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

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