I have to use 3/8 sheetrock for my kitchen ceiling to match an adjacent dining room ceiling. I was ready to install some Hi-Hats in my ceiling, but the brackets are designed to go under the ceiling joists, leaving the depth of the hi-hat for 1/2" sheetrock. This obviously will not work for me, so does anyone have any suggestions how to modify the bracket to accomodate 3/8 sheetrock? I was thinking install the hi-hat first, then bang the bracket upwards a few times to get the 3/8 depth I need, but maybe theres a better way to go about it.
I am not sure what model of light and trim you have. I would take a scrap piece of rock and loose set the light, even screw the rock to some scrap lumber to duplicate the installed position. Snap on the trim. I think you will find that the trim is well able to conceal the 1/8" discrepancy.
3/8" gyp board for a ceiling is begging for a saggy ceiling. Use 1/2" and just feather the discrepancy with some mud. An 1/8" difference will totally disappear if you feather it out 16" or more. If there is molding around the edge of the ceiling you might have to feather it out a bit more.
R
Unfortunately Halo uses a fixed 1/2" ring, unlike Lightolier which uses a flat ring. Screw the frame in place and lock the leg screw, I'd also tightly tape the leg overlaps together, then with the butt of the hammer, gently punch the entire frame up slightly. As the trims of standard halo fixtures use coil springs pulling downward on the frame, it would be a good idea to stick a few shims in the gap you will have between the sheetrock and the frame
I am using the H7ICAT (air tight). Unfortunately its not that easy to use 1/2" rock and feather it out. It's in a very visible location and I want it to look good. I had 3/8 there before for 40+ years and I had no problems, so I don't see why I would have a problem now. I'll try the hammer trick and see how that works.
Some codes prohibit 3/8" gypsum board on ceilings or limit its application. USG and the Gypsum Association do not recommend anything less than 1/2" gypsum board on ceilings that will receive a water- based finish - that means latex paint - and that is predicated on the
1/2" board running perpendicular to the framing. A kitchen produces a fair amount of moisture and that is also a contributing factor to sagging.
You can feather out anything. 1/8" is a minimal discrepancy and a suitably feathered joint would be totally invisible to even a trained eye.
BTW, it's probably wise to lose the "that's how they did it 40+ years ago" with respect to materials. Things change.
Cut that little tab part off that goes under the ceiling joist, but leave the nail-on section in tact. That way you can raise the bracket up a little. Tin snips or aviation snips should do the trick. I like to use BX cutting pliers for situations like this.
on 9/30/2007 10:23 AM Mikepier said the following:
Get a 1/8" sheet of anything solid. If you have access to the top of the ceiling, cut a hole in the piece equal to the size of the high hat hole and glue it to the top of the sheetrock. If you can't get to the top of the ceiling make the same piece but cut it in half in order to get it into the sheetrock hole and glue the two pieced there to make up the
Never installed a high hat? The joists have nothing to do with it. He's between the joists. The high hat is held by clamps that grab the sheetrock. His clamps are for a 1/2" thick sheetrock, but he has 3/8" sheetrock. He needs a 1/8 spacer sheet.
I think your talking about the old work hi-hats for existing ceilings, in which the tabs grab on to the sheetrock. I actually gutted my whole kitchen, so the hi-hats I'm using are for new construction and are held between the wood joists. In any event, I did try one hi-hat up between the joists. Then I carefully put my hands on the entire assembly and pushed upward slightly. That did the trick, all I needed was an 1/8". Like some suggested, I could have cut off the tab piece, or mortise out the bottom of the joists, but I got 8 hi-hats to install and it was just more easier what i did. With regards to using the 3/8 sheetrock on the ceiling, this is my opinion. Before I gutted my kitchen, I had the original 3/8 sheetrock on the ceiling and even after a roof leak that went undetected for a while, it never sagged. I could understand if every ceiling in my house sagged, I would be reluctant to use it again, but to be honest, my ceilings and walls look great. So this is why I decided to stick with 3/8". Not because it's cheaper or lighter. It just made sense to match the existing work. If I did a complete gut of the entire 1st floor, that would be a different story. By the way, I am putting in a vented range hood that helps out the moisture situation.
Yes, that also, but in this context, they're canister ceiling lights or recessed lights. Usually spelled as "high hats," these I know as can lights.
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