Planning the layout of drywall panels prior to installation makes it a lot easier to create a materials list, minimize seams and solve potential problems before they crop up. Take careful measurements and sketch each wall and ceiling to be covered. Note the center-to-center (O.C.) spacing of the framing members, which can determine the thickness of drywall you install as well as how you install it (either parallel or perpendicular to the framing). See the chart on the opposite page for maximum framing spacing allowances.
Standard drywall is commonly available in widths of 4 feet and 54" and lengths of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet. It's in your best interest to use the longest drywall panels you can: it'll save you a lot of work during the finishing phase. Home centers and lumberyards always have 4 × 8 foot panels in stock and usually carry smaller quantities of the other sizes, or you can special order them.
The goal of planning the optimal drywall layout is to minimize seams. Seams require joint tape, compound and sanding, which mean the less of them there are, the less work you have ahead of you. For wall or ceiling surfaces 48" wide or less, cover the entire area using a single drywall panel. With no seams to tape, you'll only have to cover the screw heads with a few thin coats of compound.
Walls that are wider than 48" will require at least two panels. While there are a number of ways you can hang them, some possibilities yield better results than others. For example, for a wall that is 8 feet high and 12 feet long (as shown in first two plans at the top right), three panels could be installed vertically (Plan A), resulting in only tapered seams and no butt joints. However, this plan requires 16 linear feet of vertical taping, working from floor to ceiling, which is more difficult than taping a horizontal seam. Using two 4 × 12 feet panels (Plan B) reduces the amount of taping by 25 percent and places the seam about waist high, easing the finishing process. While a reduction of 25 percent of the finish work may not mean much on a small project, on a large remodel or new construction it can save you a lot of time and money.
Avoid butt joints where possible, but if they are necessary, locate them as far from the center of the wall as possible to help mask the seam. While it is best to use full panels, do not butt a tapered edge to panel ends (Plan C). This configuration produces an 8-ft. long butt seam that will be difficult to finish. The best solution is to stagger the long panels and fill in with pieces cut from another (Plan D). For all butt joints, panel ends must break on a framing member unless you plan to use back blocking to recess the seam. In rooms with ceilings over 8 feet in height, use 54"‑wide panels. If ceilings are taller than 9 feet, consider using longer panels installed vertically.
Drywall seams must fall on the centers of framing members, so measure and mark the framing when planning your layout. Use long sheets horizontally to span an entire wall. Avoid butted end joints whenever possible; where they do occur, stagger them between rows so they don't fall on the same framing member. Don't place seams over the corners of doors, windows or other openings—joints there often crack or cause bulges that interfere with trim. Where framing contains utility lines, draw a map for future reference, noting locations of wiring, pipes and shutoff valves.
