7 Most Important Drywall Tools to Have in Your Arsenal

When you’re considering your drywall, look at it as the canvas of your home. It’s where you’ll put your paint, your art and memories, and the structure in front of which all your furniture will sit. Your drywall shouldn’t draw attention to itself but should exist seamlessly in the background. However, if your drywall is lumpy, has visible seams, or wasn’t properly sanded down, then you will start to notice the issues in your drywall over that’s on your actual walls. Let’s talk about drywall tools.

Drywalling requires a specific set of tools and substitutes just won’t do. Whether you have a hole to patch or full sheets of drywall to hang, having the proper tools on hand will make your job easier and faster. To make sure you have exactly what you need to start (and complete) your drywalling job, we’ve made a list of the 7 most useful tools to have in your drywall arsenal.

Utility knife

Your first investment should be a solid utility knife. Cutting drywall for hanging is intricate work and you only want to do it with a solid drywall cutting tools. Pay extra to get one that has exchangeble blades. Trust us, you’ll be happy you spent the extra money when your first blade breaks.

2. Drywall square

A drywall square is primarily used to provide a straight edge to cut your drywall using that utility knife we mentioned above. A drywall square is basically two pieces of metal that meet at a 90° angle. This angle is key to make sure that the cut edge is exactly 90° from the bound edge.

3. Measuring tape

Any type of tape measure will work, but you’re going to need one. You’ll need your measuring tape to mark exactly where your drywall will need to be cut so that it will all fit together seamlessly. Ideally, your measuring tape should be at least 12 feet long and have a nice, wide blade.

4. Taping knife

Don’t mistake a taping knives for utility knives. Taping knives are flat, wide blades that are used for everything from smoothing down drywall tape to applying drywall compound. Get drywall knives in a variety of sizes so that they can help on any job, from 2 inches all the way up to 12 inches.

5. Sanding blocks

Sanding blocks are key to any drywall project, and really should be part of any homeowners’ arsenal even if they’re not taking on big drywall projects. Sanding blocks come in different grits and you should have a few on hand going from roughest to finest to get the smoothest finish. Your sanding blocks will be used to smooth out the edges of drywall and to sand down your drywall compound when it dries.

6. Dust mask

Sanding down drywall creates clouds of fine dust particles that can trigger allergies and breathing issues. Wearing a dust mask that’s rated high enough to remove the fine particles sanding drywall creates will stop you from inhaling dust.

7. Pole sander

If your sanding large walls or ceilings, your job will be made ten times easier by investing in a pole sander. This long sanding tool is the equivalent of a painter’s pole for drywall jobs.