# Best layout method



## whatsacubbard? (Apr 2, 2011)

Have a basement ceiling I need to hang drywall on. Perimeter measurements are 45' x 23'. I can only get 8' sheets down there. I know I need to stagger butt joints, but should staggers be the same every other rowe, or is there a preferred method to not piss off the finishers. (By the way, it's a smooth ceiling) The way I figure it, there will be 20 butt joints.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Whatsa, Not much you can do. Stagger joints at least 2' away from the next one.
Prior to hanging run a 6 or 8 foot straight edge on joist to find low ones and don't have any butt joint on them.
Or you may find some areas that may need to be corrected.

Good luck! arty:


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## BradingCon (Dec 17, 2010)

Butt joints are an unavoidable thing. I agree with the previous post. Dont put any butt joints on spots in the ceiling that need repaired or need attention. Other than that, just stagger the joints. The finishers are probably used to seeing all kinds of patterns butt joints.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

BradingCon said:


> Butt joints are an unavoidable thing. I agree with the previous post. Dont put any butt joints on spots in the ceiling that need repaired or need attention. Other than that, just stagger the joints. The finishers are probably used to seeing all kinds of patterns butt joints.


A butt joint may be unavoidable, but so what? If handled correctly they don't show up one single bit. It is only the old dinosaurs that refuse to embrace progress that still hassle with the long dead dreaded 'Butt Hump'.

*HERE* is your solution to the Butt Joint problem. It's time to move into the new century, Guys.


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## whatsacubbard? (Apr 2, 2011)

Willie T, very cool. I think I've seen this done before, but I'm not a drywaller by trade, so it's not something I would have thought to do. Fairly new here, but already finding this sight very usefull. Thanks.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

whatsacubbard? said:


> Willie T, very cool. I think I've seen this done before, but I'm not a drywaller by trade, so it's not something I would have thought to do. Fairly new here, but already finding this sight very usefull. Thanks.


I've been using them for about a year now. But sometimes I may start hanging without thinking... or maybe I figure "it's only one joint"... or I just don't have anything around to make one out of. I'm usually sorry before the finishing is done.


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## BradingCon (Dec 17, 2010)

Very interesting. I drywalled a huge garage ceiling a few weeks ago that this method would have been perfect for. Learn something new every day. Im putting this one in the back pocket for another day.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

butt joints are avoidable if you have rooms which are less than 16' long. With 12' rooms, there is 12' sheetrock. It is fairly common to have 12' rooms with a closet, so there you use 10' sheets.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

cleveman said:


> butt joints are avoidable if you have rooms which are less than 16' long. With 12' rooms, there is 12' sheetrock. It is fairly common to have 12' rooms with a closet, so there you use 10' sheets.


I believe the OP said he could only get 8 footers into the room. Looks like he's going to have a few of those butts to deal with.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Willie T said:


> *HERE* is your solution to the Butt Joint problem. It's time to move into the new century, Guys.


Willie, Do you do that on 24" OC ceilings too?

-Paul


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Willie, Do you do that on 24" OC ceilings too?
> 
> -Paul


Yes, the 5/8" seems to have no trouble holding stiffly for the eight inches to the edge of the butt boards. However, unlike the guy in the article, I often run longer boards, 51" to 54", thereby allowing the adjacent drywall boards (sheets) to carry some of the load.

On walls I usually just make them 47" or 48".

It really doesn't seem to make any difference if you piece together shorter butt boards on walls, (two to a sheet) but I don't try that on lids.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Properly hung drywall should not be a problem to finish. That being said the plywood/posterboard srtip does look good. And I would try that.


Let me throw one thing out there. I have done repairs in the past where hangers ran joints between trusses(24''o.c.) screwed to 1x,2x or whatever was around. The joint sagged over time causing a''lump'' in the finished ceiling. And they seemed to be near bad trusses.:sad:

Maybe some of you repair guys can back me up on this.:whistling 

This sytem should work, but I strongly suggest you strait edge the ceiling first and eliminate any bad truss/joist issues.:thumbsup:


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Well, in actuality, any of us who simply hang on the bottom chords of trusses are taking the cheap and easy way to getting out of that house. We all know (or should know) that all ceilings need to be 'stripped" with 1x running perpendicular to the trusses or joists @ 16" or 12" and fully shimmed with string lines.

But does much of anything really get done the right way anymore? Sadly, no. The money usually just isn't there in very many instances to build a house the way it should be built.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Big Shoe said:


> Properly hung drywall should not be a problem to finish. That being said the plywood/posterboard srtip does look good. And I would try that.
> 
> 
> *Let me throw one thing out there. I have done repairs in the past where hangers ran joints between trusses(24''o.c.) screwed to 1x,2x or whatever was around. The joint sagged over time causing a''lump'' in the finished ceiling. And they seemed to be near bad trusses.:sad:*
> ...


One thing to keep in mind is that you do need to keep your butt boards at a decent width. Nine to ten inches... AND they are to be at least as thick as the drywall they are supporting.

Now, if the hangers just grab a skinny, heavy hunk of 3-1/2" 2x and stick it in at a mid truss joint, I suspect there is only one thing the drywall CAN eventually do... it must sag under the added weight. And you KNOW they don't often do much more than throw a three foot hunk up there. Disaster simply waiting to happen.

I'm big on the wide width of the butt boards and the extra length resting on top of the adjacent boards (don't get cheap.. you're only putting in a few on each room's ceiling) .


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Willie, Do you do that on 24" OC ceilings too?
> 
> -Paul





Willie T said:


> Yes, the 5/8" seems to have no trouble holding stiffly for the eight inches to the edge of the butt boards. However, unlike the guy in the article, I often run longer boards, 51" to 54", thereby allowing the adjacent drywall boards (sheets) to carry some of the load.


Thanks Willie. :thumbsup:
Do you have a specific screw pattern for the butt boards and butt joints on the 24" OC ceilings?

-Paul


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Thanks Willie. :thumbsup:
> Do you have a specific screw pattern for the butt boards and butt joints on the 24" OC ceilings?
> 
> -Paul


Starting about an inch and a half from one side run in 10 screws @ 5" spacing... 1/2" in from the end is fine.

This is matched for the other sheet with the screws right across from one another.

So, 20 per joint.


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

Seen these a long time ago, same principal
http://www.ezbacker.com/rock_splicer.html


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