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Sheetrock to concrete: Leave a gap at the bottom?

Jamie_K | Posted in General Questions on

Slab on grade with 2 ft concrete stem wall around perimeter and some interior walls on pressure treated on slab.  I’m fairly certain we want to ensure that sheetrock does not touch concrete.  Thinking of leaving gap between where exterior walls meet stem wall, butt interior walls (that run all the way down the stem wall to the slab) to exterior walls so they don’t touch stem wall, and gap between where interior walls meet slab finished floor.  We custom designed wall height.

To finish and for air tightness, would we then caulk bottom of raw edges to pressure treated wood they all sit on or use something else?

Then, put a piece of wood trim over or don’t want wood trim touching concrete either?

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Jamie,
    Use caulk at the gap between the drywall and the slab. Usually, your baseboard is installed after your finish flooring, so your baseboard won't be touching the slab -- unless, of course, the slab is your finished floor.

    If the slab is your finished floor, I assume that (a) it is insulated, and (b) it is detailed to be dry. Assuming you've got your details right, your baseboard can be in contact with your slab under these circumstances.

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