Sheetrock instead of wood jambs – HOW?
I’ve seen several homes where they put in windows that are clad inside and out then sheetrock up to the clading on the inside. I’m considering doing this with Integritys and am wondering how you can do this and create a nice square fit with the sheetrock as the window never seems to be perfectly square to the R.O. Do you have to shim the back of the sheetrock to get it to fit properly? How do you that without having the sheetrock crack or cause screw pops? Are there any other tips or concerns when doing this?
upnorthframer
“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!!!”
Replies
Well, if you are a cheesy apartment owner, you don't care about sniggley things like square, and the drywall crew just slaps the board 'round the openings as best they can. The d/w finishers will "glop" up the joints anyway (remember this is cheesy apartments, so the owner hired low bidder and talked them into only 75% of that price).
Now, if a person is lashing up a "super clean" "modern" sort of trim-less look, well, then you put in the effort that requires.
Personally, I like to J-bead the jamb & head trim in first, shimming as needed to get a clean opening and clean reveals. Then, bring the "field" drywall up to that, closing it how ever the detailing provides (hard square joints, radiuses, whatever).
"Personally, I like to J-bead the jamb & head trim in first, shimming as needed to get a clean opening and clean reveals. "
Not quite following you on this one. What is J-Bead and head trim? I'm new to this technique, so i'm in the dark.
upnorthframer
"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!!!"
J bead is a plastic channel that is " J" shaped. You would fit this on the pieces of drywall that so that it butts up to the window frame giving you a clean edge rather than a drywall edge that needs any mud. when he says "head trim" he is using trim as term to describe top peice of drywall. asuming you have a wood sill you will be left with a left and right jamb and a head piece.
as far as the rough window openings and how they correlate to the windows. I think I recall framing a house that was to have drywall returns at the windows and we had to make sure that the RO's were deadly.
with your RO's not being plumb/square. shim as required making a point to screw through the shims. you will want to space your shims close enough together to ensure the the thin strips of dry wall have enough support, what ever that will be.
What is J-Bead and head trim?
Alrightythen gave you most of the answer.
Although, I'm a bit partial to the prefinished metal beading instead of the plastic.
One of the things you can do, is "preset" the J-bead, shimming, adjusting, as needed. Then, you can scribe the wallboard to fit the RO, using that bead as a "stop" of sorts. That lets you shim the edge where it will meet the wall, if it's that finicky a job (as some trimless Moderns are).
As alrighty said, I was assuming you were using a 'normal' sort of sill, so you only need two jambs and a head to "case" the window opening. For the sill, please, use something resolutely waterproof, not merely resistant. Learned the hard way about laminate on PB sills--never again, no matter what the promises of the laminate man . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I agree with you, that although it is done, drywall sills are bad way to go. I don't really like the drywall returns to begin with.
when you say "case" the openings I think you mean "line" the openings. case would imply use of casing. am I correct?
Personally, I like to use D-200, this is a half-bead available from Baileys. Board the opening first and the apply the D-200 up to the window, or leave a small gap for caulk.
my 2 cents
when you say "case" the openings I think you mean "line" the openings. case would imply use of casing. am I correct?
Well, yeah--my brain was stuck on door openings a bit, which are odd to detail in trimless jobs, where they are really cased openings without case (trim) work at all.
In commercial work, you "line" openings, sometimes, to meet firecode--which is different from the trimwork, even if exectured in wallboard.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
On interior doors, I've frequently omitted the casings, just rock up to the jamb, tape the seam between the rock and the jamb, finish as usual. Seems to be OK after 10 years- no cracks. Drawback is tendency to get grimy hand prints on wall around door, so probably not recommended for homes w/ kids, etc.
done this few times, lotta shimming to make it clean tip: use a try square short enough to fit into the finish opening lay the wood handle on the face of the "wall" rock w/ the metal rule extending into the finish opening will show you off-square, the dips and bowouts quickly to guide your shimming
upnorthframer,
Steel Framing Half Track
It's an angle about 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" of light gauge steel.
First, fasten drywall J to the window jamb itself with small sheet metal screws inside the J. Then fasten the steel angles to your RO framing all the way around the window opening to screw the drywall to.
Place them so they are back about 1/8" from square out from the outside of the J on the window itself. That way, when the drywall and corner bead is on and mudded, it will end up square.
The drywall return goes on first and gets fastened to the angle and cut flush in place. The wall board goes on after. the drywall will not be fastened to the J, only to the steel angle. I don't know how deep you opening is but in ICF houses we are usually installing about 9" of drywall using this technique. Plenty strong.
NO shimming! No fussing about whether the window is parallel to the RO framing. If you had windows with drywall channels on them, you woldn't have to bother with the J either.
The only difficulty I have run into with this is when the face of the framing is not precisely in one plane. Then, you might have to shim the steel some with bits of cardboard or something else thin to make sure the corner beads will meet nicely at the corners.
Ron
Edited 6/11/2007 7:11 pm by ronbudgell
Ron,
Thanks for that clear description. I don't ever picture myself doing sheetrock jambs but I like your technique. I plan on remembering it so when the day comes that someone asks me how they should sheetrock jambs I can impress them with your simple technique.Karl