Top 10 Things You Should Know About Drywall
We’re moving onto drywall with a current project of ours and we’ve got 10 tips to share from our library here at the school of hard knocks. Drywall is typically the phase when the rubber meets the road (or the doo-doo hits the wind-turbine as it may be). If items like framing, hvac and plumbing weren’t adequately thought through, the drywall phase is when a lack of planning or a miscalculation becomes evident. Drywall is also one of the toughest trades to master; it takes a steady hand and a well-experienced eye. Here’s our top 10, hit that comments button and share any advice you might have.
1. 5/8” GWB (Gypsum Wall Board) is always a better move than ½” GWB for thickness- it’s stiffer and hides framing imperfections. Nothing makes up for a day or two of extra work with long levels flattening walls/ ceilings and checking for other framing problems that will become evident only at the end of the project when all the interior lighting is in place.
2. Reflective lighting (i.e. off adjacent bodies of water) can create unforgiving washes of light that show every imperfection. Best to go full mud-coating and sand over complete surfaces that will get reflected light.
3. To reference a similar issue encountered in the recent post on framing: Think through alignment issues; door and window heads should line up inside (ideally with a sweet no-casing drywall wrap) as well as line up outside, which means the framing needs to offset so that the finish conditions align. Also, sometimes you need to offset adjacent framing so that when different types of finishes are added to surfaces, you still get alignment.
4. Triple-check wall/ceiling flatness during taping wherever cabinets meet drywall. Once cabinets are installed, an uneven wall or ceiling becomes all the more evident (even with scribes).
5. As the saying goes, God (or the devil) is in the details. We think nothing beats kerfed in door liners for a clean modern appearance. In our book, anything that can reduce the visual information presented in a wall assembly, is better. This detail requires that the interior doors be installed prior to sheetrock, and we’ve learned, they need to be secured well so they don’t shift (or get shifted) during sheetrock hanging. See our post on the modern door jamb for more info.
6. Similarly, we’ve tried numerous things for our window liners. Since we use many aluminum windows, even thermally broken units tend to expand/ contract and even ‘sweat’ a bit. So, there are a number of strategies to separate drywall from window in lieu of caulking the gap which will inevitably crack (we would say, ‘fail’) not long after install. We’ve tried drywall with an L-metal at the window edge, we graduated up to the “zip strip” (and integral drywall edge with built-in window protector that ‘zips’ out after paint), but have finally settled on poplar or mdf liners that kerf to the drywall. These create an extra line at the wall/ liner junction, but they match the doors and tend to disappear visually.
7. One other important detail is our beloved flush base. This assembly is also the result of much trial and error. We’ve landed on the following: we use a z-metal at the bottom of the sheetrock that can be installed with a laser level for accuracy. If this sounds labor intensive, a very flat sub-floor to measure from can be used, but a laser just provides a redundant check on the install. Once the Z is mudded in, we install the floor finish and then use fir or poplar as the base material. The base is site-prepped with a dato at the top inside edge, which prevents the base from binding the bottom of the Z-metal and damaging the sheetrock, as well as a miter on the bottom edge that allows the base to be scribed to the floor. The ends and corners need a bit of elastomeric to fill before paint, but otherwise, the base is ready for paint and a beautiful museum-like detail rounds out the drywall scope.
8. For areas that may need a little extra protection from damage or parts of a wall that may need to be extra flat or stable to support another material/ fixture, we use MDO (Medium Density Overlay) that can be taped directly to the adjacent sheetrock. Once painted, the MDO and sheetrock look identical, and you’ve got the ‘stronger’ wall finish in the specific location where you need it.
9. It’s good to know some Spanish, or at least, Spanglish, if you’re us, and not as gifted as you’d like to be with Spanish.
10. Don’t wear black to site visits.
Cheers from team BUILD
By damian, November 22, 2011 @ 7:17 am
Another one, which is extremely important, always have a control joint if you have gypsum board walls more than 25 feet.
Thanks for the other tips.
By mike eliason, November 22, 2011 @ 10:06 am
don’t wear black – and don’t walk under workers when they’re mudding ceilings. and then when something lands on you, don’t look up and open your mouth.
also, the 5/8 GWB is a must for advanced framing – and constitutes ‘thermal mass’ in a passivhaus.
are you guys using an external air barrier (e.g. plywood, gaskets and tape) instead of relying on the drywall as AB?
By robert, November 22, 2011 @ 11:48 am
Self-contracting my own house and looking at drywall installation in a a month or so. I would love to know exactly what z-metal you use on the flush base. Also, do you install the metal, then the drywall or the other way around. Any other detail you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks for all the information you are always sharing!
By mitchell benham, November 22, 2011 @ 5:33 pm
great article again guys (long-time reader, first time commenter). Thanks also for the link back to the modern door jamb – read ages ago then forgotten.
I too am interested in Flush Base. Could we request for a post about that?
By Pete Levelle, November 22, 2011 @ 9:45 pm
I really appreciate your posts. As a designer I feel it is important to follow the details through to build completion. One comment I can add is that if doing drywall in a large complex where adjacent tenants might be involved, beware of “drywall tracks.” Going in and out of a freshly laid unit, you can trail drywall footprints to and from your truck. It sucks to have to go back the next day to scrub your tracks. Keep up the good posts, I have become a follower of your blog.
By Brian, November 23, 2011 @ 9:58 am
http://blog.buildllc.com/2010/10/3-modern-base-details/
By Kevin E, November 23, 2011 @ 9:58 am
Robert, Mitchell
For z-metal, look at the Fry Reglet website:
http://www.fryreglet.com/details-reveals.htm
at Z-metal profiles. This product can be sourced from drywall or stucco suppliers in your area.
We typically install the drywall leaving it a heavy 3/16″ short of the finished bottom. The z-metal can be screwed/ nailed through the sheetrock at the finished elevation to either studs or blocking in the wall behind. From there, it’s a matter of ensuring that there is adequate mudding to float the wall out for the thickness of the metal and fasteners at the bottom face of the sheetrock.
By Lee Borrero, November 23, 2011 @ 1:43 pm
Appreciate your posts.They help to keep on toes.
I’m bit confused on the base detail-any detail
or referfence available.
Also. why does it help to speak spanish-which I do- I’m, I’m a big fan of your blogs.
Lee
By Ran Daniels, November 26, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
The best tip i could share with you would be keep it organised with the people working on it and keep it tidy reason it easier to work in a clean environment and less accidents eg slips and falls.
By @evan_adams, November 26, 2011 @ 2:20 pm
If you are going to install a moisture sensitive floor covering, the drywall going in often brings a halt to concrete drying. So don’t do floor moisture tests of concrete while the mud is drying.
By Build LLC, November 27, 2011 @ 9:23 pm
@ Lee -the post on the base detail can be found here: http://blog.buildllc.com/2010/10/3-modern-base-details/
Many drywall crews (here in the Seattle area) are Spanish speaking.
By christine, January 8, 2012 @ 4:57 pm
We are renovating our house and would like to have as clean lines as possible. Our architect has specified “drywall returns” on the windows, but reading you blog, we are wondering if this is the best approach. I am assuming the L channel would be used in a dry wall return? why did you move on from this approach? Is the liner kerfing the drywall there to hide the caulking gap or to replace it? If to replace could you provide details?
What is your opinion on porthole trim?
love your blog
By Build LLC, January 8, 2012 @ 10:24 pm
@Christine -we’ve found that the L-metal is difficult to install between the window and the drywall, we use poplar or mdf now as it forms a solid edge at the window frame leaving about 1/8″ for expansion and contraction. With this detail we no longer use caulking at the gap.
By Dallas home improvement, January 10, 2012 @ 12:58 am
It is important to keep everything in the workplace organized. Always double-check the drywall installation if it is secured properly or if there any deviations on the structure or measurements. If the drywall installation is done appropriately, it adds beauty to the house and also provides insulation.