# How do you shim drywall?



## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

What are the best methods for shimming drywall. I have an older house that has a thicker gypsum board and no matter what size drywall I have on hand to fill spaces it never lines up so I end up shimming in pieces of drywall behind the new dry wall slab to make it even with the existing wall. Is this OK? do I need to use wood or some other method?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

They actually sell long strips of dense cardboard for this very purpose. The Home Depot near me has them.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

My building has something called "gyproc lath" plaster walls. Instead of wood lath, it has what might be described as primitive drywall nailed to the studs, and the basecoat and gauging coat plaster were then applied to that "drywall".

The problem is that the studs in the walls aren't always straight. Sometimes they're curved, twisted, and/or bending in different directions. And, on top of that, the plaster applied to that drywall varies in thickness. So, when I have to repair a hole in that plaster wall with drywall, I often have to come up with creative ways to do it.

If it's a bigger size hole, I just cut out the hole to the closest offsetting studs and fasten pieces of spruce 2X2 to those with 3 inch drywall screws to provide new surfaces to fasten the drywall patch to. Then I just build up the whole area with base coat plaster and then top coat with joint compound to bring the repair flush with the surrounding wall. I'll cut the paint off the plaster around the repair, put fiberglass mesh joint tape over the joint surrounding the repair and mud over that.

If I've taken the plaster off a large section of wall, I'll use some pieces of clear cedar or clear fir as straight edges and clamp them across my crooked studs, then I'll "sister" those studs with new studs that are aligned at top and bottom with the straight edges and just screw my drywall to the new studs rather than the originals. (sometimes that involves getting out my planer and planing down any of the old studs that stick out proud of the plane established by the two straight edges.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> They actually sell long strips of dense cardboard for this very purpose. The Home Depot near me has them.


THANKS! What should I ask for when I go in there?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

tripower said:


> THANKS! What should I ask for when I go in there?


If there's a technical name for them then I don't know it. I think I'd describe them as those cardboard sheetrock shim strip whatchacallies. :wink: They're sold in bundles, I'm thinking 4' lengths.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> If there's a technical name for them then I don't know it. I think I'd describe them as those cardboard sheetrock shim strip whatchacallies. :wink: They're sold in bundles, I'm thinking 4' lengths.


Is this special reinforced or treated cardboard or can I use just regular cardboard?


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## ponch37300 (Nov 27, 2007)

Tripower, as termit mentioned these shims are high density so they don't crush when you screw drywall to it. You might be able to use regular cardboard but i think i paid around 5 bucks for a big bundle of shims, they are pretty cheap. My local menards has them. Here is a link of what we are talking about http://www.mencoroyal.com/index_files/Page1868.htm


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

I think what you are talking about is called "furring" strips. My answer to the question would be specific to the task. I've always approached this as a case by case basis. I have plaster walls and they are random thicknesses throughout. I built a wall to join into another wall this passed week and I used 1/4" and an 1/8" sheets of mdf to fur the wall to the proper thickness. I have furring strips as well as a second layer of drywall.


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## Garasaki (Apr 14, 2008)

ponch37300 said:


> Tripower, as termit mentioned these shims are high density so they don't crush when you screw drywall to it. You might be able to use regular cardboard but i think i paid around 5 bucks for a big bundle of shims, they are pretty cheap. My local menards has them. Here is a link of what we are talking about http://www.mencoroyal.com/index_files/Page1868.htm


Where are they at in menards?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

If you ask for furring strips you'll get wooden ones. These are drywall shims. 

I would not use regular cardboard because it will compress where you screw the rock down but it won't where you dont, and that might cause slight waviness in the drywall vertically. Regular cardboard...The corrugated stuff...Would be pretty hard to predict exactly how far it would compress.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> If you ask for furring strips you'll get wooden ones. These are drywall shims.
> 
> I would not use regular cardboard because it will compress where you screw the rock down but it won't where you dont, and that might cause slight waviness in the drywall vertically. Regular cardboard...The corrugated stuff...Would be pretty hard to predict exactly how far it would compress.


I went to Lowes and they didn't even know what I was talking about. You said HD has them?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

The HD here has them. I've never looked to see if Lowes does. I wouldn't ask...I'd look. You can't expect any "help" at a box store. 

If you don't find them there go to a sheetrock supply company in your area. Pretty much all cities have them.


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## Frederick j Ward (Dec 24, 2008)

Hi there, the item you are talking about is drywall butt strips,I have used them for furring stips on bad studs, ceiling,
joists, The main use is on 4 foot drywall butts, when hanging walls and ceilings you place the strip one stud or joist
back from your butt, therefore leaving a recess for tapeing and finishing.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

Gotta love these wild goose chases. Went to HD the guy who does the ordering for the construction desk had never heard of these items and we checked and they don't carry them.

I do not have time to go running around town for non-existent cardboard strips. If no one has any other ideas I will simply cut pieces of drywall or even 2 X 4 to shim it in.


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## Frederick j Ward (Dec 24, 2008)

Try checking the drywall section, I know you probally did already.butt...i just bought cardboard shims yesterday at home depot, They need someone new at the front desk.I am really starting to wonder about H.D.


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

You might be better off to go to a drywall supply house to get the shims. They would actually know what your asking for.

But if you've got to bring it out a quarter inch or more you might be better off using wood lath, or ripping 2x material to the needed thickness - or some combination thereof.


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## ponch37300 (Nov 27, 2007)

I know the home depot by my doesn't carry them but menards does and they are by the drywall tape and corner bead.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

Frederick j Ward said:


> Try checking the drywall section, I know you probally did already.butt...i just bought cardboard shims yesterday at home depot, They need someone new at the front desk.I am really starting to wonder about H.D.



I checked. They DON'T carry them. The guy who took me over to that section does all of the ordering for that section of the store.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

jogr said:


> You might be better off to go to a drywall supply house to get the shims. They would actually know what your asking for.
> 
> But if you've got to bring it out a quarter inch or more you might be better off using wood lath, or ripping 2x material to the needed thickness - or some combination thereof.


I don't think we have a "drywall supply house" and even if we did I am not running all over town looking for pieces of cardboard.


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

tripower said:


> I don't think we have a "drywall supply house" and even if we did I am not running all over town looking for pieces of cardboard.


Ok, then don't shim your drywall. :whistling2:


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> Ok, then don't shim your drywall. :whistling2:


I WILL shim my drywall with items that are readily available. I'm not going to waste my time looking for items that do not exist where I live.


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## ponch37300 (Nov 27, 2007)

Tri power...The drywall supply house might be called a building supply or something to that order. maybe just check in the phone book for building supplies/materials. It's where most of the pros go to get materials. You can use something you have already but just make sure that it is a dense material so when you screw your drywall on it doesn't crush the shim and sink the new drywall deeper than what you wanted. good luck


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## Sammy (Mar 11, 2007)

I use beer cartons but ya have to empty the cartons first.....:whistling2:

Actually some of the best stuff I have found is the extras from the two inch faux wood blinds the big boxes sell. They have a machine that breaks the blinds to the custom length you need and the tailings just go in the trash. I was lucky enough to get a bunch of full length peices when re-doing some blinds years ago. 

Its soft enough to score/cut even heat and bend if needed. Its UV and for the most part water resistant. Yet is fairly rigid so it doesnt compress too much. And a drywall screw will go right thru it.


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## DUDE! (May 3, 2008)

I have a similar problem shimming the sheetrock. At times I have to do alot of hole patching. Usually, square up the bad spot, use a peice of wood trim for a backing and screw in the patch. Even when going from stud to stud the patch ends up recessed just enough that you have a to use a whole lot of mud to get it smooth. Just not sure why it is always recessed.


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## tripower (Nov 16, 2006)

I found these 3/8X2X24 wood slats at Lowes that are perfect (I also bought some door shims for smaller areas). A little wood glue and some screws and all is good. The area in the back of Lowes that carries all of that Craft Board type of wood is were I found them. Any 2" slat of different thickness should work.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Cardboard, layers of felt paper, cedar shims, plywood strips of proper thickness.........I've used whatever is at hand when necessary.


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## Git (Mar 11, 2008)

This is what the shims look like - my local Home Depot carries them. They are the width of a 2x4 and are designed to use more than one if needed to bring the surface into plane

Drywall Shims


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## user123303 (Aug 10, 2011)

just keep up what you were doing; sistering and planeing. some of the re-occurring cracks can be filled with latex painters caulk smoothed with a wet finger or putty knife. thin coats, the stuff doesnt crack. down side you cant sand smooth, a damp cloth works a little but take your time. another hint use the flatter paints ( matte, flat, satin) hides slight variations better


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## Tonglebeak (Dec 28, 2009)

This was a two-year old thread bumped by a spammer.


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