Sheetrocking ceiling

[Benjamin Miller]

Absolutely buy or rent a drywall lift. They're all over CL here... buy one used, use it, sell it.

If you aren't required by code to use firecode drywall, the 1/2" lightweight stuff is rated to span 24" OC. It's some fantastic stuff compared to regular drywall, and I predict regular drywall will be hard to find in a few years.

Always hang your sheets horizontally across wood framing, especially on ceilings. It is designed to be stronger in that direction. A 12' sheet gets 7 screws on each end, and 5 on each stud -- 34 screws per sheet on 24" centers, 49 screws per sheet on 16" centers.

It costs about 30 cents / sq ft around here for a textured finish, up to 45 cents / sq ft for a smooth finish. It is absolutely worth paying someone to do this. Every time I do drywall, I balk at the cost and do it myself, and every time I finish, I think "next time I'm paying someone." Hanging drywall is fun. Finishing drywall is a special circle of hell.

[Jim Andrew]

If you are going to hang a sheetrock ceiling, be sure to get the ceiling board. It has more fiberglass and is much stiffer than the wallboard. As for finishing a ceiling, if you get a tape gun or box of some kind, really isn't that hard. You might look for a utube video to get some tips first. I use a tape box to put mud on the tape, just stick it on and press it down with a wide knife, then to finish, use a box and a wide blade knive instead of a trowel. As for glue, in my area about all the sheetrock is glued. It adds greatly to the strength of the building. When builders were boxing with styrofoam, the wallboard was about all the strength factor in the building.

[Michael Zerance]

Finishing drywall is a special circle of hell.

LOL...yep!

[Tom M King]

When we finish sheetrock, after the first coat (including tape) is on, shine a light across it and knock off any high spots the next day when it's dry. Once you are sure nothing is too high, put a coat of primer on it. The primer will keep following coats from rewetting the first coat, and prevent the first coat from swelling from moisture in the second coat. It also makes it easier to sand over the paper without scuffing the paper.

Some people like to thin the tape coat. I like to use it right from the bucket, but shake it up with a mud masher. The less water that's in it, the less it will shrink. For the first coat, over the tape once it's on, I use an 18" concrete finishing trowel to put on enough of the first coat to level it out. Of course, it will shrink some anyway, but it will make the following coat/coats not need to be so thick.

With the second coat over the primer, it is possible that the mudding is finished, but this will take some practice with the system. If you need three coats, sponge smooth the second rather than sand it to leesen fighting dust.

On butt joints run a power planer across the studs (If I framed it there is a double there, and already sized down on a jointer) to take 3/32 off, so you will not have a hump at the butt joint. Use a long screed when mudding over this. Shine a light across it, right on the surface, when you think you are done to find any imperfections. Put a coat of paint on it, and check with the light again.

We have this down to a science, but it's different than you will see almost anywhere else. When we're done with a wall, you can put a light right on it and not not tell that it's a sheetrock wall.

This is probably more trouble than you might want to go to for a shop or garage, but we've done it so long like this that it's standard procedure.

I have a power pole sander, but it's overkill if you have done a good job all the way through the process. I like the hand sanders that Lowes sells with the non-screen finishing sheets in the finest grit. Good knife work leaves little sanding. I also have a banjo, but we can tape the job by hand about as fast as fooling with the banjo.

[Tom Hargrove]

IIRC, a 4 x 12 x 5/8" Sheetrock panel weighs about 105 lbs. When you install it on 24" centers, it really needs to be glued (construction adhesive), or it will sag over time, even if a lot of fasteners are used.

Based on your questions, my guess is that you don't have much experience in this area. This is not the time to get it. There is no way I would do this job myself, even with a lift. Paying someone to do it will be the best money you ever spent.

[Randy Gazda]

Sheetrock update. I used Craigslist to find a contractor (Gigs - Labor). Some weird responses but also some serious bids. I ended up getting a contractor on 72 hours notice and he hung 75 sheets for about $10 a sheet. He did a good job (not perfect but it is a garage) and was done in two days. He had to drive 60 miles one way and he and his helper camped in the garage the one night.

I decided not to tape and mud since it is still freezing at night and heat ready but there isn't ceiling insulation. Next step, ceiling insulation, should be blown in within a week.

Thanks for all the advise. I am currently planning to tape and mud the shop (1/3) myself. Then move tools, etc into shop and decide what to do in the 2 stall garage.

[Larry Edgerton]

Jim:

It is pretty humid (for Montana) but mostly the vapor barrier is to meet code (I had no idea there was a national energy/insulation code until I started this project).

Code is wrong.

Larry

[Randy Gazda]

Vapor barrier shouldn't go on warm side of walls/ceiling?

Code is wrong.

Larry