Garage Ceiling Installation

Measure the ceiling square footage to be covered

• 1

  Measure the length and width of the ceiling. Multiply the two numbers to determine the total square footage to cover. Drywall comes in four-foot-by-eight-foot panels, for a total coverage per board of 32 square feet. A 30-foot-by-30 foot ceiling means you have 900 total square feet to cover, which equals 30 boards of drywall needed to complete the job.

• 2

  Start at a corner of the ceiling and lift a board up and align it perpendicularly to the direction of the rafters. Press the board flat against the rafters with the whiter side of the board facing down to the garage floor. Screw the corner of the board into the rafter and continue working down the length of the board driving a screw through the board into each rafter it covers. The screws should be between eight and 10 inches apart.

• 3

  Cut the board so it ends halfway across the bottom edge of the last rafter it touches. Screw the corners of the cut board into the rafter.

• 4

  Lift up and press the next board so it aligns with the first board. The edge of this board should cover the remaining half of the rafter. Screw the board into the rafters using the same screw pattern as the first board. Continue doing this for the entire ceiling.

• 5

  Measure the width between the edge of the last full board and the wall. Mark the width on a full board and draw a straight line across the length of the board. Cut the board. Use this board as a template and cut the other boards. Lift the cut boards up to the rafters and screw the boards into the rafters.

• 6

  Measure the length between the edge of the last full board and the wall. Mark the length on a full board and draw a straight line across the width of the board. Cut the board. Use this board as a template and cut the other boards. Lift the cut boards up to the rafters and screw the boards into the rafters.

• 7

  Fill in the screw holes with joint compound and smooth the compound by removing any excess. Measure the seams where the boards meet. Cut the joint tape to those measurements. Wet a length of tape and press the edge over the edge of the seam. Working down the length of tape, skim a layer of joint compound over the tape until it is smooth. Allow the joint compound to dry for one day.

• 8

  Sand the seams and screw holes until smooth. Sweep the ceiling to remove dust and debris. Paint the color of your choice.