Drywall Bundles, Lifts and Delivery

What is in a bundle of drywall

Two sheets. USG, Georgia-Pacific and CertainTeed all list their gypsum board as packaged two pieces to a bundle, and Georgia-Pacific and CertainTeed describe the pair as face to face and end taped. The tape across each end holds the pair together and can also carry the product markings.

Count sheets, not bundles, when you check an order. The Gypsum Association notes that one bar code printed on the end tape identifies only one piece in the bundle.

How much a bundle of drywall weighs

Multiply the sheet area by the published weight per square foot. USG gives 1.6 lb per sq ft for regular 1/2 in board, 1.25 for its lightweight 1/2 in panels and 2.2 for 5/8 in board, and notes that its weights are approximate, for design and shipping.

• 1/2 in lightweight: about 40 lb a sheet and 80 lb a bundle in 4x8, or 60 lb a sheet and 120 lb a bundle in 4x12.
• 1/2 in regular: about 51 lb a sheet and 102 lb a bundle in 4x8, or 77 lb a sheet and 154 lb a bundle in 4x12.
• 5/8 in type X: about 70 lb a sheet and 141 lb a bundle in 4x8, or 106 lb a sheet and 211 lb a bundle in 4x12.

Most bundles weigh 80 lb or more, so treat each one as a two-person carry. The Gypsum Association says panels should be handled by two or more people, carried on edge rather than flat, and never dragged or dropped.

Units, lifts and pallets

For the warehouse and the truck, bundles are stacked into units. USG calls them lifts, and they are what people usually mean by a pallet of drywall, although the Gypsum Association describes units sitting on risers: strips of gypsum board, wood or plastic laid across under the stack.

How many sheets make a lift is not standard. None of the manufacturer documents checked for this guide, from USG, National Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific and CertainTeed, gives a sheet count per unit for wallboard. Ask your supplier how many sheets their lifts hold for the board you are buying, especially if a lift has to fit a floor, a garage or a driveway.

Twenty-five sheets of regular 1/2 in board in 4x12 come to about 1,920 lb, close to a ton, the same stack the Gypsum Association uses to warn that units are very heavy. Lifts of long sheets may be strapped at each end so they do not flex when picked up; leave the strapping on until the board is on site.

How drywall delivery works

A large order usually comes on a boom truck, which lifts units off the bed and can stock upper floors. Smaller residential jobs are often stocked from a flatbed truck with a hydraulic lift arm. Before it arrives:

• Clear a firm, safe spot for the truck. The Gypsum Association tells drivers to survey the unloading area and avoid damaging septic systems, lawns and landscaping, so point out anything buried.
• Keep the boom clear of overhead power and utility lines, and tell the driver where they run.
• Schedule delivery close to hanging day. National Gypsum and the Gypsum Association both advise delivering board as near to the time it will be installed as possible.
• Decide where each type goes before it arrives: type X by the garage wall, moisture-resistant board by the bathroom, and never long sheets stacked on top of shorter ones.

Check the count, the edges and the ends before you sign. Under the Gypsum Association's guidance the driver notes any shortage or damage on the delivery ticket for you to sign, and board you damage while unloading is your responsibility.

Plastic wrap on a load is there for the trip only. USG, National Gypsum and Georgia-Pacific all say to take it off on arrival, because wrap left in place traps moisture and condensation that can lead to mold.

Stacking board inside the house

Stack board flat. Every manufacturer document checked for this guide says so, because board leaned on edge against the framing can topple or slide, and USG and the Gypsum Association warn that a falling stack can cause serious injury.

A flat stack puts all of its weight on the floor beneath it: twenty sheets of regular 1/2 in board press about 32 lb on every square foot under the stack, and twenty sheets of 5/8 in type X about 44 lb. USG says floor capacity has to be considered when stocking, and the Gypsum Association says to spread the weight so the floor is not overloaded.

• Split a big order into several shorter stacks in different rooms rather than one tall one.
• Put each stack where that board will be hung, out of the path of other trades, and store nothing on top of it.
• If you are unsure what a floor can carry, ask your builder or an engineer before stocking a large order on it.

Where the floor or the space cannot take flat stacks, USG describes a safer way to stand board up: spread it in vertical stacks around the sides of a room, with the bottom of the first sheet 4 to 6 in out from the wall, and mark the stacks with warning tape. Less than 4 in risks pulling the stack over; more than 6 in puts too much weight on the wall.

Storing drywall until it goes up

• Keep it dry and indoors. The Gypsum Association says gypsum panels should not be stored outdoors, because rain and humidity cause stains, mold, delaminated facing and sag.
• Lift it off the floor on risers. USG says to use wood risers so moisture does not wick into the board, no more than 28 in apart and within 2 in of the ends, each layer directly above the one below. National Gypsum shows four risers under a 4x8 stack and six under a 4x12.
• Keep it out of direct sun and away from sustained temperatures above 125°F, the limit USG, National Gypsum and the Gypsum Association give.

If board has already sagged, the Gypsum Association's fix is to restack it flat with the risers about 4 to 6 in closer together and leave it for several days. USG notes that damaged edges are more likely to ridge after taping, so use sheets with crushed edges where that edge will be cut off.

This guide summarizes the Gypsum Association's handling guide and the manufacturers' published documents. Your supplier's delivery terms, the product's current instructions and your builder's advice on floor capacity come first.