Optimal method of attaching and spacing drywall to studs?

Les Ismore · Post by **Les Ismore** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:20 pm

Hi, I built my stud walls with 16" centers in my room within a room in my house. After reading some things here what I thought was being said was that the wider the stud spacing the better.
So what I did was cut 2" strips of Donacona (a 1/2" thick absorbent board made out of sawdust) and put them on every 2nd stud, and screw the drywall into only those which were now 1/2" higher than the other studs, thereby missing the 1st and 3rd stud etc. Thinking that this would give me 32" centers, thereby lowering the resonant frequency of the board which to my understanding would be a good thing.
I also thought that what was being said was that a loose heavey mass was desirable, so I did not put the strips of Donacona along the top and bottom to screw into, leaving them free floating from the studs.
Well, I just started drywalling today and put a few sheets up on the first layer and when I tap them, the note is still fairly high and worse, quite resonant. It's 5/8" gyp and I was going to go 2 layers, but now I'm thinking I made a mistake and should go back and screw it in every 16" and along the top and bottom to deaden it.
Was I misunderstanding this concept? I think I goofed.
Tomorrow (wed Nov 10) at 1 pm we resume work drywalling. I'm trying to decide how to proceed. hmmmmm

Hummarstra · Post by **Hummarstra** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:46 pm

I'm new here, but I think you'll find the answers to your questions at the "USG Handbook" links in the "Reference Section." It has specific info regarding the spacing of screws and gluing etc.

Les Ismore · Post by **Les Ismore** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:38 am

Hummarstra wrote:I'm new here, but I think you'll find the answers to your questions at the "USG Handbook" links in the "Reference Section." It has specific info regarding the spacing of screws and gluing etc.

thanks, yeah I've read that but I have seen no reference to this particular question there. I think today I'm going to remove the sheets I have up already and fix it so that their all attached to every stud (16") and also along the top and bottom.
I had thought that it was explained here somewhere that looser heavey masses on a larger a stud center were better, but I think I must have been misunderstanding the concept. I would guess that the studs have a major dampening factor in the resonance.
I wish I was smarter in this area. Oh well, one step forward and two steps back.

Les Ismore · Post by **Les Ismore** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 5:02 pm

Well, I think I must have misunderstood what I read earlier because today we redid all the gyp we did yesterday on the 16" centers this time and screwed it down tight on the Donacona and it sounds nice and dead to the tap now. I was amazed at how resonant it was yesterday with the 32" centers. Sounded like a guitar top. Hey there you go a drywall guitar. We'll start a band and call it Gyp Rock hehe.
Peace, Les