How to Level & Sheetrock or Drywall on an Uneven Ceiling
- Step 1. Hammer 16-penny nails along the tops of the two walls that run parallel with the ceiling joists, putting the...
- Step 2. Stretch a string tightly between each pair of nails on opposite ends of the room, so the string runs...
- Step 3. Affix aluminum or wood joists alongside each of the existing joists, with...
Full Answer
What is the best method of hanging drywall on ceiling?
- Take the fan down
- Take the drywall down where you want the fan to go. Hopefully there is a board to hang the fan from. ...
- Fasten a new electrical box that can support a fan to an appropriate structural member/board in the ceiling. Add a board or boards if necessary.
- Wire the new box. ...
How to strap a ceiling before installing drywall?
Strapping Ceilings
- Attaching the drywall. My understanding is that installing strapping originated from the need to create a flat surface for attaching the ceiling to the uneven hand-hewn timbers once used as ...
- Making the subs happy. The trades that work in this area always appreciate strapping. ...
- Adding rigidity to the floors. ...
- Installing strapping. ...
How do you install drywall on ceiling?
To help you install the drywall on the ceiling, you can refer to the list below:
- The drywall panel should fasten on each joist on the ceiling. By doing so, the drywall attaches firmly to the foundation of your house.
- Determine how you hang the drywall. ...
- It would help to use large sheets of drywall boards instead of multiple boards. ...
- Make sure to press the drywall firmly to tightly bond with the wall.
How to hang a heavy bag from drywall ceiling?
Method 2 Method 2 of 2: Dangling Items from Hollow Drywall or Plaster
- Anchor an object to a heavy ceiling with a toggle bolt. ...
- Measure and mark where the toggle bolts will go. Climb a sturdy ladder or step stool so you can comfortably reach your ceiling.
- Drill pilot holes in the marked spots. ...
- Center your object beneath the pilot hole. ...
- Install the toggle bolt to hold the object in place. ...
How do you install drywall on an uneven ceiling?
9:4222:20How to Match Uneven Drywall and Level Ceilings - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd that's going to make it so this drywall is going to match up here. And be flat all the way downMoreAnd that's going to make it so this drywall is going to match up here. And be flat all the way down same thing over here one inch piece and i'm just going to go on top of each piece of strapping.
How do you level an uneven ceiling?
0:463:01How to Level an Uneven Ceiling - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we did there was we built a soffit. And just dropped it down about six inches that gives usMoreSo what we did there was we built a soffit. And just dropped it down about six inches that gives us the opportunity to cover the plumbing pipes. And to straighten out that imperfection. So now on the
How do you hide an uneven ceiling drywall?
How do I hide my uneven ceiling?Paint the ceiling and walls the same color to hide the uneven ceiling and wall joint.Add some type of decorative crown molding. ... Add an open cabinet or fill the space with some decoration like a faux plant to distract the eye from the corner.
How do you drywall an uneven surface?
Use shims or glue to minimize uneven studs. Wall framing, including wall studs, supports drywall panels. If the wall studs are uneven, the finished wall can look wavy unless you take action during the drywall panels' installation to minimize the problem.
Should you strap ceiling before drywall?
Without strapping, you'd be attempting to nail the drywall joints on only half of a side of 2x lumber. While this can be done on wall installations, it's not by any means desirable. You'll end up with more seams. By strapping the ceiling, you ensure optimum nailing surface and spacings for drywall.
Are furring strips needed for ceiling?
If you're hanging drywall on new ceiling joists, you probably won't need furring strips. Standard drywall panels attach directly to the joists with drywall screws. If the ceiling is old, however, and you don't want to remove the existing ceiling finish, furring strips can provide a solid base.
How do you cover a sagging ceiling?
Installing styrofoam ceiling tiles is one of the easiest ways to change an ugly ceiling into a beautiful one. The ceiling tiles attach directly to the existing ceiling using an adhesive. The beauty is that there are a number of different patterns available and they are not expensive.
How do you make a level line for a ceiling?
0:035:05How to chalk line the ceiling - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat's going to come through the middle of our likeness we're not going to be able to get that lightMoreThat's going to come through the middle of our likeness we're not going to be able to get that light through there without it sort of written. So a nice and easy way for you it's dead straightforward.
How do you flatten a ceiling?
3:157:00How to Flatten a Textured Ceiling | Ask This Old House - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGet some on your knife. Get it to the edge of the ceiling. And spread nice. And smooth the key is toMoreGet some on your knife. Get it to the edge of the ceiling. And spread nice. And smooth the key is to keep the coat steam. And add multiple coats for nice and smooth.
Do drywall shims work?
The answer is drywall shimming. Far from being technological marvels, drywall shims are dead-simple, cheap cardboard strips sized perfectly for studs. Those warped, twisted, and bowed studs benefit from shimming partial sections. The occasional stud that is too far back can be shimmed from top to bottom.
What can I use for drywall shims?
0:433:49Shim Drywall keep it flat - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGuys. These are shims that I use a lot for plaster. So I can I can bring the drywall. And plaster toMoreGuys. These are shims that I use a lot for plaster. So I can I can bring the drywall. And plaster to the same plane. So I can take from finish plaster. And guess what this is cardboard. It's just
What should you do with ceiling joists that aren't perfectly straight?
One effective method for creating a flat surface for ceiling drywall is to install “strapping” to the joists, then fastening the drywall to the strapping. Installed properly, 1-by-3-inch spruce or pine strapping runs perpendicular to the direction of the ceiling joists.
How do you fix a wavy ceiling?
2:125:35Skim Coating Drywall on a WAVY Ceiling with a 40" Skim Coating BladeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou need to use fast setting joint compound which we call hot mud and the purpose of that is becauseMoreYou need to use fast setting joint compound which we call hot mud and the purpose of that is because if you use regular joint compound it will take forever to dry it will shrink terribly.
How do you flatten a ceiling?
Scoop a small amount of the joint compound off the hawk using the taping knife, and then apply it in thin, smooth coats over the textured ceiling. This technique requires multiple coats, so don't feel the need to fill in all the low spots on the first pass. Wait roughly 45 minutes for the first coat to dry.
How do you fix a dip in the ceiling?
Two solutions for a sagging ceiling Sagging in a ceiling may be caused by undersized drywall. You either have to replace 1/2-in. drywall with 5/8-in. or add furring strips and a second layer of 5/8-in. drywall.
How do you fix an uneven plaster ceiling?
The plaster should be ready to paint with no sanding or filling, but if you have to, then i would use a filler called easy-fill, use a wide filling knife or even trowel and try to blend in uneven wall/ceiling, wait to dry, sand down and paint .
How to build up a low joist?
Low joists require you to build up the adjacent joists gradually over a few joists to meet that 1/8" (or 1/16").
How far should I put furring strips?
Since your ceiling is so uneven, I would recommend installing furring strips approximately 16" on center perpendicular to the ceiling joists across the entire ceiling. I would also install them around the perimeter of the room. This will even out the waves in the ceiling, and the ceiling will appear to be perfectly flat. If you need to, you can shim behind the furring strip to level it up. It also has the added bonus of allowing you to run wires behind the drywall after it is installed.
Can you attach drywall to a 2x4?
If you have space, you can sister a straight 2x4 along side the joists at the proper height and attach the drywall to the 2x4. That's a good option if you only have a few bad joists. Pay extra attention to the joints in the drywall to make sure everything ends in the middle of a joist. You may end up adding a few extra 2x4's in some places just for nailers.
Can you fix ridges in drywall?
Once you get the drywall up you can somewhat correct ridges and valleys with a repeated skim coats of joint compound. However, it's difficult, messy, and much easier to fix the framing first.
Do you glue shims to wallboard?
I attach the shims with staples, but many people like to glue ceiling wallboard in place, to prevent dimples at the screws/nails in the future. If this includes you, then the shims should also be securely glued.
How Many Screws Do You Need to Hang Ceiling Drywall?
Aside from installing your wall drywall after your ceiling drywall, you also want to make sure that you’re using enough screws.
What Type of Drywall is Best for Ceilings?
If you don’t require the room your drywalling to be soundproofed, and it’s not a bathroom, laundry room, or other room where moisture is an issue, using 1/2″ thick lightweight drywall is definitely the way to go for a ceiling.
Do You Need Longer Screws to Hang Drywall on the Ceiling?
As for screw length, the industry standard is to use screws that are 50 percent of the length penetrating the framing members. This is regardless if it’s in the wall or ceiling.
Can You Put Drywall Over an Existing Ceiling?
If you have a ceiling that’s uneven, sagging, loose, or covered in thick, bad popcorn texture and want to fix it, it may turn out that the labor involved in refurbishing that existing ceiling will make the job more expensive than it’s worth .
Do You Drywall the Ceiling Before the Walls?
Yes, the ceiling drywall is always installed in a room first. This is so the drywall panels for the wall can then be pushed up tight against the ceiling panels, supporting the edge of the ceiling panel while also creating a joint that is less likely to crack later.
Why is my drywall uneven?
Sometimes when installing drywall you come across joints that are slightly uneven. This is due to either slight miscalculations in framing , warped studs or two different thicknesses of drywall. Taping these types of joint takes a little more work. This is because it is necessary to build up the joint properly.
How to get bubbles out of drywall tape?
Run an 8-inch drywall knife across the top of the tape at an angle from the top down to the bottom. Uses light pressure when dragging the knife across the tape because you want to force the compound to squeeze out of the edges of the tape. This flattens the tape against the wall and removes bubbles.
How to install 120 grit sandpaper?
Install 120-grit sandpaper into a hand sander. A hand sander is basically a flat piece of metal with a handle. The sandpaper fits under clamps on the top of the flat plate. Ensure the sandpaper is tight when tighten the clamps on the hand sander.
How to hide uneven ceiling line?
The trick with using paint to hide an uneven ceiling line is to use a darker color on the walls and a lighter color on the ceiling. Run the darker color into the ceiling or run the lighter color down the wall. Both methods work well, but the easiest is running the lighter color slightly down the wall. Start a chalk line at the end of the wall where the slant begins.
How to fix a wavy ceiling?
Waves in a ceiling indicate that the framing joists are not straight. Fix a wavy ceiling by applying a layer of drywall mud to even out the surface.
What are the two types of uneven ceilings?
The two types of uneven ceilings are waves in ceilings and slightly diagonal angles at the meeting point of the wall and ceiling. Uneven ceiling lines are not cause for concern. The drywall was cut a little uneven when it was installed.
Why is my ceiling uneven?
An uneven ceiling line is caused by slight mismeasurements of the drywall or normal settling of the house. Ideally the drywall should have a perfect 90° angle at the point where the wall and ceiling meet. Construction projects rarely turn out perfect. As long as the drywall was installed within acceptable specifications, the quality of the work is acceptable. Settling is a normal process that happens very gradually.
What is uneven ceiling?
There are two types of uneven ceilings. The first type of when the line between the wall and ceiling runs at a slight diagonal. The second type is when there are waves in the ceiling. Let’s look at each problem individually.
How long does it take to hide an uneven ceiling?
Hiding an uneven ceiling takes about one day. Uneven ceiling lines and wavy ceilings require two different approaches.
What does crown molding do to a room?
Adding crown molding or a fresh color of paint transforms a room. You have a clear vision of how the room will look once the job is finished. As the work begins, you realize that you have uneven ceilings. Should you give up on your dream room, or is there a way to hide uneven ceilings?
What is strapping on a ceiling?
Strapping attaches to the bottom of the joists, at 16-inch intervals, across the width of the ceiling. Strapping alone helps even out height discrepancies between joists, while shimming above strapping or planing low joists takes care of significant variances.
How to measure gap between joists?
Use shim material or plywood that is the same thickness as the measurement of the gap, and cut a piece that is at least 1 1/2 by 3-inches. Install the shim material between the strapping and the joist by nailing through the strapping and the shim into the joist.
How to make a line for a strapping board?
Use a chalk line to create a line which extends across the room from one marked joist to the other. Chalk a line at each opposite pair of marks. The chalk lines will be the layout marks for the strapping using a 16-inch-on-center layout. The center of each strapping board will be 16 inches from the center of the adjacent strapping board.
How to measure a joist?
Measure along the length of an end joist that is adjacent to a wall, and make a mark at 14.75 inches. Drive a nail halfway into that joist at the mark. Hook the end of the tape measure to the nail and mark the joist every 16 inches along its length across the room. Remove the nail when all measurements are marked.
Do you have to adjust the light box before installing drywall?
Do not forget to adjust light boxes or air returns to the new level of the ceiling before you install any drywall.
