Do-it-yourself leveling of walls with drywall without a frame - Setafi

Leveling walls with drywall is one of the best ways to get a really high-quality surface. If the differences on the wall do not exceed 4 mm, finishing without the construction of a frame is allowed, which greatly simplifies the work. This method has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses that must be taken into account in advance. The pros and cons, as well as the leveling technology are described in detail in the presented material.

Pros and cons of the method

Alignment of walls with drywall without a frame is carried out in cases where the appropriate conditions allow:

• the walls are fairly even, and the differences do not exceed 4 mm (check the building level and the rule);
• the room has a low level of humidity - a bedroom, a living room, a hall, a nursery;
• a wall of standard shape and dimensions, so that the sheets do not need to be cut - it will be better if they are glued in their entirety.

If the surface has large differences (from 4 mm), then you will have to install a frame, i.e. follow the classic technology. It is clear that the method “how to level the walls with drywall without a frame” is simpler. But it can be realized only in certain cases.

Along with simplified installation, this technology has other advantages:

• high speed of work - you can level the walls with drywall in a few hours;
• affordable cost of materials, especially in comparison with plaster;
• a minimum of "wet" actions - it is not required to knead the mixture;
• even if we level the walls with drywall without special skills, you can get a perfectly flat surface, on which all that remains is to seal the seams;
• leveling the walls with drywall with your own hands allows you to lay any communications in the space between the rough surface and the sheet;
• in the same gap, if necessary, thermal insulation can also be laid, but for this you will need to build a frame.

Understanding how to level the walls with drywall with your own hands, you need to keep in mind the disadvantages of this technology:

• low sheet strength - areas need to be sheathed in 2 layers;
• the space of the room is partially reduced, although this is not very noticeable;
• heavy shelves and other bulky structures should not be hung on drywall walls.

Preparing walls, tools and materials

It is quite possible to level the walls with drywall without a frame, but this requires preliminary cleaning, as well as the preparation of all the required materials and tools. The main steps are:

1. Before leveling the walls with drywall begins, the walls are cleaned of the remnants of the old plaster with a chisel with a hammer or a perforator.
2. Remove dirt, oil stains, plaque. To do this, use oily clay, a metal brush. If you want to remove the mold, use a scraper. For washing concrete and brick walls, a 9% solution of vinegar is used, and then washed with plenty of water.
3. The walls are primed with deep penetration compounds. It can be, for example, Typhoon Master or Betonokontakt. It is processed 2 times, and the second layer is applied only after the first has completely dried.
4. Determine the depth of the drops using a tightly applied rule. To evaluate the vertical deviation, a building level is applied to the rule and both tools are moved until the bubble is centered.

Next, you need to figure out how to align the walls in the apartment with drywall. To do this, you will need the following tools and materials:

• perforator or drill with an impact option;
• plumb;
• roulette;
• rule 2 m;
• electric jigsaw;
• fishing line;
• building marker or pencil;
• building level;
• roller;
• bucket;
• drywall sheets;
• glue;
• fasteners (self-tapping screws, dowels);
• mounting foam.

Instructions for fastening sheets

There are several ways to level a wall with drywall. To do this, you can use, for example, mounting foam or special glue. But first you need to prepare the sheets themselves:

1. Take measurements and cut the sheets so that their edges are 1 cm shorter than the dimensions of the wall (otherwise cracks may occur due to shrinkage).
2. Finish the edges with a planer.
3. Mark holes for sockets, switches and other structural elements with a pencil. Cut them out with an electric jigsaw.

Foam fixing

One of the most common ways to level drywall is with foam. To do this, they act like this:

1. Several gaskets are attached to the prepared wall surface under each sheet in the same plane. These are kind of beacons that are used by analogy with plastering.
2. Sheets are prepared and a mounting foam with good adhesion is applied to the inner surface.
3. Immediately after this, the sheet is applied to the wall along the marked lines. This is the main stage of the instruction on how to level the walls with drywall.

Adhesive fixation

There is also another option, how to level a plasterboard wall. In this case, use gypsum glue, putty or dry plaster. The algorithm is the following:

1. Dilute the mixture according to the instructions.
2. Linings up to 15 mm thick are laid to the wall surface.
3. Glue is applied to the inside of the sheet, as shown in the photo.
4. The method of applying gypsum putty is with mazes along the edges and in the center.
5. To understand how to straighten drywall, put a sheet on the lining and hit it several times with a rubber mallet. Do this until it becomes even over the entire plane.
6. It also happens that after fixing a bulge forms in one of the sections. In order for the drywall alignment to be of high quality, more glue is smeared under the first sheet.

Thus, it is possible to obtain a flat surface even without the construction of a frame. A profile for leveling the walls is not needed, so the work is carried out faster and cheaper. But it is worth considering that if the differences exceed 4-5 mm, it is better to carefully prepare the surface and still put the frame. It will allow not only to get a flat wall, but also to attach heavy structures to it, for example, metal shelves.