As a do-it-yourselfer, you usually do all the construction jobs in your home yourself. But, when it comes to hanging a drywall ceiling, you will find that you really cant do it yourself and you will eventually seek the help of another person unless you use rented equipments, such as a drywall jack.
You have to keep in mind that drywall panels are huge, bulky, and can be very awkward to handle. If you prefer renting a drywall jack, then you will find that most home improvement centers will be able to provide you with it. The cable mechanisms on drywall jacks are not that difficult to operate and it will do a great job to hold the drywall secure as you attach it to the ceiling.
First off, you have to have the right tools and materials before you start the project. In addition to drywall jacks, you will need a hammer, a drill with a screwdriver bit and you will obviously need screws and nails to fix the drywall in place. It is also important for you to measure your ceiling twice in order for you to determine how many drywall panels you need for the entire project. And, get a little extra drywall panels in case you make mistakes when attaching the drywall on to your ceiling.
The first thing that you have to do when attaching drywall ceilings is to mark the joists. You have to find the boards, which will function as the ceiling joists. You can do this by tapping along the wall studs with a hammer and at the same time, following up the wall to the ceiling. Then, you have to mark where the boards are located with a pencil. This is basically where you will need to attach the drywall on and it will make it easier for you to find them than finding them while you are screwing or nailing the drywalls on.
You also have to measure where the light fixture goes on the drywall. This is basically where you have to cut out a hole in order to accommodate the area of the ceiling.
After marking the joists, the next step is the hardest step that you will ever do when attaching drywall ceilings. This part is where you actually build a drywall ceiling. If you dont have someone to help you out, you can always use a drywall jack to hold the drywall panel in place as you attach it on the ceiling.
When nailing the panel on to the joist, you have to make sure that you do it half an inch from the edges. This will prevent the edges to crack or split. Do this on ever corner of the drywall. After doing this, its time for you to remove the jack and hammer in nails at six or seven inch intervals around each panel.
Try to countersink the nails or screws on the panels as this will allow you to cover up the heads of the nails or screws with compound.
Learning how to build a drywall ceiling is not that difficult. But, it will require you to exert a lot of hard work and effort in order for you to get the job done.