How to Install Drywall on Gable Ceilings

Drywall panels are composed of pressed gypsum particles and covered with paper to provide a smooth surface for walls and ceilings. Sold in 4-foot widths and 8- 10- or 12-foot lengths, drywall panels are heavy and unwieldy and require a minimum of two workers to install. A gable, or vaulted, ceiling, rises from the top of the side walls to form in inverted "V" at the peak. You'll need some basic carpenter's tools, scaffolding and a lift to install the panels safely.

Drywall lift
Drywall panels
Drywall screw gun
Measuring tape
Utility knife
Scaffolding

Instructions

- 1
  Install drywall on the walls first, making sure the top edge of the wall panel reaches the exact point where the slope of the gable ceiling begins.
- 2
  Measure from the side wall to the stud closest to the length of your drywall panel. For example, if you were installing 10-foot panels, you would measure from the edge of the wall to the middle of the stud that is just short of 10 feet. If you determine the nearest stud to 10-feet is 9-foot, 8-inches from the wall, that's your measurement.
- 3
  Measure and cut your drywall panel to that length. It's important that you measure very accurately. The end of the panel must extend (or break) only one-half of the way over the stud. The other half of the stud is needed to secure the next drywall panel.
- 4
  Put the cut sheet of drywall on the drywall lift and hoist it into place along one edge of the sloped ceiling, with the cut edge against the side wall and the factory edge breaking on the pre-determined stud.
- 5
  Hold the panel in place while your assistant inserts drywall screws ½ inch from the edge of the panel, into the stud beneath. Insert screws every 8 inches through the drywall and into the studs. Numerous studs lie beneath the panel. Insert screws in a line into each one.
- 6
  Measure and cut your second panel, making sure the far edge also breaks on a stud. Sometimes, the panels will break on the studs without cutting but not always.
- 7
  Lift the next panel into place and hold it while your assistant secures it with screws. Repeat all the way across the wall and then start the next row up with a new sheet, measuring and cutting as you go.
- 8
  Cut the uppermost sheet horizontally to fit, when you reach the peak of the gable. Depending upon the ceiling height, you may need a 3-foot width or an 8-inch width, it just depends on the open space. If the piece is narrow, you won't be able to use the drywall lift and you will have to hold it in place by hand while your assistant secures it with screws.
- 9
  Repeat the process on the other side of the gable ceiling.

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