Installing Drywall

John wrote:
> In getting ready to hang the drywall for my basement and just need a
> few clarifications. I thought you were supposed to butt the sheets
> together but I have been reading some articles that say to leave a
> 1/8" gap between them, which is correct?

A gap works better for mudding/taping, yes.

> I was planning on hanging the sheets vertically, do you really cut the
> number of seems in half by going horizontally? Is one better than the
> other? The walls are 14.3 x 23.7 and 9 feet high( I'm installing a
> drop ceiling so not going to the top is not a concern)

What an inconvenient set of dimensions... :(

If it were 14-even, a single long would suffice and 2-12's the other
way...as for the length of seams, draw it out and add up the distances.

For a novice, though, unless you can use the full length pieces
horizontally, you may find taping more edge joints w/ the finished edges
easier and a better job than the butt joint horizontally w/ the ends.

You can get 9-footers, too, if you wish and would have the full wall
height covered. Again, for the non-experienced, that's what I'd
suggest. That 3-4" in the corner is going to be an extra joint but it
can be feathered out w/ the corner. It's going to be a fair amount of
overage, but that'll be so whichever way you go.

--

On Jul 10, 10:40 am, dpb <[email protected]> wrote:
> John wrote:
> > In getting ready to hang the drywall for my basement and just need a
> > few clarifications. I thought you were supposed to butt the sheets
> > together but I have been reading some articles that say to leave a
> > 1/8" gap between them, which is correct?
>
> A gap works better for mudding/taping, yes.

Works better? How so?

> > I was planning on hanging the sheets vertically, do you really cut the
> > number of seems in half by going horizontally? Is one better than the
> > other? The walls are 14.3 x 23.7 and 9 feet high( I'm installing a
> > drop ceiling so not going to the top is not a concern)
>
> What an inconvenient set of dimensions... :(
>
> If it were 14-even, a single long would suffice and 2-12's the other
> way...as for the length of seams, draw it out and add up the distances.

Where do you live that you can get a 12' board into a basement? I
frequently have issues with 8 footers.

> For a novice, though, unless you can use the full length pieces
> horizontally, you may find taping more edge joints w/ the finished edges
> easier and a better job than the butt joint horizontally w/ the ends.

Butt joints are not a problem if you don't have them land on a stud.
You can have the butt joint land in between studs and use a backer
board to attach the butt ends. There are products sold for this,
http://www.ezbacker.com/rock_splicer.html , but you can use a 4 to 6
inch stip of plywood with some shimming. This from Toolbase.org:
"Drywall butt joint systems provide slightly inset drywall butt joints
that require less finishing and sanding, and result in flat, seamless
finished butt joints that are also less prone to cracking due to
framing movement because the butt joints are allowed to float."
If you use a wider strip of plywood, say 6 to 8 inches, and attach a
1" strip of something ~1/8" thick to either long edge of the plywood,
between the drywall and the plywood, the screws at the butt joint will
pull the end of the drywall into that minor recess and essentially
taper the butt end of the boards. It's simple to make entirely flush
butt joints that way, rather than the apparently flush butt joints you
usually get by feathering out the butt joint 18" so you don't see the
hump.

> You can get 9-footers, too, if you wish and would have the full wall
> height covered.  Again, for the non-experienced, that's what I'd
> suggest.  That 3-4" in the corner is going to be an extra joint but it
> can be feathered out w/ the corner.  It's going to be a fair amount of
> overage, but that'll be so whichever way you go.

The OP said he doesn't care about going the full height, so there's no
reason to use 9' boards. I'm not sure where you're getting the 3-4"
thing - the room dimensions are both under a full sheet length/width.

R

Thanks for all the information, lots to think about. Just a couple of
follow up questions. Im using 1/2" drywall and see varying
suggestions. Does it matter if I use 1 1/4 or 1 5/8 screws? Secondly,
when hanging the sheets do I have to install all the screws in each
sheet before moving to the next or can I put a few in to hold the
sheet in place then move to the next until its all up?. I plan on
driving a screw every 8 - 12 inches.
Thanks again for all the help.
John

Hi John,

> I'm using 1/2" drywall
> Does it matter if I use 1 1/4 or 1 5/8 screws?

The screws should penetrate at least 3/4" into the stud, so either screw
length would work fine in your situation. Use whatever is cheapest and/or
most available.

However, be sure to install steel protection plates anywhere wires or pipes
are less than an inch or so from the face of the stud. Otherwise, a longer
screw could theoretically go deep enough to pierce the wire or pipe.

> when hanging the sheets do I have to install all the
> screws in each sheet before moving to the next

I don't know how many screws you would have to install to hold the sheet
temporarily, but why? It's better to finish the sheet and move on to the
next so you don't forget anything. It takes the same amount of labor either
way, so finish the first job before you start a new one.

Anthony

RicodJour wrote:
...
> Where do you live that you can get a 12' board into a basement? I
> frequently have issues with 8 footers.

Where basements generally have walkout access is only places I've ever
considered drywall in basements, basically...

...

> The OP said he doesn't care about going the full height, so there's no
> reason to use 9' boards. I'm not sure where you're getting the 3-4"
> thing - the room dimensions are both under a full sheet length/width.

Unless he would just like the full wall height covered, I pointed out
what many are unaware of--that there are 9' sheets available.

I was thinking in the 14' as 14 lengths and then didn't recompute when
making the comment about the short corners when suggesting the vertical
orientation, sorry...

--

On Jul 10, 7:32 am, John <[email protected]> wrote:
> In getting ready to hang the drywall for my basement and just need a
> few clarifications. I thought you were supposed to butt the sheets
> together but I have been reading some articles that say to leave a
> 1/8" gap between them, which is correct?
>
> I was planning on hanging the sheets vertically, do you really cut the
> number of seems in half by going horizontally? Is one better than the
> other? The walls are 14.3 x 23.7 and 9 feet high( I'm installing a
> drop ceiling so not going to the top is not a concern)
> Thanks
> John

Half? No, but you do save signifcant amount in a 'normal' room, i.e.,
one with a normal amount of doors/windows as the butt joints with
disappear against casings or are onely short runs (above/below doors
and windows). I don't know how it will work in your basement with
those odd dimensions. If you hang vertically, consider ordering in 9'
sheets. If you are going to do the taping and it is your first time,
try to avoid butt joints as much as possible.

Taping verticle joints is a PIA as you can't reach the top without
standing on something and can't reach the bottom if you _are_ standing
on something.

Dpb gives a good discussion of the problems.

Harry K

John,

> In getting ready to hang the drywall for my basement and just need a
> few clarifications. I thought you were supposed to butt the sheets
> together but I have been reading some articles that say to leave a
> 1/8" gap between them, which is correct?

I think the gap is recommended, but I didn't spend much time doing that
when we installed our drywall. Unless you really get fussy about it,
you'll probably have a small gap between sheets anyway, without trying.
And it's not the end of the world if they butt tightly.

> I was planning on hanging the sheets vertically, do you really cut the
> number of seems in half by going horizontally?

In theory, taping a horizontal joint is supposed to be less work and less
visible than vertical joints.

Having said that, I prefer to hang sheets vertically, especially if
you're working alone. You can just set the sheet against the wall, and
use a lever to push the sheet against the ceiling with your foot while
you screw it in place. That's much easier than trying to lift a sheet
horizontally, and hold it up against the ceiling while you screw it down.

Also, you can usually use smaller (lighter) sheets vertically, since a
horizontal sheet would typically span the full wall width without a seam.
End butt joints are much harder to hide than the tapered edges on the
sides of a sheet.

Yes, you'll probably be going up and down the ladder to tape a vertical
joint, but I didn't find it to be that big of a deal (and we had 14 feet
high walls in a few rooms). It's good exercise and you'll usually need to
climb the ladder to do the ceiling corner joint anyway.

I drywalled the ceilings and walls of our garage, and our entire 1500
sq/ft house. All sheets were hung vertically, and though I'm a complete
amateur, you would find it nearly impossible to point out the joints now
that it is painted.

Take your time, use fiberglass mesh tape on all seams, and apply three
coats of joint compound using progressively larger knives (6", 8", 12").
Hold the knive mostly perpendicular to the wall, as you can make the
knive bend into a depression if you hold it flatter. Let each coat dry
thoroughly before applying the next (usually overnight). I use a special
corner knife for the corners. If you run into a particularly challenging
spot, don't hesitate to apply a fourth or fifth coat to achieve best
results. When sanding, be careful not to oversand and create a depression
(you can always apply another coat if that happens). Prime with a pva
primer, then paint.

> The walls are 14.3 x 23.7 and 9 feet high

Order 9 foot sheets from a drywall supplier, have them delivered, and
hang them vertically. Order a few extras in case you make mistakes
(cutting holes for outlets etc.) or sheets get damaged. It's usually
easier to hang a full sheet over door/window openings, and cut the extra
away with a drywall saw after the sheet is fastened down.

If your walls are still open (i.e. no insulation yet), I recommend taking
pictures of all the walls before insulating/drywalling. Believe me, a few
years from now you will be thankful to know where a wire or pipe is
behind the wall.

Good luck!

Anthony