What Size of Drywall Do I Use for a 10' Wall?

Horizontal Installation

• Typically, you will install drywall panels horizontally, pushing the first row of panels snug against the ceiling and securing them with drywall screws before installing a bottom row of panels. For standard 8-foot ceilings, you would use two horizontal rows of 4-foot wide sheets, but for 10 foot walls, you will have to cut a third drywall panel in half, lengthwise, to cover the leftover gap due to the taller wall.

Vertical Installation

• An alternate method of installing drywall involves positioning the panels vertically instead of horizontally, and if you choose this method, you can use full sheets of 4-by-10-foot drywall panels. While this allows you to install the panels without cutting, it results in fewer vertical studs behind each panel, which slightly reduces the stability of each sheet. Less stud support can increase warping in thin sheets of drywall. To offset that risk, select 1/2-inch, or thicker, drywall panels for vertical installation.

Panel Length

• Shorter, 8-foot, drywall panels are the easiest to maneuver, but if you're hanging the sheets in a large room, use the longest panels you can safely handle. With longer panels, you'll have fewer seams to tape and finish. In addition to reducing taping time, fewer seams means fewer areas in the finished wall that may show up when you paint the wall.

Structural Considerations

• In many homes, wall studs are spaced 16 inches apart, but in older homes, they may sit 24 inches apart. With wider spaced studs, thin drywall panels have a greater tendency to warp or bow slightly. Consider installing 1/2-inch thick, or thicker, drywall panels for a more even wall finish.