# Drywall in Stairwell



## NailItForever (Feb 22, 2009)

I am finishing a basement of a townhouse. When you open the basement door the walls are finished at the first floor height. However, as you go down the steps, when you reach the beginning of the basement level (about half way down), the wall becomes poured concrete. So they framed to the concrete but left it at the same depth. So the fnished drywall and the concrete are flush. My question is: Can I glue a 1/4" sheet/layer of drywall over the concrete and existing finished drywall to create just one surface. I have never seen this that I know of and not sure if is possilble, or what the long term effects may be (spotting/cracking). Would appreciate any ideas/help. The section of concrete needing to be drywalled over is about 6' feet long by 6' feet tall.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

Yes you can...done all the time or you can attach furring strips and screw the sheetrock to it and make a nice trimmed out ledge...just be sure to keep the needed width of stairs and landing to have required egress.


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## Tool (Dec 20, 2010)

^^Yes, yes, yes, don't forget egress!


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## tylercooney (Dec 24, 2010)

*More than 1/4"*

I have almost exactly the same situation except my client has over an inch of space between the stair treads and the cinder block wall. How would you recommend finishing this? I was thinking rigid foam and then drywall, glued and screwed?


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

We sometimes thinset drywall to the concrete. It takes about a full day to dry, but when it does it is an unbelievably strong wall. Make sure to spread thinset on both the concrete surface and also the back of the drywall. I use a 3/8 by 1/4 inch trowel. Check out our facebook page for pictures of bathroom in which we utilized this techinque.


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## htmlwerty (Jun 4, 2008)

NailItForever said:


> I am finishing a basement of a townhouse. When you open the basement door the walls are finished at the first floor height. However, as you go down the steps, when you reach the beginning of the basement level (about half way down), the wall becomes poured concrete. So they framed to the concrete but left it at the same depth. So the fnished drywall and the concrete are flush. My question is: Can I glue a 1/4" sheet/layer of drywall over the concrete and existing finished drywall to create just one surface. I have never seen this that I know of and not sure if is possilble, or what the long term effects may be (spotting/cracking). Would appreciate any ideas/help. The section of concrete needing to be drywalled over is about 6' feet long by 6' feet tall.


 I did things like that before. Just use right glue


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

just use joint compound unless it is a sweaty wall i spread it on there with a 3/8x1/4 tsquare notch trowel so that it creates a suction when you press it on there


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## JustaFramer (Jan 21, 2005)

Plaster it. 

If you are going to go the trouble of thinsetting it might as well plaster the section. Plus you don't want moldy drywall.


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