# Getting Drywall up into an attic



## Hunter25 (Jan 19, 2011)

I am in the process of finishing my attic and need to bring drywall up there to finish. I am not able to fit it through the stairwell because of the angle. I may however be able to fit it thourgh if I cut all of the pieces into 4' lengths, but this maybe time consuming. I have windows on each side in the attic and was thinking of rigging some sort of a hoist or something to bring them up. does anyone have any ideas? The attic is about 30' up. Thanks


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## 1910NE (Sep 5, 2010)

if your attic windows are big enough, find a lumber yard with a hoist truck (assuming you have not already purchased...)


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Measure the attic stairwell opening to see if the sheet will go straight up. IF there is the 48" needed to go straight up, then remove the attic step springs VERY CAREFULLY, take the linkage apart. This should allow the stairs to hang straight down while folded up. Then IF you're ceiling height in the hall permits, and you're attic height permits, you can hand the sheets up to someone already in the attic.


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## masterofall (May 27, 2010)

A friend of mine just did the same thing except he cut every thing into 2' X 8' sheets to get them through the attic opening. Twice as much tapeing to do. He purchased one of those wallboarders buddies to cut all the sheets in half and said it would of taken him twice as long without it. You must have a large opening if you can get a 4' X 4' sheet up there. Even if yoou can get them up to the window will a 4 X 8 sheet fit through


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Is the *stairwell* of legal size for egress? 

Is the width too narrow? 

Is the headroom to short? 

A picture would help..... Other than a drywall suppliers boom truck, as mentioned.

Gary


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## CplDevilDog (Mar 18, 2009)

If there is a drywall ceiling below the attic, you can cut a 5' section out between two joists and pass them through. Have the finishers patch the hole while they are there.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

A drywall supply yard will have a boom truck and can stock the board through the window IF it's big enough (48" tall at least). They (or you) can remove the sash and replace after stocking the board. If that doesn't work, I'd opt for handing it up through the floor (as suggested above). Patching the ceiling below will require much less finishing than cutting all of the boards in half....


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## masterofall (May 27, 2010)

except if your boarding the walls you probably have a floor to work on and repairing that could be a pain in the butt with less a than desireable appearance.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

If it's an unfinished attic/bonus room, the floor would be unfinished too, I would assume. Pull up a sheet of plywood, get the board up there, replace the plywood. Put your carpet, laminate, or whatever down and you'll never know the difference....


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## Jackofall1 (Dec 5, 2010)

I would guess that the OP has solved the problem as the original post was 3 days ago and is the only one regarding this subject, don't you just love that, I know I do.

Mark


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

You're probably right, but a little more input for someone doing a search of the subject in the future doesn't hurt....


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

My thoughts exactly! I would answer a post that was two years old and "someone" would say- That post is over two years old! (Like the information for the solution has not changed........) In researching a subject, I often find new information that is 12 years old, but new to me; then I can follow up on the new thought to get proof or today's ideas on it. Very helpful.

Gary


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

We had this problem on a jobsite and the brilliant drywaller scored the *back *of the drywall and folded it in half.
Got it up into the space and unfolded and hung.
He made his "folds" on stud layout.


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## Jackofall1 (Dec 5, 2010)

Alright, point taken, didn't mean anything by the observation that the OP appears to have never returned, just an observation, but you gentlement bring to the table a very valid point. 

Thank-you for that.

Mark


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## Hunter25 (Jan 19, 2011)

Sorry everyone. got sidetracked with the snow storms. My apologies. Well, I haven't figured out what I am going to do with the dry wall yet. I like both ideas of the boom truck and maybe cutting into smaller pieces. My brother in law suggested rigging a pully system and bring them up through a window but that seem a bit difficult. I am thinking of trying to see if I can get a 6' sheet through the door and then see what happens. I am still a little ways from actually starting the drywall so it maybe another couple of weeks. The insulation is going in next week and then I will start the floor. I am going to rin intot he same problem with the plywood for the flooring as with the dry wall so that will be my test. Thank you everyone for your input and I will post updates as i go. I think this is going to be a long process. Thanks again


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## masterofall (May 27, 2010)

Three cheers for the brilliant drywaller who folded sheets in half. If you can get things through the window with a boom truck do the drywall and subflooring at the same time. Sub flooring first. Spread it around to walk on. Drywall next. Put most of it to one side opposite where you will start the flooring. Put down a few rows of flooring then move the drywall on top. Finish the flooring and start the boarding


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## Hunter25 (Jan 19, 2011)

Went with the boom truck. al 30 sheets were unloaded in 15 minutes. Absolutely amazing how they manuevered that boom. Using the new ultralight drywall as well. It made it a little easier. Thanks for the advice everyone. Ready to paint tomorrow........


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Glad you got it done.


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## lrobertstoner (Mar 18, 2011)

for future dyis i have ran into these poblems more than i like but for futher notice if your scuttle hole is already framed out but flooring is not done i would suggest to enlarge the scuttle hole to aloow the sheet rock to go up then you need to measure your head room this will tell you if you got enough room to bring a full sheet up through the hole if you make your scuttle hole 6' by 4'by 332 you can fit up to a 8' piece up innto attic if ceiling is low or extremely picthed then try cutting boards at lower level then passing through scuttle hole remember if you have trouble getting your rock up there you will have trouble getting any larg or bulkey object in there the same save a lot of troubly and time and athought on cutting through your ciling check upstairs closets 1st and see if any are 8' and runn the length of the ciling trusts b4 ever cutting into a room with finished cieling exspecially in ceiling is textured it is almost impossible to match up textures so know your house and plan try to do this kinda destruction in low visible areas a closet ceiling is a lot better than a hole in a fished room if planed out right you will still be able to do most florring giving you a safer working enviroment and preserving the quality of your sheet rock hope this helps future dyi's


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## lrobertstoner (Mar 18, 2011)

ooooooops that was 32" and the closet doesnt have to be 8' but at least wide enough to send board logways through the cut this however will only let you send up a board 2" shorte than the attics ceiling hight allows the sheetrock will give a little for bending but not a lot b carfull not to over stress sheetrock or you will have a lot of broken board and a ton of tapeing


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## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

tcleve4911 said:


> We had this problem on a jobsite and the brilliant drywaller scored the *back *of the drywall and folded it in half.
> Got it up into the space and unfolded and hung.
> He made his "folds" on stud layout.


I have used this method for getting sheets into closets or around pipes/HVAC ducting. It works very well actually. It even works if you need to get "around" something (let's say, getting a piece of drywall behind a hot water heater in a small closet or something) by cutting a few groves in the back and being able to 'curve' the board around the object and unfold into place.


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## lrobertstoner (Mar 18, 2011)

*if you cut to fit rmember*

if you cut the sheet to fit it in some where then fold it back out remeber you just cracked the rock on the back side for every action there is a equal and opposit reaction so you will have to finish the cut on the viewable side or when painting you will see it the pare will bubble back up once wet try to avoid this process if you can trust i have experienced this several times it makes more work and costs you more in mudd


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## Jared2741 (Feb 16, 2015)

I have a second story project with the same problem but obviously a shorter height issue. I was wondering if a drywall lift for a ceiling would be sturdy enough to hoist it up 15 feet? Anybody here use one?


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Jared this is an old thread to get your answers would probably be better to start a new thread.


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