Install wallboard

Wallboard, drywall or Sheetrock, whatever you call it, are basically the same material: 4-by-8-foot panels made of a gypsum plaster core and covered by a paper facing. The panels are fastened to framing, and the joints between the panels are joined with fiberglass or paper tape embedded in wallboard compound. After the compound is sanded smooth and the panels are painted, the paper facing absorbs some of the paint and dries to a smooth surface.

After hanging wallboard ourselves, we’re convinced it’s a job best left to a drywall contractor, who comes to the job with a team of workers, called rockers, who expedite the dusty, time- and labor-intensive process. They’ll get the job done quickly and minimize the inconvenience and disruption to the household. It’s strenuous work muscling the heavy panels, especially to a second floor, and the sanding process can fill a household with drywall dust. You’ll notice a fine white mist covering your cereal and every surface and your furnishings, even when you mask off the room. If anyone in the house has difficulty breathing, keep them away until the dust settles and is removed because it can be harmful.

A drywall contractor will charge $1,540 to install 1/2-inch wallboard in a 12-by-15-foot room. Even though you can do the job for $1,195, the cost of the material, and save 22%, don’t be tempted to do it yourself. Call a drywall contractor.

To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

Pro Cost — DIY Cost — Pro time — DIY Time — DIY Savings — Percent Saved

$1,540 — $1,195 — 20.00 — 35.0 — $345 — 22 Percent