Sheetrock install question

[Bigrhamr]

Does it matter which way you orient sheetrock across the studs? On vertical stud walls I usually see it laid horizontal so the long axis crosses the studs.
I'm getting ready to rock my office/showroom walls, they are just over 10' tall and the framing is horizontal between posts. If I was to use 4' x 12' sheets and put them up vertically it would substantially reduce the amount of seams and taping. Is there a right and wrong way here or just whatever is easiest for the situation?

Thanks!

 

[tatra]

i came across some vids on this site that were quite infirmational for me.............course after perusing a bout a dozen or so it would only allow mw to enter the subscription page..........this ferguson guy seems like the guru of drywall but my exp. is limited..........

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/departments/building-skills/hanging-drywall-on-walls.aspx

 

[WQ59B]

just whatever is easiest for the situation WRT taping/sanding.

 

[mtwaterguy]

it would substantially reduce the amount of seams and taping.

This should be the determining factor in answering your question.

 

[Wackerjr]

always horizontal and stagger the seams. Unless you don't care about flat walls.

 

[Zeke]

always horizontal and stagger the seams. Unless you don't care about flat walls.

It is usually installed horizontally for 2 reasons. The major seem is at waist height for taping and there are fewer T joints at the ceiling corner.

The above statement if not true because on walls that will get a suspended ceiling the rock goes vertically. You DO get flatter walls because there are no **** joints in the field. Only factory bevel joints.

 

[Jazz]

Ceilings first, then upper wall, and then lower wall. Any gaps will be at the floor level and covered by the molding. You could do vertical if there's a drop ceiling (such as in a basement).

 

[mtwaterguy]

Since the op is talking a 10' ceiling, hanging horizontaly would end up with twice as many feet to tape and mud. Hanging verticle, all of his joints would be beveled and he would have a better chance at ending up with a nice flat wall.

 

[rlitman]

Since the op is talking a 10' ceiling, hanging horizontaly would end up with twice as many feet to tape and mud. Hanging verticle, all of his joints would be beveled and he would have a better chance at ending up with a nice flat wall.

+1 to this. If you hang horizontal, you'll have vertical joints that aren't beveled.
In residential construction, when people buy 4x8 sheets, and the sheets aren't long enough to reach the ceiling, then you run horizontal, but in most commercial installs I've seen, then contractor just buys sheets long enough to set up vertically (I've seen sheets as long as 14'). It's a little more difficult for a non-pro to handle larger sheets, and it may be difficult to maneuver the longer sheets into the room (this is usually not a problem in a commercial setting when walls are done before the drop ceiling is installed), but the results are superior.

 

[demographic]

Since the op is talking a 10' ceiling, hanging horizontaly would end up with twice as many feet to tape and mud. Hanging verticle, all of his joints would be beveled and he would have a better chance at ending up with a nice flat wall.

That's the way I figure it also.

 

[idahobound]

sounds like you have just over a 10 ft lid (ceiling). If you are fine with the waste I would recommend using 12 ft board. Cut a **** off the end (aka cut to length), stand it up and stick it. You did not mention if you are hanging the lids or not. Hang the lids first. If the garage/shop/unit is not framed to hang you will need to put backing in where needed. This is not Rocket Science. Most commercial work (if not high walls) is all stand up board. Although it would depend on the region and expertise of the drywall guy. (qualifications 35 years eat, drink, sleep DIEWALL....) Any questions...will be happy to walk you through it...

 

[RodneyPierce]

I have 9 ft ceilings in my garage, and I will be placing it vertical. Buy 10 ft sheets, cut 1 ft off the top and slam it up. Thats on the agenda for me as well here this winter some time.

 

[Innov8tive1]

I know this probably goes without saying BUT..........because some jackass did this in my garage before I owned it, I will say it. Do NOT have the drywall touching the cement floor! It will wick water.........even the green moisture resistant stuff. 'Nuff said......

 

[rwhite692]

I did the walls of my 24x36 shop (10' high walls) using all 12 foot sheets of 5/8" (cut to 10 feet) and taped the seams vertically.

Running the sheets horizontally, would have resulted in a HUGE amount of additional cutting and taping, not to mention the gruntwork of getting that second sheet lifted up on top of the lower one....No thanks!

 

[Bigrhamr]

Okay it sounds like vertical is the way to go, I'll gladly accept a little bit of wasted material by cutting down the long sheets and avoiding any end **** seams.

2 other questions. First, how far should I keep it off of the concrete floor?

And the other thing is the ceiling where I am putting up ribbed metal. I'm thinking the cleanest way will be to do the walls first then **** the ceiling metal up to the drywall, no trim required. Otherwise if I did the ceiling first the ribs on the metal would keep the drywall from going all the way to the top and leave an ugly gap with no good way to trim it. Could also do the ceiling first and put a J trim around the outside which the drywall could **** up against but I don't see any advantage to doing it that way. Any other ideas on that?

 

[Nova_Guy]

I put mine up vertically also. It worked out better in my case the walls are just over eight foot high. Neither way would have worked out any easier in my case. Inside the house I would have done it horizontally like a normal install.

 

[wssix99]

Beware of drywall mythology!

Best to go to the source of accurate info - Sheetrock makes some of the best instructions out there and they talk specifically about what you should and should not do: (Most manufacturers publish instructions like this for drywall, but I've found very few people know about them.)

http://www.usg.com/rc/installation-...-gypsum-panels-installation-guide-en-J371.pdf

The point about not putting vertical joints above doors/windows is key and will invite cracking. Likewise, having horizontal joints that are close to the top of a door or window will do the same thing.

 

[MN Falcon]

I know this probably goes without saying BUT..........because some jackass did this in my garage before I owned it, I will say it. Do NOT have the drywall touching the cement floor! It will wick water.........even the green moisture resistant stuff. 'Nuff said......

I thought about that when I rocked my walls. I put a green treated 2x4 on the floor then put the rock on top of that and used 1/4 round to trim it off. Seems to work ok.

 

[malibu101]

I have 9 ft ceilings in my garage, and I will be placing it vertical. Buy 10 ft sheets, cut 1 ft off the top and slam it up. Thats on the agenda for me as well here this winter some time.

I don't know any details other than it was a professional drywall crew on new residential work. I've seen this twice.
The houses had many 9' high ceilings. They had and used drywall that was 4.5' (not the usual 4') wide by different lengths. Laid horizontally there was just one tape joint in the middle. Really slick install!
Quick link I found- http://www.coferadams.com/products/stretch-gypsum-drywall-atlanta/

 

[idahobound]

Regarding question 1 - 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch. You can use a piece of scrap as a spacer under the sheet to measure (the scrap is 1/2 or 5/8" thick).

Regarding question 2 - I am unclear what you mean by ribbed metal. That could be J metal, L metal, 90 metal, hat rack or PCI metal, tape on L metal, slip track....etc. If you could post a picture of the top of the wall and of the metal you plan to use I can get an idea of what your plan is. Also what is your plan for the lid? T.Bar, or hard lid or no lid at all. Depending on your overall plan will make a difference in the order as well as the material. You advise me then I can advise you.

 

[1BADLS1tuner]

I thought about that when I rocked my walls. I put a green treated 2x4 on the floor then put the rock on top of that and used 1/4 round to trim it off. Seems to work ok.

treated 2x4 base plate is what im doing also, inside and outside of my garage.... the 2x4 will also serve as a "bump-stop" for jacks and tool boxes and such from hitting the drywall

also corner round works wonders on saving alot of work, no mudding ceiling/wall joint and corners!

 

[Norcal]

Running sheet horizontal is much stronger, and if one has a stud decide to walk around which is a problem w/ the quality of lumber today, it will be a lot more noticable when sheets are hung vertical.

 

[Pneuking]

My 2 cents: go paperless.

 

[Highbeam]

Use a scrap piece of sheetrock on the floor to provide the required gap. This amount of gap still allows you to fasten the sheetrock into the bottom plate.

Use a sheetrock lift, even for the walls. They work sideways too and allow you to **** the sheet right up to the lid or to the pervious row.

Do the bottom last or as close to the end as possible to prevent you from bashing it while installing the upper sheets.

 

[darkk]

Horizontal, stagger the seams.

 

[billybek]

Didn't see if stud spacing was brought up yet. Hanging sheets vertically your spacing must be dead on or you are adding some type of backer behind the joints.
Hanging vertically, you just cut the ends (some drywall waste but less labour) and you don't have to worry about spacing.
As mentioned before, ceiling first then hang the walls.
Push up hard on the board on the wall that meets the ceiling then screw/nail it off. Some like to leave a small gap for drywall compound on the horizontals. Butts joints (non tapered) are tight and are staggered.

 

[Herb]

Use LOTS of adhesive- full length beads- no matter which way you run the sheetrock.

 

[jlckmj]

I just had a house rocked, in fact they are finishing it now. There is no Right or Wrong way to hang rock, as long as it gets screwed tight to a good foundation.

The guys that did mine hung 54 in sheets horizontally for 9 ft. ceilings. The main reason they do it that way is for finishing. They walk along the wall with a tape dispensing machine to attach the tape.

They also walk along the wall with a wide finish plaster application machine. I was amazed, with the wide machine (about 8-10 inches wide) he walked from front to back in the main room of my house, (about 36 feet) and did it in about 90 seconds. Sure makes for a nice finish also. The average JOE would take an hour to do that with hand tools, and it would not look near as well either.

Sheetrock finishing and hanging is an art, one that I do not want to learn, I would rather pay to have it done right than bust my *** and have it done half way.

Jim

 

[Mr.Magoo]

Didn't see if stud spacing was brought up yet. Hanging sheets vertically your spacing must be dead on or you are adding some type of backer behind the joints.
Hanging vertically, you just cut the ends (some drywall waste but less labour) and you don't have to worry about spacing.
As mentioned before, ceiling first then hang the walls.
Push up hard on the board on the wall that meets the ceiling then screw/nail it off. Some like to leave a small gap for drywall compound on the horizontals. Butts joints (non tapered) are tight and are staggered.

You can do it either way, keep in mind what was said about the layout of the framing members. When you apply vertical and some yahoo has the plumb of a stud out by a half of an inch top to bottom, you are going to have a continuous problem if you keep putting up sheets. It is an easier adjustment when cutting a horizontal piece at only 48" to get you back on alignment and to go on further. Making a 10' rip to the beveled edge is hard as hell, you will destroy the paper and trying to cut through that tough edge is hard, even with a 10' straight edge. Tricks of the trade and tools are everything. You learn as you go, you cannot just read a book and be knocking out 100% professional work the next day. Either spend the time doing it right all the way through or just find the right guys to do it. It's only money or your time!