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Storing Sheetrock

| Posted in General Discussion on March 11, 2002 09:30am

*
Apologize if this has been addressed previously, but I did a search and didn’t see anything… I will be storing 4×12 sheets in a bonus room for 6 to 9 months, and am unsure if standing on edge or laying flat is appropriate method. Concerned about the weight focused on one or two joists, vs. damage to the rock. Thanks all.

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  1. Mongo_ | Mar 11, 2002 07:54pm | #1

    *
    I'd sticker the bottom piece w 2x4's every 16" or so, with the stickers perpendicular to your floor joists, and lay the rock flat on top of the stickers. If there's a beam or load-bearing wall under the floor, I'd lay them over that. If not, I'd set them near an exterior wall...not in mid-span of the floor.

    If it's going to be a huge stack, split them into more than one pile.

    I do store some sheetgoods on a slightly sloped vertical rack, but on a rack that fully supports the face. In your case, though, I'd just lay them flat.

    If you were storing them on a concrete slab, I'd first lay sheet plastic down.

    1. Boss_Hog | Mar 11, 2002 08:35pm | #2

      *Eric - You definitely don't want to add all that load on one or 2 joists. I've seen more than one case where that has really made a mess of a floor. Do you know which way the joists run? If so, stack some of the stuff on the ends, near a bearing wall. But don't overdo it. Your floor system is probably designed for about 40 PSF of live load. Don't exceed that. And don't stack it against a wall that runs parallel to your floor framing sytem. You can overload a couple of joists pretty easily, and end up with some sway-backed joists.

      1. Qtrmeg_ | Mar 11, 2002 08:37pm | #3

        *Why the stickers, Mongo? I'd just deadpack them on the floor, (I assume the bonus room is over a garage or something). I think you should think of the trades that will need to be working there and keep the dw out of the way. I don't care where you put them you have to assume someone will break the edges, so I might think of stacking them tight and putting a sheet of ply over them. (broken edges are bad drywall voodoo)And yep, they weigh a lot, if this room is over afree span beam split the pile and store out towards the outside walls, perpendicular to the joists.Unless the pile is held in by kneewalls and the load will be in the middle of the span. Gawd, this is too confusing for me.

        1. George_Roberts | Mar 11, 2002 09:30pm | #4

          *I would put 2x4 stickers along the joists and piule the drywall perpendicular to the joists.I would pile the drywall 24 sheets high. (24 sheets @ 40 pounds per sheet is about 30 pounds/sq ft - attics and sleeping rooms are designed for at least 30 pounds/sq ft)

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