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One of the first things the do-it-yourselfer
realizes when learning how to build a drywall ceiling is that no man is an
island – unless he uses rented equipment! Because the panels are big, bulky,
and awkward, hanging drywall on a ceiling entails one or the other: the help
of another person or renting a drywall jack from your local home improvement
center. The cable mechanism on drywall jacks is not difficult to operate, and
jacks do an excellent job of holding the drywall in a secure, flat position
enabling you to more easily attach it to the ceiling.
Tools & Materials
How to build a drywall ceiling includes knowing
what all tools and material you’ll need. In addition to either another person
to help you or a drywall jack, you’ll also need a hammer, a drill with a
screwdriver bit, and nails or screws for drywall. You’ll also, of course, need
to measure your ceiling (twice!) and purchase enough drywall, including a
little extra in case of mistakes, to do the job. |
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Mark Joists First
Find the boards – usually 2x4s or 2x6s – that function as ceiling joists by
tapping along the wall studs with a hammer and following up the wall to the
ceiling. As part of learning how to build a drywall ceiling, mark where these
boards are located with a pencil. These are what you will be attaching the
drywall to and marking them beforehand makes it much easier to find them than
trying to find them as you are nailing or screwing on the drywall. You then need
to measure where the light fixture goes on the drywall and cut out a hole to
accommodate that area of the ceiling.
The Tough Part
Now’s the part in learning how to build a drywall ceiling where you’ll need the
other person (who hopefully has plenty of stamina in addition to strength!) to
hold the drywall up to the ceiling or to put the drywall panel on the jack.
Position the end of the sheet of drywall – with its finished side facing down –
at the center of the ceiling board (joist) to which you are going to nail it.
Nail around the outside of the panel about a half an inch from the edges to
prevent the drywall from splitting or cracking. The person who is holding the
panel can now move or, if you’re using a jack, you can move it out of the way.
Make It Pretty
Countersink nails or screws at six- or seven-inch intervals all along the length
of the joist to which the drywall has been attached. Countersinking allows you
to cover up the heads of the nails/screws with compound so that when you paint,
the heads won’t be at all visible. Although not really a part of knowing how to
build a drywall ceiling, learning how to cover up ugly nail or screw heads
serves its own purpose for overall general carpentry knowledge.
Learning how to build a drywall ceiling takes a lot more muscle than to attach
the sheets to the walls, but it can be done with a little thought, at least one
other person, and/or a jack. It really is pretty hard work, but, hey, after all
– you can do anything, right?
By Carlo Morelli
Having trouble with your drywall project? Discover the top ten
drywalling tips at
http://www.onlinetips.org
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com
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