Should wall meet floor?

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sonical

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Read that 1/4" gap should be left between the wall panels and the floor and then be properly caulked. Could anyone confirm this is a good design practice?
 
sonical said:
Read that 1/4" gap should be left between the wall panels and the floor and then be properly caulked. Could anyone confirm this is a good design practice?
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What's going to hold the wall off the floor?
Magic? :D

If its a load bearing wall, I'd say no.
 
not the frame Michael, only the drywall panels! Maybe some screws? <g>
 
Oh.
Hold on. Let me pull my head out! :D

There, thats better.

OK. YES!!!!!!!!!!
Leave a 1/4" gap between the floor and the drywall!
There's more than one reason for this.
A sonic benefit is one of them, but from a more practical stand point, it prolongs the life of the wall. If the wall comes in contact with the floor, particularly a concrete floor, moisture can weep up from the concrete, making the drywall nasty with mold.
Also, if you mop the floor, it wont get wet.

Leaving a 1/4" gap even a 3/8" gap is a typical construction technique.
 
should have been more specific once again, sorry.
it will be a floating floor (if that changes anything).

edit: now i realize how dumb my thread title is! blame it on the fatigue ("yeah right" i hear from the board! :)
 
Now, you want to caulk the point at which the FRAME touches the floor, one side only, but you don't want to try to fill in that entire gap with caulk.
Your baseboards will cover the gap.
 
sonical said:
Read that 1/4" gap should be left between the wall panels and the floor and then be properly caulked. Could anyone confirm this is a good design practice?
Click to expand...

If you're building a floating floor, then yes, this is the right way to build.

If the floor is not floating, the walls need something to sit on, so a 1/4" gap would defy physics :D

The chaulking fills the gaps between the floor and the walls making for an air-tight seal, while still retaining flexibility to absorb floor vibrations from subwoofers and the like.
 
Re: Re: Should wall meet floor?

frederic said:
...If the floor is not floating, the walls need something to sit on, so a 1/4" gap would defy physics :D
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Yeah, well see, that was my thought too, but actually, sonical is asking if he should leave a 1/4" gap between the floor and the drywall.
 
Re: Re: Re: Should wall meet floor?

Michael Jones said:
Yeah, well see, that was my thought too, but actually, sonical is asking if he should leave a 1/4" gap between the floor and the drywall.
Click to expand...

Yes, I gathered that as I read down further. I replied too quickly to his first message, without reading the additional replies, including his.

So, I simply spoke out of turn. We'll say "oops" and I'll get another cup of coffee to wake up :D
 
Good, now that we're clear on that...

Now, Frederic, about that 1/4" piston ring end gap in your "hermaphrodite" engine referred to in Fitz's recent thread... :=) Steve
 
Ok, how bout this one. IF- you are using 2 layers of sheetrock on RC, walls and ceiling, which should you do. Suspend the ceiling sheetrock on RC between the suspended wall panels? With a 1/4 perimeter gap for caulking? Or the opposite-wall sheetrock UNDER the ceiling sheetrock? With a gap? I would be interested to see the way people have detailed the gaps at door and window jambs when resiliant channel is used. Still haven't seen any. Must be trade secrets, as Eric says about door thresholds, hardware, and seals. I'll solve them soon, but have bigger problems at the moment. Like keeping a pole barn from collapsing onto the neighbors property:eek:
fitz
 
To paraphrase an oldie but classic, starring a young Dustin Hoffmann -

I got one word for you boy - TRIANGLES (not plastics)

What kinda cheap-ass pole barn you got, Fitz? Describe it, let's get it "Sturdi-fied"... Steve
 
Hey Steve, how ya doin guy. I hope you recovered real good from that bug that had ya down. Man, do I friggin LOVE Oregon. Of course, the rain hasn't started yet:D Ok, let me start a thread. This one will go on for a LONG time. Hopefully. Thanks Steve.
fitz:) :)
 
"What kinda cheap-ass pole barn ya got?'

"What kinda cheap ass pole-barn ya got?"
Thats funny as hell, Ever spent time in the northeast? lol
By the way, on my new room, I plan on an eigth to a quarter inch gap on all seems, ie; corners, floor, top plate, ridge, etc, etc... caulking each of the two layers of sheetrock. burp, more beer....
 
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