Plan Ahead: Accessing a Drywall Job Site

Drywall expert and Habitat for Humanity construction manager Myron Ferguson walks us through what questions he asks himself when evaluating the environmental factors of a job site.  

Whenever I get a call to come and measure a house for drywall, as I’m driving in, I’m already thinking about the site.

• Is it a safe site?
• Is the access adequate for us? 
• Are the overhead power lines going to be in the way for the big boom truck?
• Are any windows that face the driveway or the street large enough to boom? 
• Is there too much snow?

All of that is being evaluated before I’ve even walked on to the site.

On this particular site, I was worried about the overhead wires, but then I saw there was a place into which we could back the truck. Also, the one window I assumed would provide the best access was in fact a direct line into the site. So, they loaded through that window and were able to bring in the materials and distribute well through there. 

Another problem to consider is that this is a walkout basement house and on the low end of the house, there is no driveway. I was thinking they could boom materials around that side of the house and down to the lower lawn, and we’d have to carry it in. Fortunately, the drywall delivery guys were able to maneuver the boom around so they could put it in the back window. While this didn’t end up being an issue, it’s something I had to think about ahead of time and warn the delivery crew that they might need to bring an extra person to help carry the materials inside.

Related Links:

• Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties Habitat for Humanity
• Planning a Drywall Job
• Drywall Delivery Dos and Don’ts