Drywall and Plaster Workers
Bare framed walls with electrical and other systems roughed in are ready for surfacing, usually with drywall and joint compound or blue board (a backing board) and plaster. The choice is sometimes regional with many areas typically using one system over the other. Plaster creates a very solid, textural wall but requires a high degree of skill to install. Drywall, which is more common, can result in an excellent wall surface if well done. A good job is smooth with no visible joints or bumps in the surface after sanding.
If sound is a problem, consider using a double layer of drywall before the taping and joint compound stage. This extra thickness stops the transmission of a wide range of sounds and results in a very quiet and solid feeling room. Much of the quality of the drywall work will depend on the care taken by installers and how well the framing was prepared for its installation. Once the board is hung, joints are taped and covered with 3-4 coats of joint compound, a plaster-like substance that is easy to sand. A skilled installer will not need to sand between coats and final sanding will be minimal, an important consideration because the fine dust is hard to keep restricted to one area.
Usually all other work stops while walls are closed in. The drywall installers or plasterers will need access to the entire space and most other subs don’t want to try to work around the dust. In a very large room you might have two jobs going at once but in most cases you are better off having the walls finished before continuing.
