I was wondering if there is any reason why drywall butt joints are staggered on, say, a ceiling. Drywall, in my mind, is not structural. I can see the case for plywood in staggering seams, but it would be a lot easier to tape a 12′ butt joint than 3- 4′ seams. Thanks for the input.
Ken
Replies
generally, as far as sheet goods go, you don't put 4 corners together. You can, if you want, but it's not the trade way.
Probably,but the 12' butt joint is also a lot more likely to be visible when you're done than 3 joints at 4' each. The flat surface at each end of the 4' joints gives you more reference surfaces to work to.
Now if you're using the butt joint fittings that we've discussed here a couple times, the ones that pull the joint down below the surface of the drywall, then a single 12' joint might be better.
I stagger joints as standard procedure, but in this particular case, I had to lath out the ceiling, so I was going to recess the lath that the dw broke on by 1/8". Also, the ceiling is 11'-3" high and it would be easier to set staging this way.
Ken
Another factor is the fire rating in commercial work. If there is a fire, the seams and the butts are the weak points for the fire to pass thru, thus if they are staggered, there is less of a chance of the fire to pass thru them as would be the case if it was 12' long.
Plus they are easier to do when shorter when longer.
Just wondering, is that in the code?
Tom
Yes it is in fire rated walls. If it's a wall with one layer, they must be staggered and on the other side of the wall, at least one stud left or right of the butt joint on the other side.
If the walls have a double layer on each side, then they must be staggered even on the same side. That is, on a double layer, the two butt joints of a double wall cannot be on the same stud.
To the best of my experience, butt joints are always the weakest joint of any properly applied drywall job and if you go be what has always been said "a structure is only as strong as its weakest joint" then you want to reduce those joints as much as possible.
I think they are structural.But in any event the four foot butt joint is all in a days work. Ive been left with continual butts , but normally they show as such because they are very hard to hide. Butt joints are the hardest part of finishing for quality. Many newbies would be comfortable taping drywall if it weret for the butts. The way they are "hid" is one of the marks of professionalism. Probably one of the top ranking subjects under drywall questions here at Breaktime. The infamous "butt joint".
Tim Mooney