Hanging Drywall Direction on Steel Studs
Drywall Hanging Direction on Steel Studs
Reader email:
Tim,
How do you lay out drywall on steel studs? Should it be vertical across the studs or horizontal across the studs, and should I stagger the drywall?
This is for a basement that is studded with steel and I'm very confuuuuuused!!! Thanks,
Holley
My Reply:
Holley,
The best way to install drywall is horizontally. You should also stagger the seams. Installing it vertically requires that the spacing of the studs must be perfect and they are perfectly plumb. This is much harder to achieve that you might think.
Then wait until you are bending down to tape all of those vertical seams every 4 feet. With 12 foot drywall, you only have to do it every 12 feet. Since you rarely have wall runs longer than twelve feet without an inside or outside corner interrupting it, you might never have that flat seam in a wall run.
Tim
Column B387
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.