Drywall Jobs | Dry Wall Repair Career | Drywall Taper Employment
Drywall Finishing Jobs - What is the Job of a Drywall Finisher? What does a Drywall Installation Job Involve?
Drywall installers are responsible for installing and taping drywall, which is a layer of gypsum between pieces of heavy paper. The reason that drywall is used for most modern buildings is that it is cheaper and easier to install than plaster.
The two main types of drywall careers include drywall installation and drywall taping, although it is frequent for drywall workers to do both types of jobs. Drywall installers are also known as drywall hangers, and they are responsible for fastening dry wall panels to the frames of houses and commercial buildings.
Drywall tapers are also known as drywall finishers, and these workers will prepare these drywall panels for painting by taping joints together and using mud in order to fill these gaps.
Most dry wall panels come standardized, and the drywall installer must measure, cut, and fit them in order to make room for electrical outlets, doors, windows, and plumbing. After cutting out the necessary drywall holes, a drywall installer will then glue or nail the gypsum panels to a wooden frame or studs. It usually requires two drywall workers in order to install the drywall properly so that the material does not break.
After installing drywall, a drywall taper will then fill the gaps between the standardized panels with spackle, frequently called mud, which is a white compound that resembles plaster. The spackle will be brushed into the drywall joints with a trowel, and then the mud will be smoothed out and allowed to dry.
Mud is also used in order to cover any screw indentations which may ruin the painting surface, and it may be necessary to apply multiple coats of spackle. Over a large area, a drywall taper may have to use an automated sander are in order to achieve a seamless surface, and the paint or texture will then be applied to the wall.
Ceiling tile installers are responsible for mounting strips of shock absorbing materials to ceilings and walls in order to soundproof a room. First they will measure the surface and then screw moldings to the wall and mount the tile, applying cement to the back of the tile and then pressing it into place.
Some homebuilders still use plaster, which requires the work of lathers. The support base for plaster is called lath and it is usually made of metal wire upon which layers of plaster are then applied. The application of plaster is time prohibitive which is why it is not commonly used in wall construction.
Working Conditions for Drywall Finishing Jobs - How is the Working Environment for Drywall Installation Jobs?
The working conditions for drywall installation jobs, as well as those of lathers and tapers, usually involve hard work, stretching, and bending on a frequent basis. The workweek of a residential drywall installer will vary depending on the amount of work that they must do, and drywall jobs may come in spurts depending on their workload.
Hazards for drywall installers can include falling from letters or scaffolds, and injuries from tools such as utility knives. Using a belt sander in order to remove excess joint compound will create dust which contains carcinogens, so a drywall installer must wear a mask and goggles for protection.
Drywall Installation Education - How to Become a Drywall Finisher - How to Receive Your Drywall Training
Drywall installation training only requires a high school diploma, and most drywall jobs can be learned from a more experienced drywall installer. Entry level workers you usually enter the profession as drywall helpers, quickly learning the job.
Formal drywalling apprenticeships for union membership exist, which will usually entail 3 to 4 years of on the job training as well as 144 hours of classroom instruction annually. Drywall helpers will usually start out by curing materials and lifting panels, learning to install materials within a few weeks of working.
By the end of their training, drywall tapers and installers have learned how to estimate costs when installing dry wall paneling.
Drywall Installation Training Requirements - How to Become a Drywall Finisher
Drywall jobs require good hand eye coordination, dexterity, physical strength, stamina, and balance, in order to complete the job effectively. Drywall supervisors and drywall contractors will need excellent English skills in order to deal with clients and contractors, in addition to mathematical skills in order to be able to quickly estimate the costs of drywall materials that will be necessary in order to finish a job.
Drywall repair workers may advance by obtaining a supervisory position in the contracting company, or they may simply wish to become an independent dry walling contractor. Spanish is an increasingly important language for drywall installers to learn, due to the large amount of Spanish speaking workers in the construction industry.
Drywall Installation Employment - What is a Drywall Finishing Job?
Over the next decade, drywall finishing jobs should grow by about 7%, which is the average rate of growth for American professions. Most drywall installation growth will occur as a result of new construction projects and commercial and residential remodeling, which includes drywall repair.
Due to the physically demanding nature of drywalling work, employment prospects are good for those drywallers who are hoping to enter the field. Many new home finishing jobs open up due to high employee turnover, although it is important to consider that home construction is tied to the strength of the housing market, and a depression or recession can lead to unemployment.
Drywall Finishing Pay Scale - How Much Do Drywall Installation Jobs Earn?
In 2006, dry wall and ceiling tile installer jobs had median earnings of $17.38 an hour, with those in foundation and structure work earning the highest rate of median pay at $18.10.
Over the same time period, drywall taper jobs had much higher hourly earnings at $19.85, with the highest 10% of drywall finishers and drywall repair jobs making more than $31.23 an hour.
Some drywall workers may be paid according to the amount of panels that they can install in the day, and entry level drywallers will usually start out at half the rate of pay that is offered to experienced workers.