Use 5/8″ Gypsum Board With 24″ Stud Spacing

Most residential projects are framed with wall studs at 16″ on center and finished with 1/2″ gypsum board. To save lumber many builders are moving to 24″ centers where they can, in interior walls or at exterior walls where the trusses are aligned with the wall framing. While this may work structurally, it is important to note that 24″ is a very long span for 1/2″ drywall and you won’t have good performance at that distance. What you should do is move to 5/8″ drywall which has roughly 56% more strength and thus can handle the additional distance without flexing or sagging.

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1 thought on “Use 5/8″ Gypsum Board With 24″ Stud Spacing”

  1. You can also get drywall makers to run you off a load of high strength 1/2 inch drywall, or so I’ve heard, which will be as strong as 5/8 inch drywall but only 1/2 inch thick

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