# Drywall ceiling gap



## jayqsen (Sep 2, 2015)

I am new to this forum and have always had someone around to hang drywall when I needed it. But now I have a small project and need a little guidance as I am the one who will be doing it.. I am putting drywall over old plaster ceiling after repairing plumbing leak in ceiling. The room is 12'-2" wide.....where is the best place to have the 2" gap that will be filled in with drywall strips? By the wall or in-between 2 courses of drywall?​


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

I think you're being a bit naive to presume that your walls are straight and at 90 degree angles to each other. Plastering was done by hand, and you'll probably find your walls aren't straight and the plaster thiickness varies; especially in the corners where the plaster gets thicker to cover the expanded metal corner bead.

If it were me, I would put up two strips of 6 foot long drywall, and then just fill the gap (if any) between them with base coat plaster. Paint the old plaster ceiling and edges of the drywall with diluted white wood glue, and mix a bit of glue in with your base coat plaster, and it'll stick well. Then, just cover the base coat plaster with joint compound. Sand smooth, prime and paint.


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

horizontal low on the wall would be my choice. pieces dont really matter, a good tape/mud job will make it disappear.


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## jayqsen (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks for the replies...........I don't think I made it clear as to what I am doing.......I am installing drywall on the ceiling.......I should have said the ceiling is 12'-2" wide.......I know it will be 3 rows of drywall across the ceiling, and there will be some gap to fill in with strips of drywall. Where would it be best to have the gap? In between 2 rows of drywall or at the ceilings edge?


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## Hick (Nov 21, 2014)

If I have a big split, I like to put it in the middle. Easier to feather it smooth than try to do it up at a corner.


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

+1 for post #5. not at a corner.


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## jayqsen (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks for the quick reply! Makes good sense to not have the gap by the ceiling edge. I have laid out a pattern for the drywall and it looks like I will end up with a 1.5" gap to fill in.


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## jayqsen (Sep 2, 2015)

This house was built in 1948 and instead of plaster over lathe it has 16" wide x 48" long pieces of what look to be drywall and then a layer of plaster over that. 
Is that they did to transition from plaster to drywall?


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

Use one 52" wide sheet and there will be no gap.


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

mako1 said:


> Use one 52" wide sheet and there will be no gap.


if he's using 4x12 to minimize field seams, where would a 52" cut go? or are you meaning a 54"x12 board? 54" board is not so common.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

_ I would leave a I inch gap on both sides---then pack the gap with 20 minute easy sand--

use 'original straight flex' to tape the inside corners---you will be fine.
_


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

oh'mike said:


> _ I would leave a I inch gap on both sides---then pack the gap with 20 minute easy sand--
> 
> use 'original straight flex' to tape the inside corners---you will be fine.
> _


that's adding an extra seam. i would rock it so that the gap was in the field, then add in the small 2" rip, mud/tape/feather it.


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

He said the room was 12' 2" which would be 146".Use 2- 48" sheets and a 52" sheet cut to fit. It is actually sold in 54" sheets.Spilled some tea on my keybpard the other night and it's not working weel


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

mako1 said:


> He said the room was 12' 2" which would be 146".Use 2- 48" sheets and a 52" sheet cut to fit. It is actually sold in 54" sheets.Spilled some tea on my keybpard the other night and it's not working weel


yes, if 54" was common, then yes, then use 54" board for the 1st run. lets see if 54" board is readily available to the OP.


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

You're correct it is not available everywhere but even the HD has it here.


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## AaronSharp (Sep 3, 2010)

*Drywall Installations*



jayqsen said:


> I am new to this forum and have always had someone around to hang drywall when I needed it. But now I have a small project and need a little guidance as I am the one who will be doing it.. I am putting drywall over old plaster ceiling after repairing plumbing leak in ceiling. The room is 12'-2" wide.....where is the best place to have the 2" gap that will be filled in with drywall strips? By the wall or in-between 2 courses of drywall?​


Best Way in my professional opinion would be to use YTube.com can type drywall installation help in the search box :thumbup:


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

54" should be available through a drywall supplier. None of our box stores carry it, but I don't buy drywall at the box stores because all they carry is that lightweight crap.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Ok, guys--I did not fully understand that he has three sheets across---I thought he was speaking of the butt ends----so,disregard my suggestion---


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

jayqsen said:


> This house was built in 1948 and instead of plaster over lathe it has 16" wide x 48" long pieces of what look to be drywall and then a layer of plaster over that.
> Is that they did to transition from plaster to drywall?


That's correct. What you have is called "Gyproc Lath" (pronounced Jip rok), and it was used in the 50's and early 1960's. It's essentially an early form of drywall. Drywall evolved from Gyproc lath.

Instead of drywalling the whole ceiling, why not just take out the damaged pieces of Gyproc lath and replace them with 16 inch long pieces of drywall?

Then use a counter sinking bit and screw wood strips to the drywall that are the thickness you need to match the existing coarse base coat plaster. Use those wood strips as screeds so that you end up with your base coat plaster fairly uniform in thickness. Then, take out the wood strips and fill the ruts in with more base coat plaster.

Then, skim coat with drywall joint compound until you're flush with the surrounding finished plaster. Any lumber yard with a table saw will rip a scrap piece of 2X4 into 1/8 inch thick strips for you, and you can stick those to your dry base coat plaster with double sided mounting tape, and use those strips as screeds to get a uniform thickness of drywall joint compound over your base coat plaster.

Sand smooth, prime and paint.

I mean, if you have a house with Gyproc Lath on the walls and ceilings, why not learn to repair it properly with modern plastering materials. Open your yellow pages phone directory to Plastering & Drywall Supplies. Any place listed there will sell you drywall, base coat plaster and drywall joint compound. You'll have everything you need, (and all the tech support thrown in free) to fix your walls and ceilings properly. I say free tech support because a lot of the time the guys working the counter in drywall and plaster supply places have experience in drywalling and plastering.


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

If you really want to make it easy, use thinner drywall for the 2 inch strip. So the two tapered edges will have a strip that is very close to the same thickness as the edge of the taper. It pretty much makes a thick taper for you to bed your tape. Otherwise just put it at the sides. If you add crown molding it will really be hidden.


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