Should drywall touch the floor? No, because many floors, especially in the basement, have a slight floor height difference from one end of the floor to another. An uneven floor usually has a difference of less than half an inch, which is also the minimum distance drywall should sit above the floor.
Unfortunately, a gap between the wall and the floor can indicate your home has structural damage.
Temperature fluctuations, a sagging subfloor, or missing baseboards can create gaps between a wall and the floor beneath it—luckily, caulk can fill most small gaps. Fill large gaps with spray foam insulation, scrap wood, or a long piece of foam insulation.
While the flooring that is laid down after the drywall is installed will correct imperfections in the floor, any small hill in the concrete will cause a full sheet of drywall to be out of level if the drywall is placed directly on the floor.
Drywall should definitely not touch concrete as moisture will wick (ie flow up the surface as in a candle/lamp wick) into the drywall and encourage mold growth.
Always leave a 1/2-inch gap at the floor. This allows for floor and wall expansion without cracking the drywall. It also helps prevents moisture wicking if the floor floods. Wear work gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask when hanging drywall.
Sheetrock needs to be kept dry to avoid mold growth and possible material degradation. So you would have to separate the concrete from the drywall with either treated wood furring or metal studs, or properly seal the concrete wall to prevent moisture migration.
Once you have prepped your walls, you are ready to install the flooring in your home. You should do this before painting any of the walls. That way if you do cause any damage while installing the floors you don't have to repaint areas.
In most instances, you'll be able to put tiles over the drywall. Even an area in the kitchen or bathroom, which is subject to some water, can be set over the drywall.
Joints are too tight
Without enough space when this happens, you'll get cracks. Keep a 1/8-inch space between sheets during installation to keep this from happening. Using a guide can help make sure your sheets are properly spaced throughout the job.
Number of Screws Per Sheet of Drywall
Use about 32 drywall screws per sheet of 4-foot by 8-foot drywall installed horizontally on a wall. This total is comprised of four screws on the five middle studs and six screws on each of the two sides.
Other possible solutions for gaps between the wall and the floor caused by less serious problems include using caulking or sealant to fill in the gap. This can be a quick and cost-effective way to address the issue, but it may not be the most permanent fix.
Baseboard: This is also known as a wall base and is fixed along a finished floor at the bottom of the room. Base Cap: A flush moulding with the wall in a piece of base moulding to create a decorative appearance. Sometimes it is used with the baseboard. The base cover can also be used as a panel or as a multipurpose.
It is better to seal holes with caulk after the drywall is attached (as opposed to before hanging the sheet) because the drywall router or saw might damage the caulk joint. When sealing the edges of boxes like this, make sure to brush off the dust so that the caulk can stick to the drywall.
In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, wainscoting, mopboard, trim, floor molding, or base molding) is usually wooden, MDF or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor.
Materials Expand and Contract
Leaving a gap between your drywall and floor helps your panels adapt to changing temperatures without damage.
You may tile over existing tile, painted or unpainted drywall, plaster and textured walls. But tiling over tile can add quite a bit of thickness, so make sure your wall can handle the weight. You should not tile over wallpaper, glossy surfaces, lead paint or plywood.
You want the floors to be last for a couple reasons... you don't want to mess them up with drywall work, and you also want flooring to be within the inside borders of the drywall so at some future point the flooring could be maintained or removed.
If you notice gaps forming between the walls and floors in your home, it's a sign that something is wrong with your foundation. These gaps not only look unsightly but can turn into serious structural issues if left unchecked.
Painting before carpeting can greatly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your room. The process allows you more freedom to choose a complementary color palette, creating a cohesive look between your walls and carpet. Color coordination between painted walls and carpeting can dramatically transform the feel of a space.
Walls are built on top of a home's subfloor, so replacing the subfloor can sometimes require removing the walls.
The most popular way to waterproof your drywall is to use oil- or latex-based waterproofing primer. These primers are made by most paint manufacturers and are designed to prevent mold and mildew from growing on the surface of your drywall.
After your foundation footings are built, your basement walls are poured so that they slot into a keyway. This helps keep them properly aligned. When your walls have cured, the basement floor itself is then poured. This leaves a small gap between the floor and the walls – known as the cove joint.
Use Concrete Sealers, Repellents and Coatings
A penetrating sealer can help keep moisture from compromising concrete. It essentially creates a protective layer, filling the gaps around flashings and between adjoining surfaces. These gaps would otherwise allow passages for water and moisture to enter the unit.