Looking for those with experience using a drywall lift. I need to do my garage ceiling. The garage is 28x32 and the ceiling is about 9'6" high. Will the lift make this a 1 man project? Worst thing I see so far is measuring then dropping the garage door rails and opener.
Should I get help? I'm the type that can manage to do a lot of 2 man jobs by myself, but I often end up busting my ass and wishing I would have got help.
Anything I should look for in a good rental lift?
Should I go with 8' or 12' sheets?
1/2" or 5/8" (I should probably ask my fire insurance company because if you remember, there are NO building codes where I live.) I don't think weight isn't an issue, the attic trusses are 2x12's for the garage ceiling/attic floor.
Use 5/8 if you have a house attached to the garage and there isn't a 5/8 wall extending to the roof already. Use 12 foot sheets if you can handle them alone.
That high and with material that heavy, you want a second person, at least for the initial hanging- you can maybe fill in the field screws by yourself later, once enough are in so it won't fall down. Even if a no-code area, if you are storing anything in the attic you care about, or some future owner may try to make it into guest quarters or something, go with the 5/8 fire-stop rated rock, and treat all the joints as if it were a code area. Makes property easier to sell, and if new owners insurance or mortgage company happens to do a site visit, they will be happier. Pick the size of the sheets based on what you can store and handle without killing yourself- you'll be cutting them anyway to get staggered joints. As recent threads on here have pointed out, you want the long dimension on the sheets to be at right angles to the joists.
As to the lift- if you foresee this project taking awhile, look on CraigsList for a lift you can buy and resell, versus paying rental and being in a hurry to get the panels hung. You make more mistakes when you are tired and your back is sore. If you don't have a screw shooter, get one. Nailing over your head is a young man's game. And for the garage door rails- most people around here mount them on 2x4 blocking lagged to the joists (if they aren't already), and rock around them. A layer of drywall is not a good thing to have in the hardpoints for something that vibrates and flexes several times a day. Drywall turns back into dust, the whole mess starts floating, and the door jams when you least expect it.
Now, having said all that, and being crappy at hanging rock, and seeing how easy a crew of young guys that do it every day makes it look, I'd hire it done. They will be in and out in a day. Crunch the numbers for you doing it, and get one of the free walk-through estimates from a freelance or moonlighting guy, and make your own decision. Tell them you will have the rock and the screws waiting, all you want is their expert labor and tools.
-- aem sends, needing to have the half-ass job previous owner did in my garage, at least partially redone....
This is almost certainly one of those occasions. In fact it's one of those things where, even with help, you'll probably still wish you had hired it out.
One of these:
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you're not likely to find it in a rental place. With the loader attachment you only need to lift the sheet a few inches rather than all the way up to the cradle (~36")
12' sheets if you can handle them.
The roof no, the garage ceiling, the attic ceiling and the attic floor were supposed to handle the garage being finished with drywall and the attic room to be finished and carry a live load... or something like that. I'll dig out the blueprints.
I think I have the right blueprints here, I had other bids for the trusses. Anyway the one in front of me reads:
Loading (psf) TCLL 20.0 TCDL 10.0 BCLL 40.0 Applied only to the room (attic) BCDL 10.0
And in the notes it lists additional loads with the same names (lot of other loads but I'll wait to see if I have the proper blueprints before going any further. These are 12/12 pitch, 30' wide sitting on block walls 28' across with a 16' wide attic room.
I just looked it up and see that 5/8 drywall only weighs about 2.3 lbs/square foot, so I think I'm safe.
It's not attached but I'll probably go 5/8 to make the insurance company happy. The only time I ever hung 12' by myself was on the walls of my old garage and it wasn't easy at all!! What I'm asking is how *easy* does using a lift make the job. My last garage it took one pro and two dummies (I was one) to do the ceiling with 12', but again I never used a lift and don't know how well they work.
I've always done my own drywall. It's not at all a difficult job, but it is one that can be frustrating to beginners until you get the hang of it. Unlike a lot of other jobs, there is a definite art to it, especially as if you do a bad job it looks like it, and it's right smack dab in the middle of the wall for all to see.
One of the tricks is to use a lightweight topping compound for your second and third feathering; that stuff is a dream to apply.
P/N:RLP9000. It has been several years now, but I seem to recall it was about $250 including shipping. I have been very happy with it and wish I had bought it years ago. Larry
I have often done ceilings with a homemade lift and 4 x 8s . One need to go slow, but you could build a pyramid given time to think it through.... The extra 25 pounds that a 12' sheet weighs would be a lot more trouble than the small advantage it may give in taping, If you are going to make a bedroom, you may be required to usse
5/8 for the local fire code. However, again, it is more trouble, and would serve no purpose in a garage. By all means call your fire insurance company, and they may tell you that your entire house needs to be 5/8, and may cancel your insurance until you do...... Unless it is specifically spelled out in your policy, I wouldn't worry about it, tho. It's usually a SAFETY issue (from a building code standpoint) and not a LIABILITY issue (from an insurance standpoint). And I don't personally think that the SAFETY code is that important for a garage, if there is no second story sleeping room overhead.....
I built my lift with an old car bumper jack, the bottom stand of an office chair (with rollers), some pipe, and a couple 2X4s. Worked well enough and I still have the pieces to use for my next invention..... Think it thru, and you will see how it is done.
Good luck. Just remember to go slow, and you will do fine.
Thanks for all the replies. I think however there is some miscommunication. I've hung drywall before, but not professionally. I've done walls by myself a few times. 8 foot wasn't too bad, 12 foot was difficult by myself. I did a garage ceiling with 3 people.
However I've never used a drywall lift and that is what I'm most concerned about. How well they work and if I can do it by myself, or will I be a helper to a friend who is a carpenter, or will I just need a helper?
Work just fine if you have open space and the floor is solid. It will hold the sheet up near the ceiling but it will not get it snug against the ceiling uniformly to "simply add screws" if that's what you're hoping for.
I'd say it's possible to manage alone w/ 8-ft'ers; outside-possible w/
10's and not worth the effort to even think of 12's.
All in all, buy a case of beer or two and crank up the barbie and get a couple of guys over and you could hang a relatively sizable plain garage ceiling in a very short day comfortably while you'd be fighting a weekend alone at best...
How well? Use one one time and you will refuse to do it anyother way after that.
Put panel on jack. Jack it up within a fraction of an inch. Adjust it Jack it tight
sit down and Have a coffee, read the paper or make love to your wife and the panel will still be there. Grab your step stool and procede to nail or screw at your liesure.
The commercial ones sit vertical. Set panel on it and rotate it horizontal and crank away. Should be no problem for one person with
12 footers.
They also work well for laying sheets horizontallyon teh walls - Same easy adjusting of the panel and no rush to "get a nail in over there fast before we lose it!"
You absolutely want to use a lift. No question about that. If you can get the sheets onto the cradle (~36 inches high) you won't _need_ any help hanging, but it's not worth abusing your back if you can get help.
Be sure you pull out the outriggers to support the ends of the sheetrock. You can see them extended in the top picture here:
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Make sure you're in control the winch handle before you release the brake or it'll come around and break your arm (or worse).
My telpro does. I'd expect any of the decent models (and most seem to be knock-offs of the telpro) would as well. What brand/model are you using that doesn't?
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