Drywall – Hanging drywall: How to shim 1.5″

drywall

I'm working on framing a wall where a sliding glass door once sat. In retrospect, I believe I should have used 2×6 lumber to frame the wall, rather than 2×4. While one side sits perfectly flush with the existing wall, the other side (shown in the picture) sits about 1.5" back from the existing wall.

Can I screw 2x4s horizontally to the framing to "shim" the drywall into the correct position?

Also, these are several different things hanging on the existing wall (some sort of cement shingle, tar paper, foam board, etc) Do I need to remove all of these prior to hanging drywall, or should I leave them as extra insulation?

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Here is an up close view so you can see the gap between the framing and the existing "wall":

enter image description here

Any advice is appreciated.

Best Answer

My thoughts the same about drywall @Comintern, to make up the 1.5 it would be easiest to attach 2x4's sideways. If this is now a inside room I would remove the old exterior siding, However the “cement shingles” look like the asbestos type commonly used you might want to have them tested prior to working with them for health reasons. I don’t think I would ever put drywall over the lap siding even with the sheet insulation if now an interior room. If this is still exposed to the elements you really should use exterior sheeting.