Ask the Builder: DIY Drywall Secrets Make You a Pro

Install drywall in the right order and it will save you a lot of time.

This drywall has been taped with an amazing fiberglass tape that works just like reinforcing steel in concrete. The premixed joint compound is easy to work with. Tim Carter/Tribune Content Agency/TNS

I’ve been helping my son finish the basement in his 3-year-old home. We can only work on Saturdays, some Fridays, and any paid days off he can spare. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to help my kids work on their homes. Five years ago I installed all the plumbing, radiant heating, and electrical cables in my oldest daughter’s home.

My son and I started hanging 100 sheets of drywall about a month ago. He had never done this task before and picked it up quickly.