Drywall Installation in Chicago

Whether you are finishing a basement, adding a room, or building from the ground up, drywall installation is the step that turns framing into finished walls. We handle the full process. Hanging, taping, mudding, sanding, and priming. So the walls are ready for paint when we are done.

Layout and planning

We start by measuring the space and planning the layout. Drywall sheets come in 4x8 and 4x12 sizes, and the way they are arranged matters. Fewer seams means less taping and a smoother finished wall. We stagger the joints, avoid lining up seams with window and door corners, and hang sheets horizontally on walls to reduce visible joints.

Hanging the board

Hanging is the physical part. We cut each sheet to fit, fasten it to the studs with drywall screws spaced every 12 to 16 inches, and make sure every screw is set just below the paper surface without breaking through. Poorly set screws cause nail pops later. We cut around outlets, switches, and light fixtures with precision so the cover plates sit flush.

For ceilings, we use 5/8-inch drywall to resist sagging. In rooms where sound matters. Bedrooms next to living areas, home offices, media rooms. We install Type X or sound-dampening board. In bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens, we use moisture-resistant drywall to prevent mold and water damage.

Taping and mudding

After hanging comes taping. We embed paper tape in a bed of joint compound along every seam and at every inside corner. Outside corners get metal or vinyl corner bead for a clean, straight edge. The tape and bead create the skeleton of the finished surface.

Mudding is where the skill shows. We apply three coats of joint compound over every taped joint, screw head, and corner bead. Each coat is wider than the last. Starting at about four inches and feathering out to 12 or 14 inches on the final coat. This creates a gradual transition that hides the seam completely. Each coat has to dry before the next one goes on, and each coat gets sanded smooth.

Choosing a finish level

The finish level matters. The drywall industry uses a standard grading system from Level 0 to Level 5. Most residential work calls for Level 4. All joints taped and mudded with two coats, plus a skim coat on visible areas. Level 5 adds a full skim coat over the entire surface and is used when the wall will be under harsh lighting or will receive a gloss finish. We will tell you what level your project needs and why.

After the final sand, we prime everything. Primer seals the joint compound and paper so paint absorbs evenly across the wall. Without it, you get a patchy, uneven finish called "flashing" where the mudded joints look different from the paper surface.

Timeline and crew

A bedroom-sized installation takes two to three days. A full basement or addition takes a week or more depending on size and finish level. We clean up dust as we go. Drywall sanding is messy, and we take that seriously.

We do this work ourselves. Same crew that hangs it tapes it, muds it, sands it, primes it, and paints it. No handoffs, no gaps in quality.