drywall question

[stryped]

I have a detached garage that is kind of unique. It is a metal building sort of like a pole barn. The inside walls are 2x4 24 inches on center directly bolted to a concrete slab. Trusses are 4 feet on center.

I am thinking of drywalling walls and installing white metal on the ceiling.

I am going to hang drywall vertically to eliminate butted seams "except in the corners". Building is 30x30.

1. If done this way, each tapered seam will be on a single stud. Is this good or bad?

1. The corners of the walls are not framed like a house exactly. If I use drywall clips and attach each corner piece to the same corner studd for inside corners, will this eliminate or prevent cracking? (Or will it make it worse).

2. The insulation paper is on top of the studs. I thought about cutting a foot of the paper off each studd in three places and putting adhesive on these areas to contact the drywall and still use screws to help eliminate popping. (I hate to take off all the paper.) Is this a good or bad idea?

I live in Southern Kentucky climate. Garage is unheated unless I am in there with a kerosene heater working. i live in the country and a pristine job is not required but I want to do the best I can.

Thanks!

[Twayne]

I don't have the experience to give you much of a response but I can mention one important thing: Give particular attention to the vapor barrier and if/how it'll be installed. Metal likes to condense water on its warm side and if there's nowhere for the moisture to go, it'll rot the studs and depending on what kind of footer was used, possibly the footers too. The only thing I'm sure of is that you can never use multiple vapor barriers; one only. Considering where you are, you might not even want/need a vapor barrier; I'd check around and ask questions of your local code control office; they'll have the last word on everything anyway. Perhaps someone knowldgeble will show up here; just be sure to verify any info you get from the internet or groups.

HTH,

Twayne`

[Colbyt]

I would not cut the vapor barrier. You really need that to protect the studs and metal. Consider shimming out the studs with stock at least 3/8" thick if you want to use glue. I actually have a 4x8 sheet of 3/8 I should be ripping right now. :)

For detached garage with uneaven heating cycles I don't think I would use drywall at all. I would use paneling or even OSB. OSB is actually cheaper than drywall at Lowes today.

I am in Lexington so your weather cycles have to be about the same.

[dpb]

How tall? I'd really suggest hanging horizontally--it's much simpler taping the single joint than the multiple and you avoid the worries of the studs being exactly on center and vertical that's an issue in hanging it vertically. If it's taller than 8', you can get 5' sheets to handle up to 10-ft still w/ only a single seam.

As for the corners, in a shop area you could simply use a corner inside mould and not even bother taping and have no worries regarding potential cracking developing.

As others said, don't break the vapor barrier anywhere--just use drywall screws or if the studs are metal studs (wasn't totally clear to me), the self-starters for them...

--

[Heathcliff]

-- OK

-- Good. Normal, anyway.

-- Not sure I'm picturing that right but I think if it was me, I'd consider putting studs in where needed to ensure each drywall sheet ends on studs. Only 4 more studs, yes?

-- Leave the paper intact. The screws will hold the drywall just fine.

-- One thing, if you finish the drywall, then go ahead and paint it too. If you leave the mudded seams unpainted they will get crumbly and be hard to paint later. Ask me how I know. -- H

[Michael B]

Vapor barriers can be tricky, especially if you install one without realizing it. One coat of oil-base or two coats of latex semi-gloss can give you a perm rating of 0.99.

[dpb]

dpb wrote: ...

...

BTW, don't be overly obsessed w/ the couple of butt seams -- they're ways to deal with 'em...

Here's article that shows conventional and mentions one of the alternate "tricks" at the end as well...

There's another trick I've seen advertised but never tried -- it dampens the ends and uses a roller w/ some pressure to actually create a tapered depression on the end of the board...the link is

I generally use the "depressed between the studs" technique for new work; in you application there would be four per wall using 10-ft sheets. Generally, one wants to stagger them by using half sheet starting alternate courses.

hth...

[benick]

Hasn't this been gone over before ?? I seem to remember it it...Pole barns were not built to finish...Metal on the ceiling will drip like rain in the winter with your K1 heater...I doubt the trusses are rated for a drywall load even if you did strap it with 2X4s and rock it without adding beams and posts..Walls 2X4 2 foot on center might be a problem as well without adding the supports I already mentioned as well as header types ect.....More info on the trusses and what they are rated for would be nice...As a general rule buildings built that flimsy aren't meant to finish without alot of work...Pictures are worth a thousand words...HTH...

[aemeijers]

Nobody else said it, so I will. Drywalling an unheated metal building is just asking for trouble. The drywall will get soft and funky smelling after a season or two of damp weather, and in my experience, metal buildings flex, and your joints will quickly look like crap. I'd save up and get the proper material for the job, the plastic- covered panels the pole barn companies sell. They have the trim strips that go between the panels, and don't need mudding or painting. It's a garage/workshop- trying to have walls as pretty as the living room will be a constant upkeep headache. If your heart is set on drywall, use the non-paper kind they sell for basement/bathroom use, at least.

-- aem sends, stuck on Google till the 29th...