How to Drywall Around an I-Beam

When laying drywall over a ceiling, the presence of an I-beam is nothing more than a minor obstruction. While you can’t place drywall directly onto the beam, you can drywall around it by creating a bulkhead that surrounds the beam and conceals it from view. The bulkhead is a simple 3-sided drywall box with the beam inside. After completion, you’ll be left with the covered beam running through your ceiling, and a drywall surface that you can finish the same way as the rest of the ceiling.

Tape measure
Drywall track
Tin snips
Drill with screwset
Drywall screws
Drywall
Utility knife

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length of the I-beam with a tape measure.
- 2
  Cut drywall track to the measured length using a pair of tin snips. If multiple lengths of track are needed, then cut the pieces so that they fit the measured length when butted end to end.
- 3
  Place the track against the side of the ceiling joist running nearest to one side of the I-beam. Position the track so that the open end faces downwards. Attach the track to the side of the joist using drywall screws placed every 12 inches along the track length. Make certain to place a screw 1 inch from the ends of the track. If multiple tracks are needed, then butt the ends against each other and continue attaching them to the joist.
- 4
  Measure the height of the beam from the level of the ceiling joist to the base of the beam. Mark a piece of drywall at the measured height of the beam across the board with a pencil. Use multiple boards to create enough pieces to fit the length of the beam. Score the surface of the drywall along the marked line with a utility knife, and then snap the drywall along the score to break it at the line.
- 5
  Place the piece of drywall against the track so that the top of the length of drywall is flush with the ceiling, and the base even with the base of the I-beam. Drive screws through the board and into the track every 12 inches using a drill equipped with a screw set to secure the drywall in place.
- 6
  Repeat the board installation for the other side of the I-beam.
- 7
  Cut and place drywall tracks along the base of the drywall boards on the same sides of the boards as the tracks holding them to the ceiling joists. This time, screw the tracks in place pointed upwards, and flush with the base of the boards.
- 8
  Measure the distance between the two outside edges of the drywall boards on both sides of the I-beam. Cut enough drywall boards to cover the length of the beam, using the measured space between the two installed boards bracketing the beam to mark the width of each board.
- 9
  Place the boards across the span of the beam, covering the two tracks of the two separate installed boards. The sides of the bottom drywall board should be flush with the outside edges of the two installed boards. Drive drywall screws through the boards and up into the drywall tracks to secure the boards into place.
- 10
  Cover the bottom joints of the drywall bulkhead that you’ve created with corner beads. Screw the beads into place with drywall screws to add extra support to the joints of the bulkhead.

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