Installing Drywall - Vertical or Horizontal?
#1
11-12-15, 10:57 AM
Join Date: May 2009
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Installing Drywall - Vertical or Horizontal?
I've seen videos where everyone seems to install drywall horizontally. My ceiling is only 6'10", so installing vertically would eliminate a horizontal seam. Is there any reason I should not install the drywall vertically? Thanks!
#3
11-12-15, 12:17 PM
Either way is OK. Some things to consider for vertical hanging. Studs have to be straight and vertical at the seams to anchor both sheets of drywall. Do the perimiter dimensions create less waste than hanging horizontal. Good luck.
#4
11-12-15, 12:35 PM
Member
Since I'm not a pro sheetrock hanger, I try to minimize butt joints; those where one or both mating pieces do not have tapered edges. Those are the hardest to finish so they don't show when all is done. That usually means running vertical for me. The pros like to run it horizontal because it usually makes fewer feet of taped seams when they use 12 foot sheetrock, and it's less bending and reaching. And they are good at finishing butt joints.
Sheetrock is pretty cheap; I don't worry about a little more waste one way or the other.
Bottom line, either way gets the job done.
Sheetrock is pretty cheap; I don't worry about a little more waste one way or the other.
Bottom line, either way gets the job done.
#5
11-12-15, 12:35 PM
Hanging horizontally is preferred both because it's easier to tape a long joint at the 4' level versus going up and down with a joint every 4' also hung horizontally any defects in the framing are less likely to show. There are always exceptions. No need to hang 2 boards on a wall less than 4' wide and sometimes it's necessary to reduce the scrap and hanging vertically might do that.
#6
11-12-15, 01:53 PM
Horizontally will give you a smoother appearance when done, along with using longer sheets, 4x12 or 4x16. But, if you take care of any wavy walls first, going vertically can be ok. Have you ever seen a drywall hammer, two business ends, the hammer, and a hatchet. However you go about it, make the walls flat before you start.
Also, waste is money in the pocket for most drywall crews as they charge by the sheet. Once cut, the rest goes to the scrap pile. They will keep a few pieces on the side, but they don't like sorting through the scraps.
Bud
Also, waste is money in the pocket for most drywall crews as they charge by the sheet. Once cut, the rest goes to the scrap pile. They will keep a few pieces on the side, but they don't like sorting through the scraps.
Bud
#7
11-12-15, 04:55 PM
Not too hard to figure out how many feet of joints you will have doing it either way.... I'd suggest you do the math and figure out which is better. (It would really help to give the size of the room when posing this type of question.) As mentioned, using longer sheets is the best way to avoid butt joints. You might find that if you can do the room with no but joints, that one horizontal joint around the room makes more sense than having multiple 6'10" joints every 4'.
With hanging vertically, the framing layout has to be "perfect" in order not to run off the 16" OC with your sheets. Get off just an 1/4" either way, or don't get one joint tight and it will come back to bite you on the next ones.
With hanging vertically, the framing layout has to be "perfect" in order not to run off the 16" OC with your sheets. Get off just an 1/4" either way, or don't get one joint tight and it will come back to bite you on the next ones.
#8
11-12-15, 06:36 PM
An advantage when taping horizontal with staggered joints is you run the knife 4' from ceiling or floor and stop at the horizontal joint. It's easier than stopping 1' from the floor on the down stroke and then pulling up to finish. I also find it easier to run the panels into or across doorways and cut in place. The only thing that annoys me about horizontal is the tapered edge at the floor when installing baseboard.
#10
11-13-15, 06:30 AM
Member
Waste
The amount of waste at the top will be the same(14 in.)
For a 12' x 12' room, there would be 6' 10" x 8 for vertical seams(approx. 55 ft) and 48' less doors and windows for horizontal seam.
For a 12' x 12' room, there would be 6' 10" x 8 for vertical seams(approx. 55 ft) and 48' less doors and windows for horizontal seam.
