Keeping the joints between sheets of drywall too close is an invitation for troubles along the way. Professional drywall installers allow for ⅛-inch space between sheetrock placement, and this allows for expansion and contraction for the frame of the building, avoiding cracks and damage to the drywall.
Dry wall sheets should always be hung tight at the joints, PERIOD. NO GAPS. Wherever there's gaps there's a potential area for the mud to crack underneath the tape. The only time you intentionally leave a gap is on the bottom between the floor and the bottom of the sheet.
However, during installation, be diligent about keeping that 1/8 inch space between sheets by using a guide. The blade of a drywall square is about 1/8-inch-thick and does the trick.
Building codes require that a drywall control/expansion joint be placed every 30 feet along uninterrupted wall or ceiling partitions. These flexible joints basically provide a form of relief for these long drywall runs, as too much tension causes cracks, or worse.
You should leave a gap of 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch between the drywall and the floor due to the following reasons.
Both IRC and USG recommend that ceiling field spacing should be no greater than 12 inches apart. Drywall ceiling field spacing is closer than wall field spacing because of the weight-bearing that occurs from the drywall. Horizontal placement adds more stress on drywall and screws than vertical placement.
You'll need about one screw for every square foot of drywall. The standard 4-by-8-foot sheet of drywall needs 32 screws.
Without an expansion gap 'buckling' is a common problem. The expanding laminate floor has no gap to allow for movement. This will cause laminate floorboards to be forced up, often causing a bounce. In extreme cases, it can damage the click system.
Since drywall sheets need to be fastened to a stud with an eighth-inch space between them to allow for slight building movement, butt joints will need to be finished by applying a bedding coat of joint compound (a term you may never hear again, as everyone calls it “mud”), then applying paper tape and, once it's all ...
Pre fill is incredibly important! Before we start taping we go through the entire house with @usgcorp Easy Sand 20 and fill any large gaps, uneven flats, butt joints, and remove any fuzzy drywall paper.
If you have smooth finishes on both the wall and ceiling the typical process is to use tape and joint compound. If you are using paper tape the process is to apply some joint compound first to bed the tape into and then apply another coat (or two or three) to get it smooth enough to sand it to the final finish.
Calculate how many drywall sheets you will need by dividing the total square footage of area by 32 (if you're using 4-by-8 sheets) or by 48 (if you're using 4-by-12 sheets). If you want to get the cost, just multiply the total number of sheets by the price per sheet. Remember to add local taxes and delivery charges.
More seams and taller drywall sheets are more susceptible to the pressure of gravity, so vertical drywall installations have a higher potential to form cracks, especially if the home settles or the structure moves. Floor-to-ceiling cracks can appear along joint lines and seams overnight or slowly over the years.
Applying drywall tape helps bond together adjacent sheets of drywall. Doing this creates continuity and helps reduce any motion or cracking. The joint compound can turn into powder if you neglect to apply tape to shore it up.
Ultimately, staggered seams are stronger because the joints – the weakest part of the wall or ceiling installation – are minimized. Staggered joints are also less visible and easier to conceal for a flawless finish, offering a smoother, more professional look to the completed job.
Keeping the joints between sheets of drywall too close is an invitation for troubles along the way. Professional drywall installers allow for ⅛-inch space between sheetrock placement, and this allows for expansion and contraction for the frame of the building, avoiding cracks and damage to the drywall.
It might sound counter intuitive at first to leave space between your floor and your wall, but you should always leave a ½ inch to ⅝ inch gap between drywall and the floor.
Always leave a 1/2-inch gap at the floor.
If you have bigger fluctuations in your home between summer and winter, you may wish to leave a bigger gap. If you don't leave an expansion gap your boards won't have anywhere to move during these more humid times. Ultimately, without an expansion gap you run this risk of boards popping and your wood floor lifting.
∎ M ovement joints should be provided to control expansion and contraction and avoid unsightly cracking. The joints should be properly constructed to cater for the calculated degree of movement without reducing the stability and weathertightness of the wall.
If the expansion gap is too small or nonexistent, the flooring will not have room to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. This can cause the flooring to buckle, warp, or even lift up from the subfloor.
Too few or too many: Follow the drywall manufacturer's instructions on the number of screws to use. Too few causes obvious issues, while too many means more mudding. Precision drives: Be careful how far you drive the screws if using a drill.
What is the recommended fastener spacing for attaching gypsum panels to walls and ceilings in non-fire-rated assemblies? When nailing to wood construction the spacing is 7 inches for ceilings, and 8 inches for walls. When screwing into wood and steel framing the spacing is 12 inches on ceilings and 16 inches for walls.
Drywall is typically sold in 4' x 8' sheets. (4' x 8' = 32 sf) If you're covering an area of 1,500 sf (1,500 sf / 32 sf = 46.875 Sheets) You'll need 47 Sheets.