I'm currently finishing my basement and we've got a wall that separates the finished living room from an unfinished storage closet. We asked the drywallers to only finish the living room side, but we were informed that the closet side needs to at least have drywall hung since it has exposed wires for outlets, which is apparently required by code. The crew who came for mudding and taping didn't do anything to the closet side. Is that acceptable? Since we had to hang drywall in the closet for code, shouldn't that side also be taped and mudded? I'm totally new to this process and would appreciate any guidance!
3 Answers
Taping and mudding is a simple DIY job if you’re up for it. It doesn’t have to be complicated! But if you’re looking to finish the closet with paint later, you'll definitely want to mud it first. I did something similar in my house to avoid future dings in drywall, but it sounds like your closet will stay as is.
Yes, the drywall in the closet should definitely be taped and mudded. This is essential to meet building codes for fire protection. It’s not just about covering wires—fire safety is the main concern. By taping it, you help slow the spread of fire in case of an emergency, so it's better to get this done to be safe.
If you simply want the space to keep things and don't intend to finish it later, hanging the drywall might be acceptable per code, but it’s still a good idea to mud and tape it for better fire safety. It’s usually better to be on the safe side!