# Drywall returns at doors & windows



## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm doing a small laundry room and closet, one of the things requested by the customer is drywall returns at the door and window to maximize wall space for closet cabinetry. 

I've never done returns before, so I've got a few questions. 

1) is it common practice to leave a reveal, same as casing?

2) what should I be looking for as a trim or finish piece to finish the edge?


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## NINZAN STUDIO (Jan 10, 2012)

Not quite sure what you mean by return. I think of "return" as the drywall turns the corner (square corner bead) and dies into the window or door frame.

If your looking for edge trims try FryReglet, they have a bunch of different types: L, F, H, Z shapes.

http://www.fryreglet.com/details-reveals.htm


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## NINZAN STUDIO (Jan 10, 2012)

Drywall return at a window


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Just corner bead.... there is no reveal???????


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## NINZAN STUDIO (Jan 10, 2012)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Just corner bead.... there is no reveal???????


Nope. Cheap quick and dirty. Extension jambs and casing was "value-engineered" out on this project.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

This is all a "drywall return" is. You put a square corner bead on this, and then smooth on mud.

A simple, plain, naked, uncased 90° turn.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

I too am confused by what the OP means for "reveal". It does not make sense. Basically round or square corners for the gyp.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

I think the OP is trying to envision a piece of casing surrounding the opening, and a drywall return gets nothing at all. It's just a "cleaned up", smooth corner.


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## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

Maybe I should have used the word jamb instead?

There will be no wood trim in this room past the door. I'm going to have to rip the existing door and window jamb down to allow for this detail. Another concern of mine is the opening and closing of the door over time and the nature of wood expanding and contracting, what it'll do to where the wood jamb and new drywall jamb/return meet. Any advice here?


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Here in Florida, I grew up with nothing but drywall returns in all our newer homes. The truth is, a cased out window still tends to look overdone and cluttered to me. Same thing with sliding doors.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

So one side of the door will have a jamb and stop and casing and the other side will have drywall into the jam with no casing on the other side. You are going to cut down the jam at the stop? Still sort of lost.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

schaefercs said:


> Maybe I should have used the word jamb instead?
> 
> There will be no wood trim in this room past the door. I'm going to have to rip the existing door and window jamb down to allow for this detail. Another concern of mine is the opening and closing of the door over time and the nature of wood expanding and contracting, what it'll do to where the wood jamb and new drywall jamb/return meet. Any advice here?


This is kind of confusing. Why rip a jamb? Even a cased door or window jamb doesn't protrude past the face of the wall.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

Willie T said:


> This is kind of confusing. Why rip a jamb? Even a cased door or window jamb doesn't protrude past the face of the wall.


That's what's confusing unless they want to run a bead of caulk against it if it is a painted jam. What he is describing would look like sh&T


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

This is all I can think that he might mean. In this case, yes, I guess you would have to rip a half inch off.

And this is crappy looking. I would never do it.


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## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

California closets talked him into this detail in the room so they could maximize their closet space. The room is 91x91 and they're worried about not having enough space for the closet system, hence eliminating door and window trim to allow for a few more inches of closet system. Not my design so I'm pretty stuck here following the plan done by CC.

For what it's worth I told the homeowner I thought it would look like crap but he's afraid of deviating from CC's plan. And he's the one signing the check so I do as I'm told. Just trying to make it work and look good for him.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Well, I have no idea how you would finish off a jamb like I just pictured. There's nothing there to finish, just a crumbly edge of cut drywall.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

If it was 50 years ago, you might install what they then called a "Miami door jamb". But those haven't been made for half a century, I don't believe.

It was a metal jamb that had a recessed edge that the plaster guy killed the wall plaster into. Looked ok... but cheap.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

I thought CC was customizable,,,, like you could take a couple inches off somewhere to set back from your jambs.

But before you rip your jambs down, Maybe you'll have an inch or so before your jamb, and it might look better to rip your casing and butt it to the CC.

I can;t see Willies pic real good.... but I suppose it has a plastic U bead on the exposed drywall butt. 

Edit: They do make a plastic U bead 1/2" that will cap that exposed edge.... I've only had to use it along time ago... but found it at HD.


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## NINZAN STUDIO (Jan 10, 2012)

Z alum trim, the lower part butts into the doorframe, the higher parts laps the drywall.

We were going to try this on a "modern" interior recently but the labor involved was nuts. In addition we had a alum reveal base as well.

http://www.fryreglet.com/shape/pop/129.jpg

http://www.fryreglet.com/shape/pop/116.jpg


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> I thought CC was customizable,,,, like you could take a couple inches off somewhere to set back from your jambs.
> 
> But before you rip your jambs down, Maybe you'll have an inch or so before your jamb, and it might look better to rip your casing and butt it to the CC.
> 
> ...


That's about all I can think of, and that would look pretty phony.


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