Chapter 28 Further Reading: Drywall, Plaster, and Interior Walls

Books

1. "Drywall: Professional Techniques for Walls and Ceilings" — Lee Wallender (Taunton Press) The most comprehensive homeowner-focused guide to drywall work in print, covering hanging, taping, all levels of finishing, and a thorough treatment of repair techniques including texture matching. The chapter on texture matching alone justifies the purchase for anyone working on homes from the 1970s–1990s where textured walls are common. Illustrated with close-up photography that makes the technique legible.

2. "The Old-House Journal Guide to Restoration" — Old-House Journal editors A compilation of Old-House Journal articles covering historic building materials and techniques, with dedicated chapters on plaster work. The plaster repair guidance is the most practical available in print for homeowners dealing with three-coat plaster, horsehair plaster, and ornamental plaster — including guidance on matching historic textures and profiles in repairs.

3. "Working with Drywall" — Rick Arnold (Taunton Press) More technical than the Wallender title, this book is aimed at the homeowner who wants to understand professional-quality installation rather than just patch repair. Covers layout planning, fastening patterns, ceiling installation (with equipment recommendations), and all five finishing levels with visual examples. Excellent for anyone planning a full-room drywall installation.

Online Resources

4. The Gypsum Association — gypsum.org The trade association for North American gypsum manufacturers publishes technical documents and installation guides that are available free online. The "GA-216: Application and Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products" document is the definitive installation standard referenced by building codes and is readable by non-professionals. The "GA-600: Fire Resistance Design Manual" is useful for understanding Type X requirements.

5. Ask This Old House — YouTube/thisoldhouse.com The practical, contractor-focused companion to This Old House has covered drywall repair, plaster stabilization, texture matching, and painting prep in numerous episodes available on YouTube and the This Old House website. The visual demonstrations are particularly valuable for understanding the sequence and hand techniques that are hard to convey in text. Search for "drywall repair," "plaster repair," and "texture matching" on the channel.

6. Fine Homebuilding Magazine — finehomebuilding.com Taunton's trade publication for residential construction professionals has an extensive archive of articles on drywall finishing, plaster repair, and sound isolation. The archive is behind a subscription paywall but affordable ($20–$30/year for online access). The soundproofing articles are particularly strong, consistently distinguishing between marketing claims and tested performance.

Technical Standards

7. ASTM C840: Standard Specification for Application and Finishing of Gypsum Board The ASTM standard that defines application requirements for gypsum board in commercial and residential construction. Includes the finish level definitions (Levels 0–5) referenced in the Gypsum Association documents and in this chapter. Available through ASTM International (astm.org) — not free, but the standard is widely summarized in accessible language in the GA-216 document above.

8. ASTM E90 and STC Rating Methods ASTM E90 is the standard laboratory test for measuring sound transmission loss; the resulting STC values are calculated using ASTM E413. Understanding these test methods helps interpret the STC ratings manufacturers use for assemblies and products. Available from ASTM; summarized accessibly by the Acoustical Society of America.

Sound Isolation Resources

9. "Sound Isolation and Noise Control in Steel Stud Framing" — Orfield Associates A practitioner-focused technical guide to achieving specified STC values in wood and metal-framed wall assemblies. Covers the decoupling principle, channel specifications, flanking paths, and the gap between laboratory STC ratings and field-measured values. Available online from various acoustics education resources.

10. Soundproofing Company and Acoustics.com Several acoustic product suppliers (Soundproofing Company, Acoustics.com) publish genuinely useful free educational content on their websites that goes beyond product promotion. Coverage of resilient channels vs. decoupled clips, the short-circuit problem, mass-air-mass resonance, and flanking path mitigation is more detailed than most home improvement publications. Read with appropriate vendor bias awareness, but the technical content is largely accurate.

Safety Resources

11. EPA Lead Paint Program — epa.gov/lead The complete EPA guidance on lead paint in homes, including health information, testing methods, DIY safe practices, and the requirements for contractors performing work that disturbs lead paint (the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule). Free, comprehensive, and regularly updated. Homeowners in pre-1978 homes should be familiar with this resource before any sanding or scraping work.

12. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) — Hearing Loss Prevention Resources Relevant for anyone doing significant sanding or working with power tools at high noise levels. NIOSH's free resources on noise exposure limits and hearing protection selection are practical and evidence-based. Downloadable free SPL meter apps (NIOSH SoundLevel Meter for iOS, equivalent apps for Android) are useful tools for the acoustic assessment exercises in this chapter.