American How To Magazine

One of the jobs I hated most when framing homes was installing wood backer to support the drywall at inside corners and along ceilings. The extra lumber served no structural purpose and always had to be placed where I couldn't use a nail gun or where it was tough to swing a hammer. It often required crawling through an attic or working over my head from a ladder, a slow process that lessened the excitement of completing the framing.

Today, it's faster and easier to support drywall at corners and along ceilings thanks to a new product called THE NAILER. We discovered it at the National Association of Home Builders' annual Builders' Show earlier this year. The name may be odd considering that you don't nail it to anything and you don't nail anything to it. But there's nothing silly about how well the device works.

Evolution of an idea

Until The Nailer came along, metal dry-wall clips were the only alternative to installing wood backers at ceilings and in corners. The clips slipped over one drywall panel to support the next at an inside corner. Drywall contractors hated them because they tended to fall off and the exposed metal tabs complicated taping.

Compare and Save. You will use 5 Nailers for every 8' vertical corner. 5 Nailers = .78 cents. 1 Stud = $2.50. You can't loose.

The Nailer is different and, I think, much better. The plastic tabs are attached during the framing in a fraction of the time it would take to install solid wood backing. They can be attached to the studs and plates using hand-, pneumatic- or electric staplers. You install the drywall against them rather than into them. Often, you don't even have to fasten the drywall to the tabs. The 1-1/2-in.-square stops prevent the first sheet of drywall from flexing into the wall or ceiling cavity. When you install the adjacent sheet, it holds the first sheet tight to the corner. If you do need extra support, you can screw the drywall to the tabs. Like wood backer, the plastic tabs are concealed by the drywall so they don't complicate things at the taping stage.

To start the installation, find a corner that requires backing for drywall. There is only one measurement that is crucial when installing The Nailer on a wall: the horizontal joint between two sheets. Assuming 8-ft. ceilings, measure down 48-1/2-in. from the top plate. This dimension represents the width of a sheet of drywall, plus the thickness of the drywall for the ceiling. (If you are using 5/8-in. drywall on the ceiling, increase your measurement by 1/8 in.) Next, center The Nailer on your mark and secure it with two or three 1/2" staples.

With the first Nailer installed, add others 16 in. on center. An easy way to get correct spacing is to mark a story pole from the top plate at 16-1/2, 32-1/2, 48-1/2, 64-1/2 and 80-1/2 in. (A story pole is simply a long scrap or piece of furring with reference marks made on it.) To use The Nailer on ceilings or on soffets, attach them 16 in. apart (above every stud).

Added Benefits

One of the reasons drywall backers came into widespread use was the issue of truss uplift. During seasonal changes, roof trusses may bow as the wood expands and contracts. Drywall attached to trusses rises and falls as well, often cracking the joint between the ceiling and the wall. To prevent cracking, The Nailer manufacturer suggests you not fasten to the truss for the first 16 in. from the wall. Instead, attach the drywall to The Nailer stapled to the top plate on the side of each truss. This way, the drywall can "float" independent of the truss where it meets the wall.

by Blake Stranz
Editor of Am. How-To

The Nailer also improves energy efficiency by eliminating the need for extra framing in the wall. It's a lot easier to install "friction fitting" insulation in corners without those extra studs getting in the way. The device also saves lumber and makes use of recycled plastic.
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Install the Nailer with two to three staples or a single roofing staple or nail
The textured grid face prevents skating, so screws zip right into the plastic tab
Once both surfaces are drywalled, The Nailer disappears, so taping is easy
Because it attaches to the top plate, not to the trusses or the joists, The Nailer helps prevent cracks and nail pops as the lumber moves due to changing temperatures
In corners, The Nailer provides the backing. There is no need for extra lumber, which takes up valuable insulation space and reduces R value.