# vertical wall board



## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

Do any pro drywall contractors prefer to install board vertically on the walls? I haven't seen it done that way much for reasons I thought I knew. I assumed it was because of electrical outlets and switches, header joints at windows and doors etc. Is there other reasons? It would eliminate butt joints. The reason I asked is my neighbor diy guy is building a house and I offered to sell him 6 sheets left over 1/2" 12' rock to get it out of my way. He said he can't use it because he's using all 8' rock on the wall so he can run it vertically and not have any butt joints.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

mics_54 said:


> Do any pro drywall contractors prefer to install board vertically on the walls? I haven't seen it done that way much for reasons I thought I knew. I assumed it was because of electrical outlets and switches, header joints at windows and doors etc. Is there other reasons? It would eliminate butt joints. The reason I asked is my neighbor diy guy is building a house and I offered to sell him 6 sheets left over 1/2" 12' rock to get it out of my way. He said he can't use it because he's using all 8' rock on the wall so he can run it vertically and not have any butt joints.


In commercial we always stand the boards up, especially on rated walls, that way we don't have flying edges.

In residential we have always ran the boards horizontal in most cases, not sure why we do it that way, we just always have, I think because it is easier to hang, because one guy can put the bottom board up by himself with a board lifter and then stack the top board on top of it by himself, and by staggering the joints, it is easier to hide the butt joints.

If the guy needs 8' boards, he could just cut the 12' boards down.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

For what its worth.......12x12x8 room= 11- 4x12 sheets hoizontal or 17- 4x8 sheets vertical with ceiling. 
Most bigger jobs get the 12 footers,but I do some smaller jobs with 8's because it may be easier to stock them and hang/finish myself. And I do like to stand up so the angels are easier for me to finish. My choice.
Alot of commercial fire rated and partition walls spec stand up systems.
Also you need to layout and frame all studs on center or stand up can be a nightmare, you really have to keep on the framers big time.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

Big Shoe said:


> For what its worth.......12x12x8 room= 11- 4x12 sheets hoizontal or 17- 4x8 sheets vertical with ceiling.
> Most bigger jobs get the 12 footers,but I do some smaller jobs with 8's because it may be easier to stock them and hang/finish myself. And I do like to stand up so the angels are easier for me to finish. My choice.
> Alot of commercial fire rated and partition walls spec stand up systems.
> Also you need to layout and frame all studs on center or stand up can be a nightmare, you really have to keep on the framers big time.


We use 12' boards in residential job's because many of the rooms we don't end up with butt joints.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I was surprised to see boards laid horizontal when i moved to the US. In the UK all the houses i ever worked in had them installed vertical weather it was timber frame and boards screwed to studs or block and brick and boards dot and dabbed. The thing in UK though is that nearly all walls are plastered so no joints can be seen. I like to use 8's as i cant just lean them up against the wall and fix. Helped my bro in law do some 12's and it was a biatch stacking them things on top of each other.


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## MeatBallDryWall (Aug 28, 2008)

I've always hung commercial that way but residential is a big No No due to crowned lumber. You will end up with a BAD factory joint & have an 8ft hump in the wall that mud cannot hide.  I always check my Butt Joint's with a straight edge to avoid that. Laying it down horizontal makes it stronger anyways & a good finisher don't sweat a few butt's. :thumbsup: arty: :thumbsup:


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

MeatBallDryWall said:


> I've always hung commercial that way but residential is a big No No due to crowned lumber. You will end up with a BAD factory joint & have an 8ft hump in the wall that mud cannot hide.  I always check my Butt Joint's with a straight edge to avoid that. Laying it down horizontal makes it stronger anyways & a good finisher don't sweat a few butt's. :thumbsup: arty: :thumbsup:


Just learnt a new thing. Didnt realise it's stronger. I always thought it would be weaker due to horizontal join having no stud behind them? :blink:


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## MeatBallDryWall (Aug 28, 2008)

> I always thought it would be weaker due to horizontal join having no stud behind them? :blink:


Nah, It's amazing how strong paper tape is. :thumbsup: If people are running through the house pushing the rock that hard in between the studs, well they need more help than vertically hung rock can offer. :jester:

arty:


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## al10fred1081 (Feb 9, 2008)

it depends on how the light comes into the room, the seam length, containing any cracks that may form, the wall height, and adding rigidity to the wall. if there is no atrium or other big overhead source of light you should be running horizontally. you will see less bulging or seams that way. also the butt joints are shorter if they do decide to crack than the seams run straight up the wall. offsetting the seams so that you have a 48" butt joint, then 48" away you have another joint. it adds to wall rigidity thus more effectively preventing any movement which may cause cracking. etc etc. the preferred method by most professionals is to run sheets horizontally and stagger seams.


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

Always felt like less finishing to me horizontally. 12 foot wall horizontal has 12 feet of taper no butt seam, vertical you have 16 feet. Saves some up and down on ladder and in a full house the shorter seems can add up. Plus maybe its just an illusion but it seems to hang faster on the horizontal.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

...plus the fact that all his doors and windows will have at least one vertical joint above and below.


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## MeatBallDryWall (Aug 28, 2008)

> Plus maybe its just an illusion but it seems to hang faster on the horizontal.


For me personally it is faster but I don't hang everyday either. arty: Vertical rock makes me sad because of my height (6'3). I'm a member of "over under" Over Door's & Under Windows. :thumbsup: If the 1st run of rock is kept straight when hanging all the rest will fall together & be wondermus unless illegals framed it.  :jester:  :whistling



> a good finisher don't sweat a few butt's


 :thumbsup:


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