Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 6/11/2009

Question
I want to add a floor above my living room and a contractor said he would secure a ledger board along the perimeter of the living room which the joist hangers would attach to.  However, he was not planning on removing the drywall that would be between the ledger board and the wall studs.  Wouldn't the drywall need to be removed, so that the ledger board would contact the studs directly?

Answer
Hi Kevin, it would probably be a good idea, especially for a floor system. Over time the drywall may break down and cause the ledger to loosen, however, if the board is attached with sufficiently sized lag bolts to withstand the shear of the weight involved you probably won't have any problems leaving the drywall in place.  If it is just a loft that won't get a lot of heavy traffic I wouldn't worry about it.  But if it were me?  I'd take the extra step and remove the drywall.  I hope this information helps, feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com