywall: Greenboard drywall is comparable to blueboard drywall; however, blue board drywall is also mould-resistant and has a recognisable blue tint on its surface. It is pricier than its green sibling.

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Drywall calculator: Tools and supplies for drywall

To make sure you have everything you need, we have included the essential drywall equipment and supplies below:

Drywall mud: Common term for the joint compound is “drywall mud.” You may link drywall sheets together and fill any gaps using drywall mud. It is available in three versions—dry, premixed, and low-dust—and in various quantities. A dry joint compound must be mixed with water by hand, but it is less expensive than its premixed equivalent. Be cautious! It is difficult to add the right amount of water in order to maintain the proper ratio. Low-dust drywall mud is the best option if you don’t want to vacuum your home after drywalling.

Drywall tape: Usually constructed of paper, it firmly secures two sheets of drywall together. It is necessary to soak the drywall tape in drywall mud beforehand. It can then be placed on a seam between drywall sheets to dry. Fibreglass tape is an additional, more pricey option to drywall tape. Due to its self-adhesiveness, this tape is more robust and simpler to use.

Drywall corner bead: Used to attach drywall sheets together at wall corners. These regions are readily harmed while moving furniture or even just going about your everyday business. Corner beads for drywall can withstand several blows and are made of plastic or metal.

Drywall screws: Screws are used to fasten drywall sheets to walls or other sturdy surfaces. Because they don’t pop out, drywall screws have overtaken drywall nails in modern times.

Drywall T-Square: The Drywall T-Square is a crucial drywall tool. You can only be certain that your drywall panels are installed correctly by utilising a drywall T-square.

Drywall saw: It’s used to trim drywall sheets so they would fit into more erratic places. Although an electric drywall saw is more pleasant to operate, a manual one will still work.

Drywall screw gun: Utilise a cordless drill or drywall screw gun to load or screw in drywall screws efficiently.

Drywall knife: To slop mud, tap, and feather, use a drywall knife. Smaller drywall knives are preferable for slopping and tapping, while larger ones are excellent for feathering and making last-minute adjustments.

Sanding pole: Final sanding and smoothing can be done using a sanding pole or a sponge. You can effortlessly reach higher areas with a sanding pole.

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Drywall calculator: Using a drywall calculator to determine space behind slanted walls

The overall room surface area may be calculated using a drywall calculator in addition to any areas under slanted walls.

To start, check to see if your room has slanted walls. Rooms with no attic that are right under the roof have sloping walls. Despite having a rectangular shape on their own, slanted walls additionally limit the room’s other walls by forming a triangle on top of them.
Second, determine the triangle’s height and base.

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You may now proceed with the computations. You must apply the equation for the area of a triangle in order to get the area of this region:

Area = Height* Base / 2.

If there are any additional identical triangles in the space, multiply the estimated area of each triangle by the total number of triangles.
Be careful! If your room has sloping walls, you need only measure your room’s height up to the triangle area at the bottom of the slanted wall (not to the top of the ceiling).

Drywall Calculator: Get precise material and labour estimates

Create detailed drywall estimate by listing each of the materials needed. Make sure you have done your research on the latest costs of materials for easier and accurate estimation. The materials for drywall installation include:

Sheetrock panels or drywall sheets
Joint compound or drywall mud
Drywall screws
Drywall tape
Corner beads
Tools

You may charge depending on the square footage of the area on which you will be installing the drywall, for estimating your labour costs. While material costs may be standard, the drywall labour cost may differ. Some factors to consider when estimating labour costs are:

How much time it would take to complete a drywall job
Complex drywall jobs may need advanced skill than completing a simple drywall repair
Number of workers needed and how much you need to pay them