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Drywall “nailer” and VB question

Danno | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 26, 2008 03:14am

The questions just keep on a comin’!  First–someone will be putting 10′ long sheets of 1/2″ drywall on the new ceiling of the addition I’ve discussed in here at length (ad nauseum?) and they’ll be going in across 16′ trusses so each piece of drywall is spanning the ten foot width of the ceiling. I should put baords to screw the drywall to all the way around the perimeter of the ceiling, right? One edge is taken care of because the truss chord is just touching the wall.

Secondly, we put 1/2″ OSB on the inside (don’t ask me why! The drywaller tactfully asked me yesterday if any of us had construction experience (as in, do any of you have a clue about how to do this?) and pointed out this major screw up), and no vapor barrier was put on the wall before nailing up the OSB. Now, the chief says we can’t put it on the OSB and then screw the dywall to it because it’ll make the drywall wet! How would VB over OSB be any different than over the studs? In either case, the VB will be right under the drywall. I guess I’m totally missing something on this whole job!! Seems like the only thing that has been done my way (IMO, the correct way) is some of the shingling!

Oh, VB on ceiling under drywall–wouldn’t that help prevent ice dam on roof? But chief wants DW glued and screwed to ceiling!

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Replies

  1. DanH | Aug 26, 2008 04:25pm | #1

    There would be no harm in putting the vapor barrier over the OSB and behind the drywall.

    Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! --Miguel de Cervantes
  2. mikerooney | Aug 26, 2008 04:47pm | #2

    What would the VB have to do with ice dams?

    ''Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.'' Plato

     

    1. Danno | Aug 27, 2008 01:22am | #6

      It was morning is all I can say--I wrote a couple stupid things--was thinking that if water vapor was kept out of attic it'd be less likely to condense on inside of sheathing, but that wouldn't create an ice dam!

      The other thing was about nailer all around. I did aske the drywall guy who will be working there and he said only needs it at butt ends of the 10' pieces. Truss is close at one end, so I'll nail some 2x6 to the wall plate at the other end.

      Apparently the "chief" has been talking to this guy (name is Ted--a different Ted than the other Ted who has been giving me grief) because Ted wants to glue the drywall to the bottom chords and he doesn't want a VB on walls, says it maked the drywall get wet and moldy on the back side. Whatever. He says he's been drywalling 20 some years, which is more than I can say. I thought VB as code, but why start now with going by code!

      I also found out the guys didn't cut away the bottom wall plate when they put the doorway through between old part and new addition--don't know how they don't see it as a trip hazzard. But I walked through several times without remembering it was still there, so I can't talk!

      1. mikerooney | Aug 27, 2008 03:35am | #8

        When I was younger and cockier, I walked off a job because the igits stapled the insulation to the face of the studs. (and refused to fix it)I think your DW guy sounds like he knows what he's doin'.The part about the VB trappin' moisture is BS - he's just tryin' to make his job easier - which is a good thing - the easier his job is, the better job he'll do.Those walls that were sheathed on the inside - that's goin' to mess with your jamb extensions and electric boxes.''Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.'' Plato

         

        1. Danno | Aug 27, 2008 03:46am | #9

          There won't be any windows in this place. We framed in a clothes chute and now have been told they're using the old one, so we have to stick a cripple stud in there and drywall, side over it. I would think wiring would be a real pain--but am thinking that it may only get outlets on the common wall. Since it is sort of a storage place, maybe that's all they need. They wanted the door at 18" from the front wall so they could open it 90 degrees and have it close off a partition opening in the new structure (I guess someone else is building that--we haven't done a thing to make a partition).

           

        2. alwaysoverbudget | Aug 27, 2008 04:01am | #11

          "When I was younger and cockier, I walked off a job because the igits stapled the insulation to the face of the studs. (and refused to fix it)"

          theres a mystrey to me,why if i staple the insulation over the studs is it a problem?at the most the first pc of horzonal drywall,it might make it a littl harder to find the stud,you might have to put your hand on it before you screw. but after that you never see the stud again even with no insulation.

          i asked this because thats how i did ny house,only to walk in and see the drywallers ripping paper off the insulation. pzz me off. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?

          1. mikerooney | Aug 27, 2008 04:16am | #12

            If you staple over the studs, you can't use the glue. Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
            _______
            /_|o[____]o
            [1---L-OllllllO-
            ()_)()_)=°°=)_)Edited 8/26/2008 9:41 pm ET by MikeRooney

            Edited 8/26/2008 9:42 pm ET by MikeRooney

          2. Jim_Allen | Aug 27, 2008 05:15am | #13

            If you use glue, why do you need fasteners?

          3. mikerooney | Aug 27, 2008 05:46am | #14

            Jim, I only fasten the perimeter (and two in the center of the field on the lids)._______
            /_|o[____]o
            [1---L-OllllllO-
            ()_)()_)=°°=)_)

          4. Jim_Allen | Aug 27, 2008 06:34am | #17

            The lid schedule would scare me that you use. In MI, no one every put anything in the field on walls but every thing was glued and everything held tight. Here in TX, they have sheetrock nail inspection LOL! Most of the "craftsmanship" is closer to "crapsmanship" but they are inspecting drywall nailing schedules LOL!

          5. mikerooney | Aug 27, 2008 07:07am | #18

            I got it off USG. Good enough for them, good enough for me._______
            /_|o[____]o
            [1---L-OllllllO-
            ()_)()_)=°°=)_)

          6. Jim_Allen | Aug 27, 2008 11:28pm | #19

            Mike, maybe I'm misunderstanding what "two in the center" means. If you mean two fasteners in every joist, then I would agree that it will hold. Most of the guys in MI will do a double-double. That means they put two screws about 3" apart at the 16" and 32" area. They do that on every joist.

          7. alwaysoverbudget | Aug 27, 2008 05:47am | #15

            i'm in on that idea,but around here no rockers glue,they just screw it and go home.if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?

          8. mikerooney | Aug 27, 2008 06:04am | #16

            >around here no rockers glue,they just screw it and go home.They "Can't see it from their house,"I have to come back and finish it.I'm a finisher, defaulted to hangin' when I went into remodellin' 'cause it's easier to just do it than to get somebody to do it (right).You can't make chicken soup out of chicken litter._______
            /_|o[____]o
            [1---L-OllllllO-
            ()_)()_)=°°=)_)

  3. Karl | Aug 26, 2008 05:10pm | #3

    Danno, you ask "I should put baords to screw the drywall to all the way around the perimeter of the ceiling, right? "

    I am far from a drywall expert but have hung drywall on a few ceilings of my own. My understanding is that you want to keep screws/nails out of the perimeter to ensure you get a tight joint between the wall and ceiling drywall planes.

    If you screw around the perimeter you will inevitably get some up down waviness in the ceiling edges. It is actually preferable to leave the perimeter unfastened so it can droop or sag a fraction of an inch. When you hang your walls using horizontal pieces you start by placing your first panel on the wall and shoving it up against the ceiling, its straight edge will lift the droopy ceiling edges and usually guarantee a nice tight straight joint where the ceiling and wall intersect.

    I am not explaining it as clearly as I would like but if I recall correctly I first heard of hanging he ceiling like this in Myron Fergusons book on drywall published by taunton. I think you can find it in Home Depot in the book section. If so, flip through it and read up on hanging ceilings.

    Karl

    1. DanH | Aug 26, 2008 05:13pm | #4

      Leaving the edges loose is fairly important on partition walls with a truss roof, where "truss uplift" is an issue. For other cases it's a convenience more than a necessity.
      Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! --Miguel de Cervantes

    2. toolbear | Aug 28, 2008 02:12am | #21

      I am far from a drywall expert but have hung drywall on a few ceilings of my own. My understanding is that you want to keep screws/nails out of the perimeter to ensure you get a tight joint between the wall and ceiling drywall planes.@@@Myron has a nice video bit in the JLC video area that addresses this issue. He is holding his edge fasteners back for the reason you mentioned.<http://hwtv.jlconline.com/default.asp?bcpid=1184514373&bclid=1184468643&bctid=1729344144>Lot of nice videos there. Better production values than the FHB collection. However, you must watch the ad first.The ToolBear

      "I am still learning." Goya

  4. Jim_Allen | Aug 26, 2008 06:32pm | #5

    Keep these hilarious threads coming.

    The drywall backers are typically used but drywall clips are a suitable alternative.

    I don't think you need to worry about truss uplift. If it happens, it will be insignificant.

    1. Danno | Aug 27, 2008 01:35am | #7

      I would think in this clustertruck truss uplift will be the least of our worries.

      Ted, of the double 2x4 header because a joist hanger is weak fame, spent the day criticizing the guy who was heading up the job (is now out of commission following surgery yesterday, so I'm working fast (so I can do it my way) before he gets back!).

      I asked Ted to scrounge enough OSB to close in the gable end truss and he did--took him all day, but he did it (except for one small piece which I will have to nail up tomorrow). Kept him out of my hair, but took me all day to shingle about another quarter of the roof. Tomorrow Ted can't work and I don't know that anyone but me can, but I'm on the flatter upper roofs now, so it should be easier. Not looking forward to humping 6 or so bundles of shingles up there though! Supposed to get rain Thursday, I think, so I've got to stop playing around and get it done! (I keep thinking where I'd be if I were hand nailing this! Maybe have the first steep slope done on one side--maybe.)

      1. Jim_Allen | Aug 27, 2008 04:01am | #10

        6 bundles: 3 minutes each=18minutes total. I'll take that day every day for the rest of my career!

  5. toolbear | Aug 28, 2008 02:05am | #20

    Secondly, we put 1/2" OSB on the inside (don't ask me why! The drywaller tactfully asked me yesterday if any of us had construction experience

    @@@

    I have been following this with great interest and must ask - is this a Habitat project?

    "It must be nice; we built it twice!" is our Habbie motto.

    The ToolBear

    "I am still learning." Goya

    1. Danno | Aug 28, 2008 04:20am | #22

      No, this is just an addition (16x10) to a clothes sorting, storage, sales building that is part of a homeless shelter. A guy from my church is on the board of the shelter and asked for help in building the addition. I have worked on Habitat projects before (never again!), so I understand your thinking that this is one!

      1. Danno | Aug 28, 2008 04:34am | #23

        Well, I had help today, a different guy who actually was willing to do what I asked. So he nailed up the 2x6 drywall nailer to the gable end top plate, cut the bottom plate out of the door opening (would have been so much easier to run the circular saw's shoe against the kind studs and then add the cripples (jacks) but, what do I know). So he hand sawed. Then he put up the last OSB sheathing on the gable truss (on the outside this time! Yeah, I'm just a rebel!).

        By the time he was done with that, I had done about 3/4 of the shingles and then he helped me finish. Turns out it was nine bundles, not six. My legs are feeling it tonight. been a while since I carried bundles of shingles up a ladder. Must confess that the last two I carried in halves.

        I must also say that a gambrel roof with two valleys and with woven valleys where the pitch of one top slope is 6/12 and the slope of the intersecting roof is 4/12 makes for some head scratching (I've never shingled a gambrel before, much less two roofs interesecting at 90 degrees, nor have I ever done a woven valley before). It's all over but the crying.

        Tomorrow I have to trim some rakes, one where I ran the shingles wild (one rake was artistically "flared" (wider at top, but only on front) and another got narrower by about an inch or so at the top, so my shingles hang over by that much. Then I nail on cap shingles and my work there is done! Who knows, by Monday I may be able to almost walk again!

        Edited 8/27/2008 9:36 pm ET by Danno

        1. Jim_Allen | Aug 28, 2008 05:16am | #25

          Flared shingles?!!! What a hack! Wanna join me crew?

          1. Danno | Aug 28, 2008 02:47pm | #26

            Maybe flared is the wrong word--the rake tapers back from the peak, instead of being plumb--so the peak overhangs the gable wall about a foot and then slopes back to no overhang when it hits the two side walls. Like a barn where they hang a pulley to get hay into the loft. Makes shingling hard--for one thing, I forgot and threw a couple nails into that area and blew out the OSB overhang, so now that'll have to be repaired or at least repainted. They stapled the old shingles on, so no problem, but I ended up putting a bead of roofing cement on the drip edge.

            I'm ready for different employment, but roofing is too hard for me these days. Every joint and muscle in my body (except the muscles I use to wiggle my ears) hurts this morning! I have "plantar fascitis" where bottom of foot feels torn, so standing on roofs, while it might be good in that it stretches it, makes it hurt. (ladders too)

            I also see that you are in Texas--be a bit of a morning commute!

            Edited 8/28/2008 7:48 am ET by Danno

          2. Jim_Allen | Aug 28, 2008 02:56pm | #27

            Take the train like Biden.

          3. Danno | Aug 28, 2008 09:18pm | #28

            I'll just telecommute. Or teleport. Something.

            I got the shingles trimmed at the rakes and the cap nailed on. It rained for a few minutes before I got there--no sign of leaks yet! I think I dad a full bundle and a few cut shingles left when I was done.

      2. toolbear | Aug 28, 2008 04:56am | #24

        I have worked on Habitat projects before (never again!), so I understand your thinking that this is one!@@@It sounded rather familiar <g>. I look forward to the next episode.The ToolBear

        "I am still learning." Goya

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