# Drywall "Butt-Boards" ?



## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

as some of you know, i am in the process of drywalling a room in my basement,

i am hanging the drywall horizontally, 

i am using some drywall "butt-boards" on the vertical 4 foot seams where my panel seams do not line up with the studs (in some cases)

these were recommended to me in this thread here, in post #23 and are working great.....









Drywall Cuts


I understand how it can be frustrating to ask a question and want a simple answer when everyone is asking for your life history, but for what it's worth, I agree with rjniles - unless you're trying to use scraps (which is not really recommended, because it's cheaper and faster to install larger...




www.diychatroom.com





my question is about the long horizontal seam (8 foot per panel, but will run the entire length of the room)

should i be using butt boards between the studs on these seams also?

my thinking/reasoning is just to give more strength to that long seam because there is more room between my studs then normal (24 inch centers instead of 16 inch)

(to avoid any flaming.....my builder built the 24 center walls not me)

should i use the butt-boards there?....or am i going overboard and over thinking this?....the drywall is 1/2 inch if that makes any difference


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

The butt board is intended to bend the edge into the wall a bit to provide more space for the tape and mud. On the 8' edge that has already been taken care of. However it is common to add a flat piece if wood behind those long seams, especially with 1/2" on 24" centers, called a backer board.

Bud


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Bud9051 said:


> The butt board is intended to bend the edge into the wall a bit to provide more space for the tape and mud. On the 8' edge that has already been taken care of. However it is common to add a flat piece if wood behind those long seams, especially with 1/2" on 24" centers, called a backer board.
> 
> Bud


thanks,

so your saying i SHOULD have backing between the 24 inch/center studs??

what about the walls that are 16 inch centers?.....they should be fine without??


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Not an expert but backing boards on 24" studs makes sense with 1/2" drywall, especially in high traffic areas where someone might lean on the wall. With 16" oc I have only seen one time where the seam split when pushed on and I would refer to that house as "an animal house".

Contractors would rarely use either backer boards or butt boards, both time and money issues. As a DIYer you can justify overkill for personal gratification.

Where you have the ends of a piece of drywall falling between studs that normally geta cut back to a stud. Practice with mud and tape make those seams go away.

Butt boards are a way of compensating for a lack of taping skills thus not entirely a bad idea. 

Bud


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Bud9051 said:


> Not an expert but backing boards on 24" studs makes sense with 1/2" drywall, especially in high traffic areas where someone might lean on the wall.


thanks for the input

my spouse and i live alone and rarely have company, so chances of these walls ever being touched is basically zero


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

For what it's worth, back in the 80s I painted 100s of new construction houses in central fla that had 1/2" drywall with studs on 24" centers. None of them had backer boards that I know of. For the most part they were ok.


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

mark sr said:


> For what it's worth, back in the 80s I painted 100s of new construction houses in central fla that had 1/2" drywall with studs on 24" centers. None of them had backer boards that I know of. For the most part they were ok.


thanks,

maybe i am just over thinking this,

i guess i won't bother with the boards between the beams


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i made and used butt boards in my ceiling. wish i had used them in my walls.


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Fix'n it said:


> i made and used butt boards in my ceiling. wish i had used them in my walls.


why do you say that?

are you having issues with your wall seams?


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

anyacolo said:


> why do you say that?
> 
> are you having issues with your wall seams?


yes, sort of. not being a "practiced" mudder, my seams are kind of lumpy. the problem comes in doing the trim.
but this house is not "nice", nor is the neighborhood. so perfection is not a big deal. looking back, horizontal with butt boards would have made things much better and easier for me. live and learn. 

how much $$ do those BB's you bought cost ? i made mine for about $1.50 each, maybe less.


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Fix'n it said:


> how much $$ do those BB's you bought cost ? i made mine for about $1.50 each, maybe less.


i made my own,

i bought a 4 x 8 x 7/16 sheet of wood,

i cut 6 inch strips in the 4 foot direction,

so each of my boards are 4 feet long x 6 inches wide x 7/16 thick

i can cut them shorter where nessessary or required

the person doing my mudding is a professional, so he can deal with the seams, but i am making the seams as clean as possible, with some careful planning,

only factory cut edges will be on exposed seams, nothing that i cut myself


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Your description does not sound like "butt boards" A butt board has been tapered from both edges towards the middle so when fastened it bends the drywall inward providing a recess for tape and mud at the seam. If yours are flat they are simply backer boards which do stabilize the seam but add no advantage for taping.

Bud


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Bud9051 said:


> Your description does not sound like "butt boards" A butt board has been tapered from both edges towards the middle so when fastened it bends the drywall inward providing a recess for tape and mud at the seam. If yours are flat they are simply backer boards which do stabilize the seam but add no advantage for taping.
> 
> Bud


yes i realize all of that but thanks

i am using them to simply stabilize the seam where my ends do not fall on studs


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Sorry, your title was misleading. Future searches will pull that up thinking the discussion is about the tapered boards.
Not slamming, just correcting.

Bud


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## anyacolo (Oct 3, 2016)

Bud9051 said:


> Sorry, your title was misleading. Future searches will pull that up thinking the discussion is about the tapered boards.
> Not slamming, just correcting.
> 
> Bud


that is why i put the title in quotes, because they are not actual "butt-boards"


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

what ?

anyway

i made actual butt boards. 1/2" osb cut into 1x4' pieces. then i got some free paper board from walmart. i cut it into strips and caulked them on the long ends of the 1x4's. let them dry. when fastened the drywall ends tapered in just right.


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