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September 04, 2010
 
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Install Drywall on Vault Ceilings

Where the ceiling is pitched, install the sheets as you normally would with one exception. Load the wallboard onto a drywall lift that is tiltable. The steeper the pitch, the more the situation will call for a cradle to avoid slippage when the sheet is being hoisted and held steady.

Hoisting Ceiling Drywall A wider base will stabilize the taller carries. This is critically important for safety reasons.

Fasten the sheets with nails or by driving screws as you would for a flat ceiling. Which will entail driving screws from a second form of access, like a ladder, scaffold or electric lift.

The hoist works well for vault ceilings and also standard flat ceilings. Certain models can deliver to ceilings to 11' and take sheets up to 16' and. with the craddle some deliver onto wall applications. But barrel vaults and arches, are lifted straight on, since the lift platform does not accomodate the curvature.

For ceilings with curvature, such as a barrel vault, install flex sheets, which are thinner sheets of drywall, that bend with the curve and accomdate the arc -- making sure any differences in thickness align flush. For cathedral ceilings the steepness of pitch will in part determine the method of getting the drywall up there. The total height too will contribute to the method of mobilizing the wallboard into position.

Automated lifts, such the scissor lift, are practical for raising multiple sheets depening on the load rating although they cannot position the wallboard which requires installers to handle the panels. Some of these working platforms extend to as mush as 50' plus with lift capacities of 1500 pounds with light models going down to 15' ceiling ranges with roughly 600 lb ratings, depending on model. And with a 4' x 8' 1/2" sheet around 52 pounds, and the same thickness at 4'x12' about 78 pounds, the weight adds up quick when combined with the installers and the stability that has to be maintained at height.

Access is requried for finishing alike so the sharing of scaffold, whether rolling, static, or what you have might prove mutually worthwhile.




Arch Ceiling
Barrel Vault Ceiling
Lifting Drywall on a Cathedral Ceiling


For ceilings supported by large trusses -- many homes experience 'truss uplift' - basically, the movement between the high and low chords of the truss. This is caused by a change in the moisture content of the framing truss. Effectively, pulling or temporarily bowing the bottom chords upward, which brings on ceiling cracking.

A pre-treatment for this is to cause a float in the wall by nailing higher from the corner (where the ceiling meets the wall) than you normally would and/or attach drywall clips on the inner/partition walls. Relieving a portion of the stress, or deflection in these joint areas.


See Also
Finishing Tips Drywall Ceiling Repair Sanding Tips


Taping, Mudding and Ceiling Texture Topics

 
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