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.
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. There are several reasons for this: Drywall absorbs moisture.
If you see a gap between your wall and floor, it's best to not ignore it. It's a clear sign of a foundation problem that needs to be addressed before you must spend thousands in repairs. If you notice a gap between your wall and your floor, it might be time to call-in an expert for an inspection.
The dry well bottom should be 2 feet above the seasonally high water table or bedrock, and the top should be approximately 1 foot below the ground surface. An overflow pipe is necessary to allow for conveyance of overflow during large events.
Usually, it is a 3/4 to 1 inch gap between the basement floor and wall. However different widths are also common, depending on the design. This type of concrete joints represents a full depth gap which completely separates two elements.
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. 3/8" should be sufficient - your prop up plan is not only appropriate, but a common technique used by drywallers.
Sheetrock or drywall should not touch the floor. The gap between the sheetrock and the floor leaves room for the floor and wall to expand without cracking the sheetrock boards. Push the boards up and close gaps between the sheetrock and the upper sections.
The plane and alignment of the panels depend on the plane and alignment of the framing members, backing or devices to which it is attached, and/or conceals. The tolerance of 1/8” in 10'-0” is commonly used in jobsite specifications and referred to as the “industry standard” for flatness in gypsum board finishing.
On commercial jobs, fire codes often require seams to fall on the entire length of the framing, so the drywall must be hung vertically. However, on residential jobs, the drywall on the walls is typically hung horizontally. For walls 9 feet high or shorter, hanging the drywall horizontally has a number of benefits.
Baseboards are an essential part of any room design. They are installed at the joint between the wall surface and the floor and provide an attractive aesthetic element. Baseboard moulding is made from a variety of materials that can complement the flooring and wall color.
According to the National Building Code of India 2005, the height of rooms for human habitation shall not be less than 2.75 m measured from the surface of the floor to the lowest point of the ceiling.
As the humidity rises and falls, it's common for gaps to form and appear in hardwood floors. Gaps are caused by the wood expanding and compressing. Hardwood takes on and loses moisture as the temperatures and the humidity rises and falls. Look out for heat sources such as pellet furnaces, fireplaces, or wood vents.
Most gaps between drywall sheets can be taped and mudded over like usual. But gaps of up to 1/2-inch between drywall sheets are significant. Paper drywall tape itself is only 2 inches wide, so that type of gap is a quarter of the tape's width.
Double or multiple layers of drywall are sometimes required for increased fire resistance or for reduced sound penetration.
Protect Your Flooring from Water Damage
Caulking can prevent water from leaking onto the floor and warping and swelling the floorboards. Additionally, it may prevent the same damage from occurring to the trim itself. If moisture is left on hardwood trim or flooring for too long, it can cause the wood to rot.
1/4-Inch-Thick Drywall
While not a common application, drywall sheets that are 1/4-inch thick are valuable when you need to install drywall on slightly curved surfaces. If the drywall is not quite meeting the curve, you can slightly dampen the drywall to make it more flexible.
Drywall thickness is also related to other properties of drywall, such as insulation and other protection. Thicker drywall panels offer additional benefits such as fire- and moisture-resistant qualities, as well as more effective insulation.
The drywall screw length should generally be about 1-1/4 inches longer than the thickness of the sheetrock. So, for ½-inch drywall, you would want to use 1 1/4-inch or 1 5/8-inch drywall screws for attaching 1/2-inch drywall to wood studs.
Space screws a maximum of 12" apart on ceilings, 16" on walls and at least 3/8" from ends and edges of panels.
The Residential Construction Performance Guidelines suggest a maximum out of plumb of 3/8″ in 32″ vertically, while the Handbook of Construction Tolerances suggests that this may need to be tightened to 1/4″ in 10ˈ when finishes such as gypsum wallboard and plaster are used.
When hanging the drywall on the walls, always hang the top sheet first. Raise a sheet tight to the ceiling and secure it with a drywall nail at the top and bottom at each stud. Complete the top row throughout the room before proceeding to the bottom.
If you start drywalling the walls first, you could end up with the ceiling drywall being unsupported along the entire length of one wall. Wall panels installed later will fit against the ceiling to help support the edges.