Customer Reviews

Drywall: Professional Techniques for Great Results

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this book for some time now and have been doing various drywall projects around the house, including crack repair, patches and even replacing a full panel. I found that by following the instructions in this book, and by taking great care to work neatly, all of my repairs are invisible. There is no way I could have done it so well without the help of Mr. Ferguson's book.

I have a handful of drywall books but this one comes out tops and therefore I highly recommend it.

This book is very comprehensive. I noticed one reviewer said that the book was good for a beginner but lacked information. I disagree. I feel as though the book has plenty of information, except for the use of furring strips when studs or joist do not line up.

All that is done is the furring strip is stapled to the joist which is higher than the other joist, or if only one is lower than the other joist (this refers to joist/beams in the ceiling which are similier to studs in a wall, so if your working on a wall and need to apply this information just pretend that the wall your facing is a ceiling above your head).

For me the book covers more than enough information and I have been drywalling in residential construction. I got this book to help me learn quicker so my first attempts would be high quality. However, this book works great even for one who knows nothing about drywalling.

The last think I have to say about this book is that it does NOT cover insulation. It is only about drywalling and texturing.

I purchased this book after having done significant drywall work in my own home. It was a humbling experience as page after page showed me ways I "could" have done the work or ways that I could have made my task easier. Not that my results were bad, but there were a lot of "raised eyebrow" sections of enlightenment - what a good book like this should evoke.

After reading this, you're not going to want to shop at the Home Depot for your stuff as you'll realize that there's quite a depth of products around drywall that the big-box stores don't handle.

On the down-side, as stated by other reviewers here, is the lack of framing prep or correction information - the book assumes you're work site is pretty much ready for the drywaller. Make sure you learn a bit about basic carpentry along with your new drywall skills. Also, the author is a bit dismissive when he discusses plaster. Those in older homes who love their plaster and the inherent advantages it brings may not like the dismissive tone taken about plaster. But if you need to put up drywall (and a scant few of us can plaster a wall from scratch) then it's a great learning resource.

That said, from a DIY'er perspective, I feel this book is a must-read before tackling that first drywall project.

Go ahead, take a tour of my house. You will be able to tell which walls I did before I bought this book and which ones were done professionally after I bought it. No question, if you are a mud-smearing homeowner like me and can't stand to pay someone to do it right, this book will help. You still have to pay attention and do it just like he says. I'm very satisfied and can't stand it when people borrow my copy so they can see how to do drywall like me.

It helps to know some basics about construction and drywall work to get the most out of this book. That said, it is a very well presented, comprehensive how-to guide for hanging and finishing drywall. There is good information on materials and a professional approach to technique, with emphasis on the details and getting it right. This book does not talk about shortcuts or taking the easy way, but tells it like it is when it comes to drywall finishing. Very useful and highly recommended.

I bought this book based on the reviews that I've read on here. I tried finding a copy at the local book store so I could flip through it before buying but no one in town carried the book.

I agree with the one other reviewer that the book is absolutely hard to read because the text in each section is cut up. I find myself flipping back and forth due to the horrible organization in this book. In addition, there is also some lack of visual information to accompany the text which makes reading it even harder. For example, on page 79 which covers the "Floating Corners Technique", the author failed to provide a graphic for the ceiling fastener placement and instead just showed the wall fastener placement. He only wrote about the ceiling fastener placement in text. It would have been a lot more convenient to just provide a graphic on the fastener placement spacing in a graphical manner.

Don't get me wrong, there are good information in this book, however the presentation of the information is horrible. There's a better book out there which I read a little online through Google: [...]. It's called Ultimate Guide to Drywall: Pro Tips for Hanging and Finishing. ISBN #1580112706. There are some missing pages in the online version.

Well this Ferguson book will probably collect dust on my shelf now while I'm off to purchase the other book mentioned above. Supposed I should have just purchased the other book strictly just based on its title (Ultimate Guide to Drywall) and not expect this Ferguson book to be the ultimate reference for drywall techniques.

Good luck to the rest of you!

I noticed that the 3rd Edition of this book has a copyright date of 2008 and the cover of the book notes that it is completely revised and updated. Any review written before 2008 is almost certainly for the second edition. The 3rd edition is a reasonably hefty 210 pages of content; it is printed on nice paper, is nicely organised, and has an index.

I am an experienced do-it-yourselfer and bought this book to get an update on the latest corner beads made of vinyl and some made of metal and paper. I also wanted a little more knowledge on available types of drywall and joint compounds.

This book is very comprehensive and covers drywall techniques, tools, and materials. Consistent with the reviews of the earlier edition(s), this book focuses almost exclusively on drywall (which is also consistent with its title). There is a section on soundproofing which I believe is very useful.

I would rate this book as a must read for anyone who wishes to learn about drywall techniques. The text is clear and there are many photographs to illustrate the points that the author is making.

I would have liked it if the author covered skip troweling but this is a little tricky to learn from a book (so this omission did not bother me much).

I already had a good amount of knowledge about drywall and this book has given me another step up in knowledge. I am completely satisfied with this book.

I have zero home remodeling experience but after reading this book have done an awesome job hanging my drywall. You would never know I did the work my self. And I'm a woman. The biggest help (after reading the book) was buying a drywall hoist as well as other tools listed in the book. I was able to complete the entire job, ceilings too, completely unassisted. And I have 10' walls.

I decided to drywall over decorative block in our ski condo. All of my friends told me to avoid doing this myself, and to hire a professional. Long story short, I decided to do it myself. This book was a terrific step by step guide to the process. There are some techniques and tools he did not cover, specifically for making perfect butt joints, but other than that, I followed his advice to the letter and got great results. Highly recommend the book.

I found this book to be more helpful than I expected. Having done a lot of rough drywall years ago I wasn't sure how much I would learn, but I was surprised at how many useful tips I found while grazing through the book.

The book is laid out in a well-organized and easy-to-read manner.

The author not only explains how to hang, fasten, tape, sand and texture drywall - but provides very practical insights on how to put up and coat drywall in an efficient and effective manner. For those who do not know what tools to buy or use - the Author introduces different products throughout the book - providing practical information on to use them without turning the book into an advertisement.

I think there is probably something in this book for everyone. For example: Did you know that drywall has fibers that make it stronger if fastened across wall studs than if fastened along the wall studs?

It's inexpensive and informative.