# Sheetrock Thickness?



## Noah_B (Nov 27, 2007)

Hello All,
I'm a novice skill level with drywall. I'm doing some remodeling projects in my home.

Two quick questions:

#1) I'm going to install sheetrock over painted 70's paneling in a bedroom. What thickness of drywall should I use? 1/4" sufficient?

#2) Two rooms of my house have tall, sloped, foam-tiled ceilings (not drop ceilings) that I want to install sheetrock over. The tiles tested negative for asbestos. Assuming I can hit the rafter studs under the tiles, I'd like to drywall right over the foam tiles and leave them in place. I'm thinking that this is easier than ripping it out and that leaving the tiles in place under the new sheetrock may provide a little extra insulation for cold winter weather. What thickness of sheetrock should I use for this application? 

Thanks for any advice.
Noah


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## Hack (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm no expert in the area of sheetrock, but here are my suggestions...

For #1, is there sheetrock behind the paneling?  If so, I'd tear off both the paneling and sheetrock and replace with 1/2" or 5/8" rock (and insulate the wall if desired).  I don't normally like to put new over old, but the previous owners of our home put wood paneling over 1/2" rock over 1/2" plaster... 

I wouldn't know what to do on the ceiling.


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## ToolGuy (Nov 27, 2007)

Sounds to me like those walls/ceilings are going to end up a lotta layers thick. Personally, I'd remove the paneling and the ceiling tiles. There may be furing strips under those which you could safely attach drywall to. If not, find the studs and joists. 

What's the situation with the trim? Is it going to end up flush with the surface of the drywall? Just somethng to think about. I'm with Hack about gutting everything, but then I'm not the one doing the work. If you go over the existing paneling and ceiling tile you should be okay with 1/4". It's the easiest to work with and will give you a smooth surface without burying the trim more than necessary.


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## glennjanie (Nov 27, 2007)

Welcome Noah B:
If you don't feel a need to add electrical, plumbing or insulation to the wall I would go over the paneling with 1/2" drywall (if the paneling warps for some unknown reason, it will not affect the 1/2".
For the ceiling I would recommend 5/8" drywall which, if screwed to the ceiling properly will handle any load of insulation you might have for it down the road. Use 2 screws spaced 2" apart and the pairs 8" apart. You can rent a machine that will lift the sheets and hold them for you while you get the screws going. Otherwise its a killer overhead.
Glenn


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## Noah_B (Nov 28, 2007)

Thanks for the comments everyone. I appreciate it.

I'm tempted to remove the wall paneling. Then I'll be tempted to replace the old insulation (30+ years) with new stuff in the exterior wall. Then I'll want to add an electrical receptacle in the east wall. Then my medium-sized drywall project has turned into a bigger room renovation... but if that's what it takes to do it right, so be it.

Thanks again,
David


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## ToolGuy (Nov 29, 2007)

Noah_B said:


> Thanks for the comments everyone. I appreciate it.
> 
> I'm tempted to remove the wall paneling. Then I'll be tempted to replace the old insulation (30+ years) with new stuff in the exterior wall. Then I'll want to add an electrical receptacle in the east wall. Then my medium-sized drywall project has turned into a bigger room renovation... but if that's what it takes to do it right, so be it.
> 
> ...



Now that's what we wanna hear! 

We're here for ya every step of the way.


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## travelover (Nov 29, 2007)

Noah_B said:


> Thanks for the comments everyone. I appreciate it.
> 
> I'm tempted to remove the wall paneling. Then I'll be tempted to replace the old insulation (30+ years) with new stuff in the exterior wall. Then I'll want to add an electrical receptacle in the east wall. Then my medium-sized drywall project has turned into a bigger room renovation... but if that's what it takes to do it right, so be it.
> 
> ...



Well, one way to look at it is, if you add drywall now, that will be one more layer to remove when you do the full upgrade. Speakin' from experience.


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## cabinetsetc (Dec 3, 2007)

Noah; If you're going to do any upgrades it may as well be now. Depending of course where you live, you might want to start with the insulation. If the house is 30 years old, it probably has R12 in the walls that you should bump up to R20 and add a vapor barrier. It will pay for itself. I would remove any wood panelling that you find. In the event of a fire, the less you have to burn of the structure, the more time you have to get out safely. (food for thought). Good luck.


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