Essential Drywall Tools

1. Introduction to Drywall Tools

Your instructor and expert drywall contractor, Lydia Crowder, introduces essential drywall tools she’ll be working with throughout the course, including hawks and trowels, pans, a variety of knife materials and specialty items, texture materials, and auto taping tools.

2. Evolution of Drywall Tools

Hawks and trowels were the original tools used for drywall and are still used on jobsites today. But finishers also have more modern options, such as drywall pans, knives, and automatic tools like pumps and tapers, which are best used for large commercial jobs.

3. Drywall Hanging Tools

Lydia walks you through the standard drywall hanging tools: fasteners, drywall nails, kickers, razor blades, tape measures, chalk lines, rasps, screwdrivers, circle cutters, pencils, routers, T-squares, drywall shims, a drywall gun, and a tool bag.

4. Knife and Trowel Materials

Lydia compares knives, which are good for avoiding hand fatigue, to trowels, which offer better motion control. She then walks you through a variety of different knife and trowel sizes and materials you might need for a drywall job, and explains how to properly maintain your tools.

5. Speciality Knives and Trowels

Lydia takes you through an array of specialty knives and trowels that are especially useful for specific tasks like ceiling work, unique texturing, evening out large areas, working in tight spaces, and shaping around angles.

6. Semi Automatic Tools

Hand-taping drywall can be time consuming, so Lydia demonstrates various semi automatic tools that can help save you time, including tape wheels, corner rollers, compound tables, angle head attachments, and banjos, which are especially useful for applying both mud and tape simultaneously.

7. Automatic Tools

Automatic tools are a must when you have a lot of drywall footing to cover or are working on a commercial construction site. Learn how to operate and maintain automatic tools such as the automatic taper, boxes for applying mud, and pumps for refilling boxes.

8. Corner Bead Tools

There are many different ways to install corner bead, depending on the material. Learn about various tools that help get the job done, including corner bead rollers, transitions, staples and staple guns, razor blades, bullnose corner stencils, measuring tapes, and snips.

9. Tools for Sanding

Sanding is one of the most crucial steps in drywall finishing. Lydia walks you through the sanding tools you need to achieve various finishing levels and the PPE that will protect you from residue.

10. Mixing Tools

Learn how to use drywall mud tools and mixing tools to achieve the perfect mud consistency. Lydia demonstrates working with mixing drills, buckets, brushes, pan mixers for small amounts of mud, whips, and bucket heaters for working in colder climates.

11. Miscellaneous Drywall Tools

Lydia takes you through the tools that are always handy to have on site, like screwdrivers, multipurpose knives, pliers, line chalk, wrenches, razor blades, task lights, gloves, levels, tool bags, and speed squares.

12. Scaffolding and Stilts

For ceiling work, you have to work on construction stilts, benches, and step-ups. Lydia demonstrates how to operate this apparatus safely. She also reviews scaffolding tools, planks, and ladders.

13. Maintenance and Care

Lydia demonstrates how to care for your tools so they help you consistently produce quality drywall work you can be proud of.