Should I (how to) tape/support drywall seem next to cabinet

Justin Hall
by Justin Hall

I'm replacing the dry wall in our kitchen and then adding a tile backsplash. What is the best practice in terms of taping/mudding the seem that is right up against the cabinet base/top (see pic). Should I add horizontal 2x4s for support behind the drywall?


Basically I'm getting conflicting feedback on wether or I need a horizontal nailer. On reddit I here yes. This guy uses nothing. https://youtu.be/YZBqYskcs2w?t=458

  13 answers
  • Tex11597626 Tex11597626 on May 27, 2020

    A horizontal nailer is not needed. If tile is going to be installed on this area, I wouldn’t mud & tape the seams either.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on May 27, 2020

    Anywhere you are going to have tile, you should be putting up cement board. You can do this instead of sheet rock. The tile will adhere to it better and it helps with the moisture. Also, it is thicker. I like having something to screw to on all 4 sides of whatever board you use. If you don't, you will have a much more likely occurrence of cracks down the road. My SIL insisted on putting sheet rock lain down, his cousin told him it was the best way, so they did in their hallway. They have re-mudded the area multiple times at the 4' height because there is no board where the pieces meet.

    • Marcia Marcia on May 28, 2020

      I was flooded and had to cut 2ft off the bottom of my drywall. I had to angle cut the bottom of the top part to make V to attach the 2 together. I used powder quick set drywall mud and the screen tape. Mud in creavice, tape and mud on top. It dries in like 10 to 15 min. Then you continue with one more coat of that and then regular mud, feathering as you go. 3 years, no cracks.

  • Ken Erickson Ken Erickson on May 27, 2020

    Don't bother with horizontal nailers or joints if you are tiling all the way.

  • Jan Clark Jan Clark on May 27, 2020

    Your cabinets are supported by the studs and that's all you need between them and the counter top. Because there will be little stress on the dry wall, anchoring it to the studs will work just fine. Don't bother with overkill of horizontal support. Enjoy your project!

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on May 27, 2020

    I wouldn't bother with a horizontal board either. A little extra support is never a bad idea but I don't believe its necessary. Depending on your tile you could consider a piece of trim board to cover the extra up along the bottom of the cabinets that matches your cabinets after you install the backsplash.

  • Angie Angie on May 27, 2020

    I agree, no horizontal board needed. Tape and mud seams for sure. Make certain you know in advance where those studs are for screwing in drywall

    otherwise you may have a lot of unnecessary holes trying to hit a stud.

  • Seth Seth on May 27, 2020

    Ideally, you would have cut the drywall a little below the cabinets and tried to pop the tiles off to get a nicer seam between the old and new drywall. If you use cement board, then no horizontal nailer or mud/tape is necessary. If you drywall, you might get some flex, especially if your studs are not plumb. In that case I would add the horizontal nailer below the cabinet to provide rigidity and try to tape and mud to firm up the seam. Yes, a little more money and time to add the nailer, but that's better than tiles popping off sometime in the future.

  • William William on May 27, 2020

    No horizontal boards are needed. No taping or mudding at the cabinets because it can't be done. Tile will cover the seams.

  • Marcia Marcia on May 28, 2020

    Cement backer board would be stronger and not flex. If the studs are 16” on center I wouldn’t bother with header boards. If your drywall is flat with no seam V I wouldn’t bother with mud. If you do get the powdered quick dry mud it dries hard like plaster.

  • Trudy Trudy on May 28, 2020

    With cement backer board, no additional support needed!

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on May 30, 2020

    All what I would do is add a sheetrock or cement board and install tiles over that without really taping sheetrock connections that well


  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on May 31, 2020

    You don’t need it unless you are going to put something up on the wall that you need extra supports or it’s your kitchen if you want it make him put it there it’s only 4 extra boards

  • Looks like you have enough support there to hold it, as obviously there was drywall there before.