Some sheetrock questions for my first major project
#1
08-27-09, 05:58 AM
Some sheetrock questions for my first major project
I'm redoing a mud room and have taken down all the walls and ceiling to the studs. I hope to get to putting up the new ceiling and walls soon and have a couple questions before tackling that job.
1. Should the ceiling go up before the walls?
2. If the ceiling does go up first do I run the sheetrock right up against the studs (or top plate), or do I leave a little gap? If the walls go up first do I run them up against the floor joists above or leave a little gap?
3. It appears the sheetrock is typically run horizontal, length is run perpendicular to the wall studs so there is a single seam roughly 4' from the floor. Is this true?
4. When I do the walls, I was told to put the top sheet up first and then the bottom. I guess that makes sense since the top seam is visible and you want that to be nice and tight and the bottom one will be covered by the baseboard. Is this the way to go?
5. I'm guessing tapered sheetrock helps reduce the bulging of the wall seam, is that correct? I was planning to use tapered sheetrock, however, what about the top sheet on the wall where it meets the ceiling? Should that be a tapered seam?
6. Should I use mesh tape or paper tape?
7. If using paper tape should that be wet before applying to a seam?
8. Where the wall meets the ceiling seems like a tricky spot. How do you get that looking nice? Should paper tape, as opposed to mesh, always be used here? Is there a special tool for spreading the joint compound at this seam?
Feel free to point me to links which provides answers to these types of questions.
Thanks,
Nick
1. Should the ceiling go up before the walls?
2. If the ceiling does go up first do I run the sheetrock right up against the studs (or top plate), or do I leave a little gap? If the walls go up first do I run them up against the floor joists above or leave a little gap?
3. It appears the sheetrock is typically run horizontal, length is run perpendicular to the wall studs so there is a single seam roughly 4' from the floor. Is this true?
4. When I do the walls, I was told to put the top sheet up first and then the bottom. I guess that makes sense since the top seam is visible and you want that to be nice and tight and the bottom one will be covered by the baseboard. Is this the way to go?
5. I'm guessing tapered sheetrock helps reduce the bulging of the wall seam, is that correct? I was planning to use tapered sheetrock, however, what about the top sheet on the wall where it meets the ceiling? Should that be a tapered seam?
6. Should I use mesh tape or paper tape?
7. If using paper tape should that be wet before applying to a seam?
8. Where the wall meets the ceiling seems like a tricky spot. How do you get that looking nice? Should paper tape, as opposed to mesh, always be used here? Is there a special tool for spreading the joint compound at this seam?
Feel free to point me to links which provides answers to these types of questions.
Thanks,
Nick
#2
08-27-09, 08:48 AM
1. Yes. That way the sheet on the wall helps keep the ends of the sheet on the top from sagging between joists.
2. Tight. But a little gap of less than a half inch will be covered and sometimes the room is out of square by that much
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes, If you run the sheets horizontally it will be tapered.
6. Paper. It is better in everyway
7. If it works better for you. And make sure you don't squeeze too much mud out from under the tape
8. Look at the paper tape. It has a crease already built into it so it form a nice clean angle.
No there is not a special tool to spread the mud but there is one for embedding the tape. Some guys use a corner tool and work both sides. Some guys use their broad knife and work one side, let it dry then do the other side.
2. Tight. But a little gap of less than a half inch will be covered and sometimes the room is out of square by that much
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes, If you run the sheets horizontally it will be tapered.
6. Paper. It is better in everyway
7. If it works better for you. And make sure you don't squeeze too much mud out from under the tape
8. Look at the paper tape. It has a crease already built into it so it form a nice clean angle.
No there is not a special tool to spread the mud but there is one for embedding the tape. Some guys use a corner tool and work both sides. Some guys use their broad knife and work one side, let it dry then do the other side.
#3
08-28-09, 04:07 PM
Thanks. I need to rewire some of the light switches. I took some measurements of the existing light switches in the house and they appear to be somewhere around 4' off the ground. So I put one of the boxes 4' off the ground. I need to do a couple more, but as I was thinking about it I thought that being 4' off the ground is going to put these boxes pretty close to the seam.
On the one I did already I measured from the ceiling to the top of the switch box and it's 48 1/2". So it looks like I'm going to have a skinny 1/2" strip of the bottom sheet on top of this switch box. Will this be a problem? Being so skinny I'm worried that it's more likely to crack. Also taping and applying the joint compound would seem more difficult.
Thanks,
Nick
On the one I did already I measured from the ceiling to the top of the switch box and it's 48 1/2". So it looks like I'm going to have a skinny 1/2" strip of the bottom sheet on top of this switch box. Will this be a problem? Being so skinny I'm worried that it's more likely to crack. Also taping and applying the joint compound would seem more difficult.
Thanks,
Nick
#4
08-28-09, 04:19 PM
I don't know what the standard height for switches is
but sometimes you got deal with what you have. I'd cut out that 1/2" strip before you hang the rock [it would probably break off anyway] and then either insert it later or prefill with mud...... but I'm just a painter with a little drywall experience - tightcoat is the expert
but sometimes you got deal with what you have. I'd cut out that 1/2" strip before you hang the rock [it would probably break off anyway] and then either insert it later or prefill with mud...... but I'm just a painter with a little drywall experience - tightcoat is the expert
#5
09-28-09, 06:09 AM
I have some more questions. I'm just about at the point where the sheetrock will be going up. Not sure yet if I'm going to tackle it or whether I'm going to call someone in that knows what they're doing. I think I can hang the sheetrock ok, it's the taping that I'm worried about.
1. Do you add glue to the wall studs / ceiling joists before securing the sheetrock? If so, any certain kind? I've got some pl400 I've been using for the subfloor.
2. I plan on using screws as too often I see nail heads popping out on walls and I don't want that to happen here.
3. On one wall I've got a door. There's a foot or so above the door to the ceiling. On either side of the door I've got about 2.5" to the other walls. Do I cut one piece of sheetrock or three?
Thanks,
Nick
1. Do you add glue to the wall studs / ceiling joists before securing the sheetrock? If so, any certain kind? I've got some pl400 I've been using for the subfloor.
2. I plan on using screws as too often I see nail heads popping out on walls and I don't want that to happen here.
3. On one wall I've got a door. There's a foot or so above the door to the ceiling. On either side of the door I've got about 2.5" to the other walls. Do I cut one piece of sheetrock or three?
Thanks,
Nick
