I am wondering if drywall needs to be “bricklayed” (ie seams offset) or if it can be installed with the seams aligned. I’m hearing from one source that it can be and that tapers prefer it that way, and from another that you can’t do that and it will look horrible. I’m tending to think it is fine to align the seams as I’ve never noticed the joints before on a finished job.
Also, when installing it on the ceiling (24″ OC trusses) can the long axis(8′) be aligned with the trusses, or does it need to be perpendicular to them.
Thank you for your advice.
Replies
Matt, I first and formost try to avoid butt joints wherever possible. Use 12' board. I also try to stagger the butt joints as far apart as possible. As for the ceiling, the board should be installed perpindicular to the trusses. Good luck, John
I don't have a definite answer for you, I was taught to stagger the joints, but I'm interested in what everyone else thinks.
A taped seam is not as strong as the surrounding rock.
If you railroad a bunch of seams you are creating a "control joint" almost like in concrete.
It may never crack there, but that would definately be a long shot.
Don't buck the system.
Accepted construction practices are usually so because that is what is best.
Don't fool yourself, you are not breaking new ground here!
It has been tried tens of thousands of times before and been fixed or left looking like $hit that many times.
Like the song says..... Don't rock the boat baby!!!
JMNSHO
Mr TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Mr T,
Don't buck the system.
Accepted construction practices are usually so because that is what is best.
Don't fool yourself, you are not breaking new ground here!
It has been tried tens of thousands of times before and been fixed or left looking like $hit that many times.
Like the song says..... Don't rock the boat baby!!!
What exactly did I say that implied that I was 1, stacking seams, like I said stagger them, 2 That I thought I was breaking new ground? I was "taught" to stagger them.?
C(R)AG,
Sorry dude!
Meant to reply to the original poster, mike mulligan or whoever.
nuttin personal.
Have a cold one on me!
TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Thanks already got blasted on one post today thought I was having a bad day lol
Take it easy and the cold one sounds good now that i have been inside for a while. :)
No taper wants a butt joint across the room . The butt joint remains the hardest joint to finish and hide. Strengh is in offset joints. 12s are better, much better. 5/8s on 24 inch centers , and dont run them with the joists because you would be trimming a 12 ft sheet on the side messing up the factory joint. A taper will walk out on that type of job and you wont be able to handle it because you are asking in the first place. There are very good reasons for doing as the Romans do.
Tim Mooney
USG construction handbook is available on their web site. Stagger the boards. Also, surprise, surprise, the recommended practice of ending butt joints on a stud or joists no longer exists.
Don
I believe the point has been made....stagger the joints....always run rock perpendicular to framing....use longer boards to minimize butt joints. This topic has been brought up several times in the past. You might try a search to find more info. Best of Luck!
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Minimize those butt joints, offset 'em when required, and look into the "butthanger" product for joining butts, between studs or strapping, of course. Butthangers cause the joint to be drawn, facilitating the butt-end tape joint.
On a ceiling if we have to use a butt joint and conditions will allow we use a technique I learned in FHB. We rip a piece of about 1/2 in plywood 9 inches wide and shoot for 5 ft long, and staple two thicknesses of 30 # felt about 1 in wide on each edge (substitute one thickness of vinyl flooring if you have it). We end the butt joint toward the middle of the ceiling joist space. The prepared splice board centers up behind the butt joint. We screw into the plywood about 1 1/2 inches from the end of the sheetrock every 6 inches. The strips on the edge of the backer cause the butt joint to be slightly recessed. We have had great success with this and we do practically all slick finish- no texture.
Where it can be done I install drywall vertical and if pushed into it stagger the joints.
You do your own taping too?.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Yep!! Most of the time the jobs take 10 or less sheets and most sheetrockers/finishers are not interested is such small work. I start with the "mix with water setting type". Dunk the paper tape in water and wipe of the excess water and "wipe" it on. I have found this almost stop any air bubbles under the tape. Second coat of setting type and finish with the drying type. Then a little sanding and touch up.
Reason I asked was that most finishers don't like working the vertical seams when they can get horizontal that puts most of the work at the right height without reaching or bending, except at corners and any necessary butt joints..
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Is it the finishers or the hangers who won't turn the sheets verticle ?? In my house most of the joints run from one end of the room to the other 4 foot up from the floor looks like hell !! And which dummy came up with 4 foot piece up from the floor, 4 footer down from the ceiling and then a narrow piece inbetween for 9'+ ceiling.
Hangers hang horizontal 'cause it's faster.
Finishers like horizontal 'cause it's easier to make it smooth.
If yours gets messed up that way, it's a poor finnish man slapping mud. No reason for it to look bad..
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
I agree with the others that you will have the best luck if you stagger the butt joints. I am a novice taper that has good luck on butt seams using a trick I learned from some pros. I use the poster board shims they sell for sheetrock shimming and place on layer of shim two joists back from the joist that the butt joint will occur on. I place two layers of shim on the joist just before the butt joint, then none on the butt joint joist. I shim the ajoining sheet on other side of the butt joint in reverse to create a small depression at the butt joint that will accept the tape and compound. I run the tape with a 6" knife being careful to not use to much compound that might cause the tape to ride too high. Then I get out the wide knife and fill the joint from the center out to the edge taking two passed one on each side. I sand with a pad sander so as not to have any waves in the joint then I fill in any low areas that shrunk back. Depending on the compound it may take as many as 4 passes on each side of the seam to fill it, I check it with a steel yard stick or other straight edge to see if it is flat. Sounds like a lot of work but until I started doing it this way I could always see the butt joints. Good luck!
Rich
Do you work for the standard price per foot doing this too?
Tim Mooney
Thanks to all for your advice, I will stagger the joints perpendicular to the joists and use 12' boards.Matt
No way, I can only afford to work for myself. and even then I have to deal with a bad check or two. lol