CertainTeed drywall User Manual

ProRoc gypsum board is
very easy to work with and
cutting is quite simple. To
make a cut, score the paper
on the face side with a util­ity knife along the edge of
your T-square. Apply firm,
but even, pressure to snap
the board along the score. Then fold the board along
the score and cut the paper along the crease with the
utility knife. Lastly, smooth the rough edges with a
sanding block or drywall rasp.

Remember, always wear safety glasses when cutting or
sanding boards.

ATTACHING PROROC BOARDS

You can attach your
ProRoc boards to studs or
joists using nails, screws.
We recommend using
drywall screws for opti­mum installation and
professional finish. You

might wish to consult
with your dealer when considering the different appli­cation methods.

Always install ceiling first, then install walls, allowing
a space of at least 1/2” off of the floor. Keep fasteners
6-inches away from the interior ceiling and ensure that
nails or screws are not less than 3/8” from the ends
and edges of the boards.

Installing ceiling boards can be tricky and requires two
people. In addition, you will find it much easier if you
use T-braces or a drywall lift to hold the boards in
place until they are fastened.

You can build T-braces
yourself! You’ll need a two
by four that is an inch
longer than the distance
from the floor to the ceil­ing framing members, as
well as, 2-two foot lengths
of one by fours.

One piece of the 1 x 4 should be used for the top of
the “T”, while the second piece should be used as a
brace and attached diagonally from the top piece to
the stem. You’ll need to make sure the T stays square.

Have your helper use one T-brace, while you manage
the other to lift the board into place. Your drywall
screws should be installed 12” to the joists. If using
nails, they should be placed 6” apart. Install nails or
screws slightly indented into the surface, without
breaking the paper face or damaging the gypsum core.
If you do break the paper, remove the fastener and
replace with one 2” away.

WALLS

When installing gypsum board, install the upper board
first, ensuring that you push the board firmly against the
ceiling and that tapered edges are in contact. Then fasten
with drywall screws spaced 16” apart (or preferably double
nails 6” apart) working from the center out to the edges.

To put the lower panel into place, you may wish to use
a wedge or wallboard lifter. Put the angled edge under
the board and use it as a lever to jack it up against the
top panel.

CUTOUTS

You will need to cut openings in your ProRoc boards
to accommodate electrical outlets, light fixtures,
windows and doors.

For light fixtures and
electrical boxes, measure
the distance from the
edge of the adjacent board
to the near and far sides
of the installed fixture
box. Then measure from
the top edge of the panel
to the top and bottom of the box. Trace the outline of
the box in the position you just measured on the
board. Cut the opening with a drywall saw.

For larger openings, install the panels directly across the
openings. Then use a drywall saw to cut the panels, using
the framing as your guide. As you install the boards,
make sure that you do not place joints at the edges of
doors or windows. If you do, as the door or window is
opened and closed over time, the joint will crack.

INSIDE CORNER

To join boards at an inside corner, simply butt the
second board against the first and fasten its end to
a framing member.

OUTSIDE CORNER

On outside corners, be sure to cover the end of the
first installed board with that of the second. Fasten
both ends of the boards to the common stud.

To prepare the corner for
finishing, install a corner
bead. Measure the length
needed, then cut the bead
with tin snips, cutting
through each flange
towards the nose, then
bending the bead to break.

After selecting the corner bead of your choice, follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for installation.

CERTAINTEED PROROC

®

A durable, lightweight, cost-effective building material
for interior walls and ceilings.

Consisting of a premium quality, non-combustible
gypsum core, ProRoc gypsum board is encased in a
smooth face (front) and back covering of 100% recycled
paper. The tapered edges are precision manufactured
and paper bound for easy joint finishing, making
ProRoc gypsum board the ideal choice for finishing
interior walls and ceilings. Once primed, it can be painted,
wallpapered or textured for a look that works for you.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

To properly install ProRoc gypsum board, you’ll need
the following tools:

❏ Tape measure
❏ 4-foot T-square or straight edge
❏ Utility knife with extra blades
❏ Step ladder
❏ Marking pencil
❏ Wallboard Saw
❏ Tin snips
❏ “Mud” Hawk or Pan

❏ 2-1/2”, 4”, 7” and 12” finishing knife
❏ Drywall rasp
❏ Dust mask
❏ Safety glasses or goggles
❏ 150-180 grit sandpaper
❏ Sanding pad and pole sander
❏ Sponge
❏ Drywall hammer or regular carpenter’s hammer

(if installing with drywall nails)

❏ Electric screw gun or standard drill with dimpler

attachment (if installing with drywall screws)

Installation Instructions

Planning the Job

It’s best to plan your ProRoc installation with the least
amount of joints (the seam where boards meet).
Fewer joints will mean less finishing work.

We recommend installing ProRoc boards perpendicular
to studs or joists. ProRoc boards comes in 4-foot wide
and various lengths and thicknesses. However, most
common are 8”, 10”, 12”. You may find it easiest to
work with 8-foot boards.

If you are intending to finish your ceilings with a water
based texture, you should use ProRoc 1/2” Interior
Ceiling Board on maximum 24” on centre joists, in
order to avoid sagging.

To determine how many ProRoc boards you will need,
simply calculate the total surface area of your walls
and/or ceiling by multiplying the length by the width.
You might wish to draw a sketch of the room/area you
are working on to make things easier. When calculat­ing, do not subtract windows or door areas. Divide
your total square footage by the square footage of
your boards (32-feet for an 8-foot board) and round

up to find the number of boards you need.
Based on the square footage of your project area,

you’ll need the following materials per 100-square-feet:

❏ 100 1-1/4” drywall screws (or 1/2 lb of nails)
❏ 30-feet of CertainTeed Marco Joint Tape
❏ 4.5L of ProRoc joint compound

CUTTING THE BOARD CEILING

CertainTeed

Installation Guide

Gypsum Wallboard Panels

12'

8'

12'8'

20'–0"

8' 8' 8'

24'–0"

direction of

studs or joints

CertainTeed

Gypsum Wallboard Panels

Begin with the butt joints – the areas where the
unfinished ends of ProRoc boards meet.

First, apply a coat of

ProRoc joint compound

over the joint with your

four-inch knife. Then,

press the tape firmly into

the compound by press-

ing your knife over the

tape. Squeeze out excess
compound, making sure that there is enough ProRoc
joint compound under tape to make a good bond.

Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the
next coat (24-hours between coats). If the tape does
lift along the edges after drying; simply cut out the
affected area in the shape of a canoe before applying
the next coat. If the tape lifts in the centre, you must
tear out affected area and re-tape.

Apply a second coat

using a 7” taping knife

and this coat should

extend approximately 4” -

6” beyond each side of

the joint. After the coat

dries approximately

24 hours, sand the area

Apply a third coat using a

12” taping knife and this

coat should be a thin coat

and should extend

approximately 7-12”

beyond each side of the

joint. The further you

feather the compound
out, the harder it will be to see imperfections.

When you are finished, you may want to test the fin­ishing by holding your 12-inch finishing knife blade
across the joint. If the blade rocks, you’ll know there is
still a hump, which will need further feathering.

SANDING

Do not sand after applying tape, remove small lumps
behind with your knife before applying 2nd coat.
When sanding use 150-180 grit paper and always sand
along the outside edge well, so that the transition
between the compound and the ProRoc boards are
smooth with no imperfections. Then sand the rest of
the joint lightly in order to make smooth. Be careful
not to sand too much off. If too much is sanded off,
you will need to apply additional coats of compound.

INSIDE CORNERS

Inside corners will need to be taped as well. First,
apply a thin layer of ProRoc joint compound on both
sides of the corners using a 2-1/2” taping knife,
extending the compound slightly beyond where the

tape would extend.
Next, fold the tape and

lightly press it into the
corner with your knife.
Once it is in place, using
your 2-1/2” knife or a
corner tool to firmly

embed the tape into the
compound. Allow to dry for 24-hours, then apply a sec­ond coat using a 7” taping knife to one side of the cor­ner. You can only do one side of the corner today, as
the compound must dry completely so the other side
can be finished tomorrow. Do the same for the third
coat, using a 12” taping knife.

Measure bead and cut to
right length; a snug fit
from floor to ceiling
(about 1/4” shorter than
the wall height). With a
7” knife apply a
generous amount of
ProRoc joint compound
on either side of corner.
Using even pressure, press
paper / metal bead onto
corner into position,
ensuring it is aligned;
embed it into compound

by running the knife at
45° angle. Let dry for 24-hours. Apply a second coat
with the 7” knife, allowing knife to rest on nose of the
bead. Let dry for 24-hours and apply a third coat. After
another 24-hours, sand the corner to a smooth finish.

FINISHING FASTENERS

You will want to coat each of the nail or screw heads used
to fasten your ProRoc boards with ProRoc joint compound.

After the first coat has dried completely, you will need
to sand and apply two more coats to the fasteners,
sanding between each coat.

Joint treatment and taping

The finishing process requires patience! You should
apply three coats of ProRoc joint compound through
the process and allow 24-hours of drying time
between applications. The first coat is used to embed
the tape, while the two finishing coats feather out the
compound, resulting in a uniform, smooth finished
surface.

A few pointers for easy and safe application:

❏ Always wear a dust mask when sanding
❏ Use only a 150 - 180 grit sandpaper, designed espe-

cially for joint compound

❏ Keep your knife clean by drawing it over the edge

of the mudpan or hawk.

❏ Throw out any dried bits of ProRoc joint

compound… they will leave scratches

❏ Don’t worry about a smooth finish on the first

coat… the finishing coats will take care of that.

❏ Stir joint compound well before use. Add clear

water for desired consistency.

❏ ProRoc joint compound should never be frozen.

In cold weather compound should be at room
temperature 24 hours before using.

TAPING AND FINISHING OUTSIDE CORNERS

Characteristics, properties or performance of materials or systems manufactured by CertainTeed herein described are derived from data obtained under controlled test conditions. CertainTeed makes no warranties, express or
implied,

as to their characteristics, properties or performance under any variations from such conditions in actual construction. CertainTeed assumes no responsibility for the effects of structural movement.
™®CertainTeed and the tag line “Quality made certain. Satisfaction guaranteed.” are trademarks of CertainTeed Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of BPB plc or its affiliates and related companies.
NOTICE: The information in this document is subject to change without notice. CertainTeed assumes no responsibility for any errors that may inadvertently appear in this document.

©01/07 CertainTeed Corporation. Printed in Canada on recycled paper. C March 2007 Form #: L-TP-001-E

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P.O. Box 860
Valley Forge, PA 19482

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Finishing Guide