A non for profit nursing home needs to update their interrior walls. they are cinderblock. They want to put up dry wall. problems: 1. fireproof door frames stick out less than 3/8 inch from wall. 2. how to attach the drywall to the cinderblock. 3. the sound and mess need to be kept down as much as possible because of the residents. 4. Cost. this will be done hopefully be the maintenance personal. advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you

There are many methods of improving these walls.
I assume your looking to improve the look so It does not look so cold and like a basement and more like a home?

I would suggest that you apply a thin cement plaster coating on the walls to smooth them out. Once done paint will finish it. The results will end up looking like paint. With all the faux finish products out there you can find some really nice products that will make the room look great without all the hassle of the sheetrock.

If that is not your thing. You can fasten thin strips of wood on the block and trim out the door openings to match the new thickness of the walls. You would need to hammer into the walls with cement nails. Fairly noisy. Then screw and finish the sheetrock.

Still another method would be to glue 1/4" drywall on the block. Using liquid nails or like product. This can get expensive fairly fast as the glue is costly and you need a lot.

But you need to check with the township if there is any special health codes on applying sheetrock walls. Some codes, such as one in my town only allow for walls that can be scrubbed clean. Which sheetrock cannot be.

If the first suggestion is something you can work with, go to a paint supply store, Not a big box one and get their advice on how to prep the walls and paint them to achive the look your going for.

If your a non-profit, I suggest you check with your local trade school. Quite often these folks are looking to do something in the real world not just a classroom. Its also good PR for them to help out a local non-profit. They may have some good ideas as well.

Thank you for so many great ideas. I will present them to the board after some of the research you recommended. The idea of the trade school to help is perfect. THANKS SO MUCH!