Building A Home? Try These 3 Easy Tips Before Drywall To Save Time Later

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If I had to describe one big thing I have learned being in the design industry and now building our own house is that construction comes in spurts. Progress tend to lag and creep and move slowly through planning, design phases and gathering materials, but then… bam, bam, bam! Subcontractors are ready, materials are being ordered or delivered or installed, decisions are being made and you gotta be ready! This cycle repeats itself over and over, meaning that in the downtime you hope to get your ducks in a row as much as possible so that once things are aligned, work can take off without a hitch. As a owner/builder/general contractor, this cycle can be a bit daunting with no small amount of juggling, but throughout the process, you find a few key prep items that you thank yourself immensely for later on in the project. The next 3 easy tips before drywall described in this article are, for us, exactly that! Items that prevented immense amounts of headaches later on for a bit of mostly very easy prep work ahead of time. So, if you are contemplating a renovation or new build and are going to have framing exposed, be sure to do these three easy tips before dry-walling to save yourself time, money and headaches in the future! 

Tip #1: Add Blocking 

If you are remodeling or building your own home, this is the PERFECT time to add blocking to the walls for areas that you know you are planning to hang heavy or frequently used items. Blocking is basically adding additional wood supports between the studs before drywall is installed to ensure that once the room is finished and you are hanging items, you can have a large solid area to mount directly into wood instead of having to rely on hitting a stud, using drywall anchors or other heavy duty mounting supplies. This is perfect for areas that you plan to hang drapery, heavy art or mirrors. You even can add blocking toilet stalls / showers / near bathtubs if you ever plan to install grab bars for aging in place. Knowing that we would be installing some heavy drapery panels and that we have small children in the house, we opted to include blocking between the studs beside the windows for mounting the drapery hardware to ensure that all of the rods are as sturdy as possible. Seeing as our ceilings are 10’, I opted to place the blocking for our drapes just below where our crown and/or beams would run, slightly above 9’. If you are not physically involved in the work portion of your remodel or new build, most contractors and builders are agreeable to add additional blocking, providing that you specify the specific areas and heights that you would be looking to add it. 

Tip #2: Mark Your Lines

While this tip is most applicable for those acting as their own general contractor or undertaking their own renovation and not so much if you are hiring a builder, it is valuable nonetheless. Before installing drywall, take a moment to walk around your project with a couple cans of spray paint and spray on the floor in front of electrical and plumbing lines, drains etc. Once the drywall is installed, you think you will remember exactly where things were, especially if you are onsite frequently, however these markings are very helpful for working in the area in the future when doubts of line locations creep in. Of course, once floors are installed, the markings will be covered over, but until then, you are able to have a visual reminder of what is running through that wall if you have to make any tweaks or changes.  

Tip #3: Take Pictures 

The last of these 3 easy tips before drywall is perhaps the one that I would say is most crucial in future construction: take pictures! Right before drywall is installed, especially after you have marked your line locations, take pictures of your space. And videos. And twice as many as you will think you will need. Be sure to espeically include key spaces with electrical complications or areas that will need specifics in the future for installing decor. This tip is incredibly easy but I can’t tell you how many times we needed to recall exactly how high an electrical line ran or where a stud was located or where an outlet was marked. If everything goes perfectly, you may never need these reference photos, but in the event that the drywallers forgot to expose an outlet or you planned to determine your sconce height later or you need to remember which way the ceiling joists run or whatever the case may be, you will thank yourself later for the reference photo. Not to mention if down the road you ever need to make updates or something goes wrong. When building your own house, a picture really is worth a thousand words. 

Final Thoughts 

Undertaking any large project comes with so many ups and downs and highs and lows that figuring out a few ways to make it easier along the way is such a win! Certainly we aren’t the first to give them a try, but I know that we have greatly benefited from these easy tips before drywall, especially as we are now hanging our curtains! Our rooms are far from finished and I can’t wait to share the progress with you all but in the meantime, I hope these few tips may help you in your projects as much as they have helped us with ours. 

Happy building!

Chloe 

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