Drywall sheets are fastened to the ceiling joists.
Drywalling a ceiling requires some physical strength and stamina to hold the drywall sheets up over your head while you install them, but it's not a terribly complicated process. It's essentially the same as installing drywall on walls. You measure and cut the pieces so the ends sit on the edges of the joists -- the wood support beams in the ceiling -- then join the boards by taping and plastering the seams between them. You'll need an assistant to help hold up the drywall while you install it.
Instructions
1. Measure out eight feet from one wall along the ceiling, so the tape measure is perpendicular to the direction of the joists. Measure to the center of the last joist that's within this eight-foot distance. Your measurement will be 3/4 of an inch in from the edge of a 1 1/2-inch-thick joist. Your first sheet of drywall will extend from the wall to the center of this joist.
2. Transfer that measurement to a piece of drywall. Set your T-square on the edge of the drywall at the mark. Score the drywall along the square with your utility knife. Snap the piece in two at the score.
3. Lift the drywall to the ceiling on your ladders, with the help of an assistant. Set the cut side at the end of the ceiling so the other side is sitting along the middle of your last joist. Secure the sheet by driving 1 1/2-inch drywall screws through it every six inches along each stud, using your screwgun.
4. Hang the rest of the sheets of drywall in the same manner. Build out from the end of the first one, cutting the last sheet to fit when you reach the opposite wall. Cover the rest of the ceiling by installing additional rows of drywall sheets. Arrange the sheets so there are no four-way intersections where they meet.
5. Cover all the seams of the ceiling in mesh drywall tape. Spread joint compound over the tape with your drywall knife, making the line of compound a little wider than the tape and very smooth. Spread more compound over the screw holes. Let it set for about eight hours.
6. Add two more coats of compound over the seams, making each one a little wider than the one before it, and very flat. Let the second coat dry before applying the third. Let the final coat dry overnight.
7. Sand the seams and screw heads flat, using a drywall hand sander. Wipe away the sanding dust. Apply a coat of drywall primer, then paint the ceiling.
Tags: compound over, drywall sheets, from wall, , last joist, little wider