Articles By Syndicated Columnist
Dan Thomas
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Improvement Inside And Out
How
To Drywall A Ceiling
Project Overview:
When installing drywall the ceiling goes in
first, in part so that the drywall on the walls will support the edges, and in
part to ensure a tight seam at the edges of the room. Apply the drywall in
several rows, each made of the longest pieces you can handle. Half-inch drywall
comes in lengths of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet. In the best of all possible
worlds, you can use a sheet as long as the room, but unless you’re experienced
and have lots of helpers the sheet may be...
Step 1
SET UP THE ROOM
Rent or buy platforms or scaffolding so that you can reach the ceiling
easily. If you can’t cover the
length of the room in a single sheet, the
ends (but not the sides) of adjoining pieces have to meet over a joist.
Measure to find the middle of the joist you’ll use. Measure for any cutouts
in the edge of the sheet, and for other obstructions such as an air vent,
which sticks out and would bend if you tried to cover it.
Step 2
CUT THE SHEET
Measure and cut the sheet to length, guiding a utility knife along a
drywall T-square. Lay out any cuts you’ll have to make for obstructions. If
there are openings along the edge, like the one in the corner of this sheet,
cut along the lines with a drywall saw.
Step 3
MAKE ANY NECESSARY INTERIOR CUTOUTS
Most cutouts on the interior of the sheet are made after the drywall is in
place. The air vent in this room,
however, extends through the drywall and
would bend if you try to cover it without making a cutout. Lay out the cut,
punch the nose of a drywall saw through the sheet to start the cut, and then
cut along the lines.
Step 4
APPLY ADHESIVE
Adhesive helps hold the panels in place. Put a tube of drywall adhesive in
a caulk gun. Cut off the tip, puncture the seal with a screwdriver or nail,
and spread a 3/8-inch bead of drywall adhesive along the ceiling joists.
Step 5
PUT THE PANEL IN PLACE
Work with some helpers to put the panel in place so that it’s tight
against the studs along both corners. Cover electrical boxes that are mounted
on the ceiling. You’ll cut them out later. Screw the panel to the joists wit
h1 ¼-inch drywall screws.
Step 6
START THE SECOND ROW
Start the second row before you finish the first row. Start at the end of
the room opposite from where you began, and put up a full sheet. This
automatically offsets the short seams from row to row, creating a stronger
surface. It also keeps an out-of-square corner from creating a zigzag row that
makes subsequent rows hard to hang.
Step 7
FINISH THE FIRST AND SECOND ROWS
Measure and cut pieces to fit in the openings at the end of the first and
second rows. Apply adhesive, and screw the panels in place. Continue
installing full-width rows, alternation between ends of the room as you start
each row.
Step 9
INSTALL THE LAST ROW
Put up adhesive, and screw the last pieces in place.
