It’s no wonder why drywall covers most ceilings and walls across the country. It’s easy to install, appealing, and energy efficient. But its elegance and durability depends on a number of factors. From drywall installation to the quality of sheetrock, everything is important.

Such things are vital for plaster too, you ask?  Well, that’s true. But don’t forget that drywall is made of gypsum plaster panels encased in paper. And so it’s vulnerable to water damage. And that’s problem number one. If drywall gets wet, mold will grow. This is going to be a bad situation since drywall can get ruined and contaminated affecting the indoor environment too. In such cases, you will need the opinion of a drywall contractor since you will most likely have to replace it.

Problems during drywall installation

As an overall, installing drywall is not hard – unless we are talking about ceilings. In this case, just lifting drywall is hard enough. All the same, hanging drywall walls right also takes some expertise and the right equipment. And that’s one of the reasons why you will need the help of a professional drywall installer. Problems which might emerge from bad installation?

• The nails or screws supporting drywall might protrude

• These fasteners might also be driven way too far ruining the surface of drywall

• Sanding might not be done properly causing damage to the material and risking stability

• Measurements are not taken right, especially when we are talking about cutting the holes for the electrical equipment

• Failing to install the joints well. If they are too loose, drywall won’t be stable. If they are too tight, they might crack with temperature fluctuations

• Finally, drywall finishing must be done right too. Whether you first plaster drywall or simply apply painting, the texture mix must be right. If not, the joints will show and the aesthetic result will not be nice.

What else can go wrong with drywall?

Sometimes, drywall problems are easy to fix. If you hang a lot of artwork and want to redecorate, you will discover plenty of tiny nail holes in the wall. These are patched up real quick. Bigger problems begin when nails pop out, the tape is split, the joints crack, corners are damaged, or larger holes are made. Such things might happen overtime due to kids, the wrong size of light fixture, natural wear and tear, or damage caused from mice. But these problems might also be caused from water damage or poor selection of materials.

And this brings us to another major concern: the quality of drywall.

Beware of the drywall you choose

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, drywall installed during the period of 2001 to 2009 might have been imported from China. Chinese drywall has been blamed for many health problems and issues around the house due to the high levels of sulfur contained in the material. People from all over the country have reported rotten egg odors in the house, corrosion of metal items in the walls, and problems with appliances. What’s worse is that this drywall affected their health causing shortness of breath, itchy eyes, coughing, sore throat, and more.

So, drywall problems are not limited to structural damage or imperfections which decrease the aesthetics. With drywall, you want to increase beauty but be certain of the stability of the structure and your health. That’s why choosing the right drywall and trusting its installation to pros are both essential. As for smaller problems related to tapes and nail holes, drywall repair is often easy to do too.