Finishing my basement and trying to save money by DIYing as much as possible. Got all the walls up no problem but now im staring at the ceiling sheets and wondering if i can actually do this alone. The room is about 12x14 and im using 4x8 sheets. Watched some videos about drywall lifts but theyre $200+ to rent and seems like a lot for a small room. Anyone done ceiling drywall solo without a lift?
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Dude just rent the lift. Trust me on this. I tried doing it with T braces and deadman supports and it was miserable. My arms were dead after 2 sheets and the seams were terrible because I couldnt hold the sheet tight to the joists while screwing. The lift is worth every penny.
ugh thats not what i wanted to hear but i appreciate the honesty. how long did it take you with the lift vs without?
without it took me like 2 hours to do 3 sheets badly. with the lift i did my whole 600 sq ft basement ceiling in one day. not even close
I did a small closet ceiling by myself using the deadman method. Made 2 T-braces out of 2x4s and wedged them between the floor and the sheet. It works but its awkward and slow. For a whole basement ceiling id definitely rent the lift or bribe a friend with pizza and beer.
Check if your local HD rents lifts by the hour. Mine does 4 hour minimums at like $15/hr. Way cheaper than the full day rate and plenty of time for a small ceiling.
oh wow i didnt know that was an option. gonna call and ask
Professional here - even we use lifts for ceilings. Anyone telling you to muscle through it without one is giving you bad advice. Your back will thank you.