Drywall

For drywall, there are actually more choices than I hear most people talk about. The first and more commonly discussed choice is in wall board size--sheetrock is available in either 1/2" or 5/8" thickness. The benefit of the 5/8" is added strength, less sagging, and extra sound deadening. On the other hand, 1/2" is definitely easier to work with and less expensive.

You can hang drywall with nails and screws...many contractors hang drywall with nail guns in order to put it up quickly. We are fans of drywall screws because it is more difficult for them to "pop", break the tape and show through the finish.

The next consideration is the level of finishing--I was surprised when my research turned up an industry standard for five levels of finishing. None of our contractors or the books we'd read mentioned these options. The fifth level seems to go beyond the average installation--mudding all joints and screws--and describes a 'joint compound skim coat' not that different from the plaster veneer technique.

So, beyond choosing between materials, it is important to get specific about the finishing techniques to be used and the level of finish that you want--especially if you're hiring a contractor.

There seems to be at least as much debate about the real cost differences between options as there is about the merits of each material and technique. While the bottom line is that drywall is cheaper than plaster, the range of material and finishing choices can provide a number of price points between the two extremes.

Drywall work breaks pretty cleanly into thirds--1/3 for materials, 1/3 for hanging, and 1/3 for finishing. So, when you got a drywall bid that was surprisingly reasonable (and from a contractor we trusted), it won't seem to make sense to take on lots of labor yourselves for a relatively minor savings.

More information at drywall