What is a Staggered Joint?

A staggered joint is important for wall strength and for optimum finishing. In drywall "joint" refers to the short end of the board. Professionals attempt to eliminate joints whenever possible. They are harder to finish, use more materials and take more time.

This is the reason commercial drywall contractors use the longest board possible. If the majority of the rooms in a house measure between 11' and 12' a contractor will use 4' x 12' board thus eliminating joints completely.

Staggering a joint simply means ending parallel sheets on a different ceiling joist or wall stud. Masonry walls use the same principle. If all the joints ended at the same place the wall would crack. In masonry work the wall would collapse.

When you can't eliminate joints hang the first sheet on the ceiling or wall using the longest length possible. This helps to ensure you start out square. On the next parallel sheet your best option is to start from the other end of the room once again using the longest sheet possible.

A perfectly square house with perfectly square rooms is a rarity indeed. Following the contour of the walls will lead you astray and make the rest of the job all that much harder. You may need to leave a bit of a gap along the wall to keep your first board as straight as possible. Remember you have a full half inch of drywall that will take up the slack.

Use the last joist or stud the board lands on as your guide. The chances are good it is fairly straight. At least, the odds are better the joist is straight, rather than the odds of the corner being perfectly square. The end of the board needs to be as close as possible to dead center on the joist so you have room to nail, plus have an equal distance to start the next sheet.

Make sure you use the factory end where the next sheet will join. The end you have to cut should be nearest the wall. Always keep factory edges together when possible.

Circles

If any of your electrical outlet boxes are circular you will obviously need to cut out circles in your drywall. A drywall circle cutter is a relatively inexpensive tool. It is easily adjustable to the size you need. You only need two measurements; X marks the spot you sink the point in to. The cutter wheel scores the board and you then use a keyhole saw to complete the cut.

Another option is a drywall router. This approximately $100 tool won't likely be a sound investment unless you intend on doing a significant amount of drywall. Once again, two measurements are needed. Only in this case you don't precut the board.

This is the professional choice for speed and accuracy. An out-of-square corner won't throw your measurement off and it is an extremely fast way to make cut outs. Once you're good at it, it's faster, anyway. One of the most common rookie mistakes is getting wild with the router. Slow and steady is the rule until you're comfortable with it.

Mark the spot of the rough center of the box. After the board is in place (without being pressed firmly against the studs!), turn on the router, plunge the router bit in at the spot and run it until you hit the inner box edge. Back off just enough to slip the bit out of the inside and move to the outside. Use the box itself as the template for the cut.

CAUTION - before you get to this point make sure the electric wires are pushed deep into the box!

Additional tips- An old fashioned protractor can be used to draw a circle on the board. If you're only making one or two circle cuts this may be the best choice.

Remember this - if you cut the hole small you can always trim a little more to get an accurate fit. Heard the old joke; "Darn! I cut it twice and it's still too small!"? Taking care on the hanging will make life so very much easier when it comes to the finishing.

I'll save angles for the next post. We have a lot to cover.

Dear readers, please feel free to post questions at any time.

Hanging Drywall

The tricks of the trade for hanging drywall are basic. They consist of working with the material (vs fighting with it), the right tools and patience. If you're shaking your head right now and muttering "I don't have patience!", then stop reading immediately and go find yourself a contractor. DYI drywall is no place for you.

This job will take longer, cost more and be more likely to have less than optimum results if you're short-tempered and try to manhandle the board. Worse yet - someone is more likely to get hurt trying to help you.

Ceiling height

The height of the ceiling determines a lot. If your job has 8' ceilings, hang the board on the ceiling first. If it's above 8', you'll want to start on the wall first. Take note here: I don't mean 8' 1". On a quality new construction job the walls are 8' 1". This allows for 1/2" drywall on the ceiling and 1/2" of finish flooring and gives the end result of an 8' ceiling. We'll deal with odd heights in a later post.

Set yourself up with a workable (and safe!) mini-scaffolding system. For most people that's in the area of 18" to 24" high. Please don't be overly creative. A rolling platform of just the right height will not, I repeat will not make your life easier.

Why not? I'll tell you why not - because the second you push or reach slightly off center of your balance point, the rolling platform will shoot out from underneath you and your partner. The two of you will find yourselves on the floor with a sheet of drywall literally broken over your heads.

Getting started

Starting on an exterior corner is usually preferable. They tend to be the most square. Each room layout is different so make your own call on where to start. Try to use as close to full sheets as possible. It sometimes works out that the best move you can make is to move off the wall 2' to 4' and hang a full 8' sheet from stud center to stud center.

Afterward, add the smaller piece in. Although it is possible to just start out with a smaller piece it can throw off the entire ceiling if it isn't perfect. Hanging a full sheet covers more area and sets the tone for the rest of the sheets to follow. Don't try this with less then 3 people. Someone has to be able to check each end to see if it's centered on the stud while two people are holding the sheet like Atlas holding the globe. This is a moot point if you're using a panel jack, of course.

Take two measurements if you are working on old house, or you suspect the room is out-of-square. Do not try to stay tight!!! This is nothing like a 2X4 that you can beat into place with a framing hammer if it's a tad tight. If you cut drywall too tight it will have to be shaved, and shaved, and shaved... until it fits right. I always allowed for a full quarter inch of play. Remember you are coming up the wall with 1/2".

Ideally, one person cuts the board while the other is preparing the work area. Make marks on the walls at the end of every ceiling joist and glue up. If you're worried about your 'eye' following the line of the stud once it's covered with the board chalk lines can be used. Just bear in mind that the lines are likely to be off, i.e use a light touch with the hammer until you find it.

Apply panel adhesive to every stud this sheet is about to cover except the ends. Aim for the center third of the area the sheet will cover and apply a healthy bead.

Providing there were no wall offsets to deal with and no electrical boxes to cut out the sheet itself is a simple straight cut using the T-square. Cutting board is easiest when it is leaning against a wall (slight lean only). Secure the bottom of the square with a toe and using a fresh utility blade score along the square. Now stand the board upright and snap the cut piece back and score the other side. Snap back towards the original position.

A word of caution here - score deeply enough even if it takes running the knife more than once. The smaller the piece being cut off, the more likely it is to break unevenly instead at the score point. In some cases the best solution is to score both sides before the snap.

Click here for further reading on installing drywall.

Next up - staggering joints, circles and angles.

Questions? Post in the comment area.