8 guides
Guides
The questions that come up mid-estimate — why a formula works, what the standard figures mean, and where the expensive mistakes hide.
- Drywall Thickness Guide: 1/4 vs 1/2 vs 5/8
Which drywall thickness goes where, the framing spacing each one can span, where code requires 5/8 in Type X, and why two layers of 1/2 in beat one layer of 5/8 in for sound.
Calculator: Drywall Calculator
- How Many Screws Per Drywall Sheet?
Where the figure of 32 screws per sheet comes from, how ceilings and 24 in framing change it, what length to use for each board thickness, and how deep to drive them.
Calculator: Drywall Calculator
- How Much Drywall Do I Need?
Sheet counts for the rooms people actually board — a bedroom, a living room, a garage, a basement, a whole house — plus the four decisions that change the answer and what fits in a pickup.
Calculator: Drywall Calculator
- How to Calculate Concrete Blocks Needed
The number of concrete blocks a wall needs comes from one figure: 1.125 blocks per square foot. Here is where that number comes from, and the mistake that makes most estimates 7% too high.
Calculator: Concrete Block Calculator
- How to Calculate Wallpaper: A Step-by-Step Method
Measure four numbers, work out how many strips one roll yields, and divide. The step-by-step method that accounts for pattern repeat — and why the usual area calculation leaves you a roll short.
Calculator: Wallpaper Calculator
- Pattern Repeat Explained: Straight, Drop and Free Match
What the repeat and match figures on a wallpaper label mean, how to tell the three match types apart, and why a bigger repeat does not always cost more paper.
Calculator: Wallpaper Calculator
- Single Roll vs Double Roll: What You Are Actually Buying
US wallpaper is priced by the single roll and sold by the double. What that means for the number on the shelf tag, why small rooms pay a penalty for it, and how to compare a US price against a UK one.
Calculator: Wallpaper Calculator
- What Is a Waste Factor, and Why 10%?
A waste factor covers offcuts, cutting loss and breakage. Why it should scale with a room perimeter rather than its area, why it barely matters on small jobs, and what percentage each material actually needs.
Calculator: Drywall Calculator