I am going to hand drywall to finish part of my basement and am wondering if I install horizontal instead of vertical, is it OK to have one seem at the 4 foot level run the entire length of the wall? All advice appreciated, thanks.

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Drywall's thickness on the long end is thiiner for a certain length to facilitate a smooth taped joint. Your joints on the short end will be more difficult to do.

Let me re-phrase the question. Is it better to install it vertical or horizontal?

It does not matter what way drywall goes it may be easyer for you to finish the sheetrock if you stand them up then you won't have any butt joints but the framing has to be with 16 inch centers if not you would be better to lay them down

Vertical, you can allways use cove molding in the ceiling corners to hide imperfections or reduce the tape & mudding work, base molding covers the floor seams. And all that is left is the easy vertical seams. Apply it horizontal and your vertical seams will be hard to hide

I suppose you could do it either way, but every pro we've every used has done it horizontally. Stagger the sheets so you do not have a full height vertical seam, except in corners, of course. i.e. you never want to have 4 corners from 4 sheets meet at the same spot.)

You are going to have a seam at the ceiling anyway, and at the corners. With a horizontal seam at the 4' level, then that is at least easy to reach compared to a number of vertical seams every 4 ' if you run the sheets vertically.

Well it seems there are different opinions that are probably all right, I think I'll flip a coin and go from there. Thanks for all the advise.

Horizontal is always the best way to go, you will always have a place to screw and you don't have to worry too much about 16 inch centers, plus you are able to hang longer boards that will save you a lot of taping time and up and down ladders. For 9 and ten foot ceilings, you can do a but seam and spackle this while standing on the floor. Put a little dish detergent in the mud and mix it for a really smooth finish. You can also buy 54inch wide drywall from a drywall supplier for any height ceiling between 8 and 9.