Drywall Installation in Salt Lake City, Utah

Call (801) 735-8491 or send the estimate form with the room sizes and what the space will be used for.

What a drywall installation involves

Good drywall starts with the framing. Studs and joists that are twisted or out of line keep a sheet from sitting flat, and fasteners driven into them tend to tear the paper or pop later. USG's construction handbook says framing more than 1/4 inch out of line with its neighbors makes firm contact difficult, so it gets shimmed or straightened before any board goes up.

Ceilings go up first, then walls. Each sheet is cut to fit without forcing it, because a sheet wedged into a tight gap bows, and USG notes that the fasteners on the middle studs will then likely break the paper. Openings for outlets, lights and windows are cut cleanly, since a knife score that runs past the corner of an opening can start a crack.

Choosing board thickness for walls and ceilings

On walls, 1/2-inch board works with studs 16 or 24 inches apart. Ceilings need more thought, because the board hangs from the framing and can sag between joists. The 2021 International Residential Code, which Utah uses for homes, says 3/8-inch board can't go on a ceiling that will get a water-based texture or has to hold insulation above it.

For a ceiling getting a water-based texture, the board runs across the framing and must be at least 1/2 inch thick with framing 16 inches apart. With framing 24 inches apart it must be 5/8 inch, or 1/2-inch sag-resistant ceiling board. Screws on a 1/2-inch ceiling go every 12 inches, against 16 inches on a wall with studs 16 inches apart.

USG lists what makes a finished ceiling sag: board too thin for the span, heavy insulation laid on the panels, long spells of high humidity, and water-based textures that wet the paper.

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The wall and ceiling between your house and garage

An attached garage is separated from the house by drywall that acts as a fire barrier. Table R302.6 of the 2021 IRC calls for at least 1/2-inch gypsum board on the garage side of walls between the garage and the house or its attic.

When bedrooms or other living space sit above the garage, the garage ceiling needs at least 5/8-inch Type X board, a fire-rated type. The code fastens it more tightly too: framing no more than 24 inches apart and fasteners every 6 inches, half the screw spacing of an ordinary ceiling. The framing that holds up that ceiling needs at least 1/2-inch board as well.

A garage less than 3 feet from the house on the same lot needs 1/2-inch board on the inside of its exterior walls in that zone. Garage walls that run perpendicular to the house wall are exempt from the wall rule.

Where water-resistant board can and can't go in bathrooms

The code limits where water-resistant gypsum backing board can go. Under IRC section R702.3.7, it can't be used where it will be directly exposed to water or in areas of constant high humidity, and it can't go over a Class I or II vapor retarder in a shower or tub compartment.

Tile walls around a tub or shower need a backer made for wet areas. Section R702.4.2 lists glass mat gypsum backing panels, fiber-reinforced gypsum panels, and fiber-cement or cement backer units. The backer gets chosen when the bathroom is planned, because once tile covers it, it stays hidden for the life of the shower.

Cold Salt Lake City winters and outside walls

Salt Lake City's average January low is 24.2°F, according to NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the airport, so exterior walls and top-floor ceilings stay colder than the rooms inside them for months.

USG's handbook explains what that does to a finished wall. Dust in the air settles on the colder spots over fasteners and framing, leaving faint lines called shadowing, worst when indoor and outdoor temperatures are far apart. USG's answer is insulation in the wall cavity, so insulation should be complete before board covers it.

Walls where drywall is part of the bracing

The Utah Geological Survey expects the Wasatch fault zone to produce an earthquake around magnitude 7.0 in the future. Houses resist that kind of shaking partly through braced wall panels, and the code lets some interior walls covered in drywall count as bracing. The IRC calls this bracing method GB.

Method GB needs board at least 1/2 inch thick, fastened every 7 inches along the edges, including the top and bottom plates, and every 7 inches in the field. That is far tighter than the 16-inch screw spacing on an ordinary wall. When a home's plans mark braced wall panels, those walls get the tighter pattern, or the house ends up with less bracing than it was designed to have.

Codes and permits for drywall work in Salt Lake City

Utah's State Construction Code adopts the 2021 International Residential Code for homes and the 2024 International Building Code for commercial buildings (Utah Code 15A-2-103).

Salt Lake City's Building Services says changes to a building's structure, such as adding or removing walls, changing the layout or changing how a space is used, usually need a permit, while painting, flooring and other cosmetic work don't. Finishing a basement usually adds walls and turns storage into living space, so check with the city before framing starts. The owner of an owner-occupied primary home may obtain the permit; rentals and commercial properties need a contractor.

What affects the cost of a drywall installation

Each job is priced from its own measurements, and the free estimate shows what drives the total:

• Square footage of walls and ceilings
• Ceiling height, stairwells and vaulted areas
• Board type, such as Type X, sag-resistant ceiling board or tile backer
• The number of openings, corners and cutouts
• Getting board into the space, such as down narrow basement stairs
• The level of finish chosen for taping

Questions about drywall installation in Salt Lake City

Do I need a permit to finish my basement in Salt Lake City?

Usually, yes. Salt Lake City says work that adds walls, changes the layout or changes how a space is used usually needs a permit, while painting and flooring do not. Ask the city's Building Services before framing begins.

Can regular drywall go behind shower tile?

No. Section R702.4.2 of the code calls for a tile backer in tub and shower areas, such as glass mat gypsum, fiber-reinforced gypsum or cement backer board.

Are screws better than nails for hanging drywall?

Screws hold better. USG's handbook calls screws with a contoured head the best fastener for avoiding torn paper, and the code requires drywall screws in wood framing to reach at least 5/8 inch into the wood.

Do you hang drywall in commercial buildings?

Yes. Design Drywall Utah works on businesses as well as homes in Salt Lake City and along the Wasatch Front. Commercial work in Utah follows the 2024 International Building Code. On metal studs, USG says to hang panels moving opposite the way the stud flanges face, so the board edges line up and don't show as ridges.