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Hanging Drywall and Spackling Basement walls are covered in drywall then spackled. Check out more ways to make your own Man Cave. From "Man Caves" episode DMCV-101

Materials:

1/2 x 4 x 8 water-resistant drywall (green board)
5/8 x 4 x 8 water-resistant drywall
1/2 x 4 x 8 Homasote (sound board)
1-5/8" and 2" coarse drywall screws
1-1/2" roofing nails
drywall lifter (or cats claw)
drywall T-square
utility knife
corner bead
pre-mixed Quickset joint compound
paper joint tape
putty knife
plaster's hawk

Note: When covering an entire room in drywall, you should always start with the ceiling. However, if you’re doing a room with a drop ceiling, then cover the walls first. Installing the drop ceiling’s L-track over the drywall provides a more finished look.

Figure A

Hanging drywall:

1. Using masking tape or a pencil, mark the locations of all the studs on the floor. This will make it easier to find the studs after the drywall goes up.

2. Measure the drywall and cut into the sections needed to form the walls (figure A).

3. When putting up basement walls, always make sure to install the plastic vapor barrier before hanging the drywall to prevent any mold from getting on the surface.

4. How you cut the drywall depends on the type of cut you need to make. Always make sure you cut into the smooth side of the drywall.

Figure B

Note: The green side of drywall is the face, and you always want to cut the face side.

• When cutting the length to size: First, find the length needed with a tape measure and mark it with a pencil. Place a drywall T-square (figure B) on the mark with the short arm resting on the edge of the drywall. Use the T-square as your cutting guide. While holding the T-square firmly in place with one hand, run a utility knife along the edge of the T-square to score the drywall with the other hand. To finish the cut, hold the drywall on the side of the cut that you want to keep and bend the other side of the drywall back until the drywall core breaks. Cut through the back paper to separate the pieces.

• For horizontal cuts: Mark your width at each end of the drywall with a pencil. Using a utility knife or keyhole saw, make a slit across the end of the drywall at the mark. Slide the end of the chalk line into the slit you made to hold it in place. Pull the chalk line out until you reach the other mark on the other end of the drywall and snap the line. Using a sharp utility knife, slowly run the blade the length to the chalk line to score the board.

• For cutting openings like electrical outlets: Use a key hole or drywall saw to push through the drywall.

5. Install the drywall vertically to avoid butt joints that are difficult to finish. Start in a corner and work your way out. Make sure your first panel is plum and falls on the center of a stud. Lift the panel tight against the ceiling with a drywall lifter or cats claw then screw it into place.

6. Attach metal corner bead to the sides of the drywall to provide extra protection. The corner bead can be applied with nails, screws or clinch-on tools.

Figure C

Spackle:

1. Use a plaster's hawk (figure C) and putty knife to apply the spackle.

2. Immediately press the joint tape into the thin layer of joint compound. Be careful to keep the tape centered on the joint. Run a 6-inch knife over the tape to smooth the joint and wipe away any excess compound. Finish all of the joints this way and let them dry overnight or at least three to four hours.

3. Apply a second thin coat of compound to all the joints with a 10" drywall knife. Allow this second coat to dry and shrink four to six hours. After the second coat is dry, apply a third finish coat and let it harden slightly before sanding.

• For inside corners: Apply a thin layer of joint compound to each side of the inside corner using a 4" drywall knife. Fold a strip of joint tape in half and using the drywall knife press it into the wet compound. Finish the inside corner the same way you would a standard joint.
  

  After- The walls that are ready to be sanded and painted.

• For outside corners: Position the corner bead on an outside corner and using a level adjust it so it's plumb. Attach the corner bead using nails or screws spaced every eight inches. Apply three coats of joint compound to each side of the corner bead using a 6" or 10" drywall knife. Let each coat dry before applying the next. Smooth the final coat with a wet sander.

• For screw heads: Apply one to two light coats of joint compound over the screw head using a 4" putty knife. Don't over do it, use just enough compound to cover the screw head.