Hey guys,
I am doing my first drywall job on an old house. The ceiling are 8’3″ so, the drywall is of course 3 inches short. My initial idea was to run plywood 3 inches up the floor to have a better nailer for the base moulding. The base is 10inches high. Is this a bad idea????
If it is not a bad idea, how to I make the transition between drywall and plywood? Would I be required to run an L bead or could I just mud it?????
Thanks in advance!
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Replies
It's not a bad idea. I wouldnt worry about mudding or channel if it's hidden. I would caulk it to seal it from drafts.
Edited 4/22/2009 9:04 pm ET by Dam_inspector
Why not run the sheets vertically, and buy 9' sheets?
That was my original thought myself.
Heck, 3" you can make up with mud.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
I've done that...
Why not run the sheets vertically, and buy 9' sheets?
How old is this house? If it's more than 50 years the studs are most likely not exactly 16" centers, some may even be 14" or 18".
I do a lot of these and my preferred method is as follows:
A) snap a level line 46" up from the lowest corner of the room all the way around.
B) Cut off the bevel plus whatever from the bottom of the sheets so they fit between the line and 1/2" above the floor. These may or may not be straight cuts, depending on how level the floor is. (note, removing the bottom bevel allows the baseboard to lay flat.)
C) Cut stips to fill the middle, in this case 5" or so, depending on how level the ceiling is. You want them wide enough that it reaches within 48" of the ceiling at it's highest point. Add the stips to the top of the lower pieces.
D) Measure from the top of the middle piece to the ceiling at every stud. Use these measurements to "Scribe" the drywall to the ceiling. Make the cut about 1/8" less for an easier fit.
Okay, I'm ready for the bashing everybody! =)
~ Ted W ~
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Edited 4/22/2009 9:51 pm by Ted W.
Or buy 5-foot sheets, so that no filler is needed.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
4' bottom and 5' top, minimal waste.
Does the average lumberyard carry 5'? I know the big boxes certainly don't.~ Ted W ~
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Yes, that is the question. Probably a lot of local variability.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
>>>>buy 5-foot sheets....<<<<
Can you actually buy 5' sheets (60")?
I can get 48" or 54", but not 60". Not stocked at BB, or at my drywall suppliers. Might be able to get 60" special order, never investigated.
JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
I think I saw them once, being installed in a commercial situation. Never bought any personally, though. But of course the 54s would work for the OP's situation.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
Plywood strip is fine if it's going to be covered with base. Just mud over the transition.
It its half inch rock, I'd hold the top sheet tight to the ceiling, the bottom sheet sits on the floor, and I'd rip a strip of 3/8" rock to fill between.
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
CaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
One 54" (for 9' ceilings) trimmed to 51" on bottom plus one 48" on top...
nice to apply trim that way.
A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.
The reason I did not run vertically, was because the rooms are genrally 14 X 14 or less. Therfore I ran 5/8 rock 14' panels, so I would have 1 seam, instead of 3. My sadist wife wants a smooth wall finish and I have never finished before. I was trying to give myself better odds on doing a good job. We will see.....
Thanks for the replys!
I just finished drywalling the last house we framed. It was my first time and I actually enjoyed it, but those darn framers :-)
I'd have said order 54" for the top sheets and 48" for the bottom. The downstairs on ours was 9', so we used 54" on the walls. Those are a lot more cumbersome than the 48" but after using them, 48" seems small ;-)http://www.pioneerbuildersonline.com
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Tim - I like the website. Is it new? I don't remember it. Nice job."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
CaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
Fairly newly updated, but not new. I just didn't have it in my signature yet. Thanks.
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From Lot 30 Muirkirk
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Yea dude your right on with the plywood behind the base, and like someone said the caulk that joint is good for an old drafty house. These other methods being tossed about seem ridiculous and wasteful.
The more I have to do them, the more I realize how disadvantageous running the sheets vertical is, with the sunlight being perpendicular the seams can really show and it is much more work for the guys mudding and sanding. I just had one wall with a ton of natural light and vertical seams put a straight edge on the wall and its PERFECT but can still "see" seams through the paint. It was very disappointing. Opposite wall run horizontal look great.
We do this in old houses a lot, and since they are often needing an insulation update, we take advantage of the gap, even increasing it to about 6". We leave a 6" gap between sheets in the middle of the wall, then densepack cellulose through the gap, then fill in the strip with a rip of rock and mud it up.
Doing it this week and next actually.
Just for curiosity's sake, Attached is a picture of the failed foam from the seventies that was in the walls when we gutted the place.
Steve
You've run into that old junk too!
Did it have a queer smell to it?
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I can't say that I noticed a particular smell to it, but then again I've got just about no sense of smell left. Just the slightest whiff of the dust made me cough like crazy. It can't be good for you to be around.
Edited 4/23/2009 7:45 am by mmoogie
Makes you wonder what the "new" foam will look like in 30 yrs.
It doesn't make me wonder.That old white formaldehyde stuff looked that way six months after it was injected. I know because I got the job of replacing a bunch of it in a subdivision the first winter after it was built. bad from day one.The thing that ages the new polyurethane foams is UV. Keep it out of direct sunlight and keep the 'natural' grow lamps out of your attic and it will outlast you.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The thing that ages the new polyurethane foams is UV. Keep it out of direct sunlight and keep the 'natural' grow lamps out of your attic and it will outlast you>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
One of the biggest variables is the person doing the mixing and making sure it is the right temp..
I will stay with the "green" insulation, otherwise known as cellulose!
I will stay with the "green" insulation, otherwise known as cellulose!
I thought the "green" insulation consisted of denim and hemp. Or maybe that was "hippy" insulation. =)~ Ted W ~
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that is true, but you know immediately if it is wrong. It does not change further in another month or another year.
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What about the ones blowing the foam blind into walls?
What about 'm?That is how that old white stuff was done.But I'm not aware of polyurethane being applied that way.
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I'd run 8" plywood for the base nailer. Then, I'd cut the taper off at the bottom so it wouldn't be a factor for the base trim. I'd also cut the taper off at the top if possible for the corner taping. I don't like that taper up there in the top corner. It takes too long to dry and messes with my head when I'm trying to make a straight inside corner.
I like Huck's idea.
Otherwise, I'd leave a gap at the top and add some nice crown moulding.
I would HOPE your base molding will be more than 3" tall.
He mentioned the base is 10".~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netMeet me at House & Builder!
In that case all he needs is a nailer at the bottom
I've almost never seen drywall run vertically, it's best to run it horizontal to minimize the joints. With 12 footers, you usually can span the entire width of most rooms, so all your left with is one joint that you don't need scaffolding to tape.
As far as the gap goes, this is where it makes even more sense. The way they did my own house (9' ceilings) was 4' wide sheets tight to the cieling first, then a 4' wide sheet at the floor and the remaining 12" gap was filled in the middle with ripped down pieces. The joints are not detectable at all, but a lot of that depends on the skill of the tapers.
Also, there's a lot less nailing (or screwing) when you run horizontal as your only perimeter nailing occurs at the floor, ceiling, and wall ends. Nothing in between on rooms less than 12' wide.
Good luck!
Jim