DIY Hanging Drywall on a Ceiling

Rent a drywall lift from a home improvement store. Clear away any old ceiling installation, down to the bare rafters. Load the drywall sheet on the lift and raise it up to the ceiling. Position it so it is perpendicular to the rafters.

Screw drywall screws into the sheet at each place where it crosses a rafter. Put two screws in each rafter. Place them 1/2-inch in from the edge of the sheet so the drywall does not split on the edges. Set the screws below the level of the paper covering the drywall so you don't have screw heads sticking out.

Proceed around the room, positioning the lift, lifting the sheets and securing each one to the rafters. When you come to a ceiling fixture, lift the sheet up to meet the fixture and press. Lower the sheet and note where the impression has been made on the drywall surface. Cut out the hole, using a utility knife.

Measure the spaces at the edges of the ceiling where whole sheets of drywall do not fit. Cut down full-sized sheets to fit these spaces and screw them to the rafters just as you did with the other sheets.

Trowel drywall compound into the seams between each sheet, and smooth any compound that oozes out of the seams, using a mudding knife. Lay drywall tape over each seam. Press it into the compound by running a mudding knife along the seam. Trowel on another coat of compound and smooth it with a wider mudding knife. Let the joint compound dry. Cover it with another coat of compound after one hour. Make each layer of compound thin and smooth.