Finishing the butt joints where the short ends of drywall panels meet takes more time than finishing the seams where the tapered, long edges of panels meet. Because there isn't a recess at the butt, you get a buildup of joint compound. To combat this issue, we use butt boards. There are ready-made butt boards that you can buy, but we like to make our own. We use 3/4-in. OSB and rip 4-ft. pieces into 51/2-in. strips. We set our tablesaw's blade height to 23/4 in. and the bevel to 11/2° and run the strip through the saw. Once one side is beveled, we flip the piece and bevel the other side. When using butt boards, hang the drywall panel so that the butt end lands in about the middle of a stud, joist, or rafter bay. Once the drywall is fastened to the framing, we install the butt board on the floating end of the panel. The next piece of drywall is installed on the other side of the butt board. The drywall ends follow the contour of the bevel, creating a recessed joint that's less visible and easier to finish.
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