# Ceiling or walls first?



## AngelArs (Sep 8, 2012)

This winter I had a pipe burst in a bedroom and now I need to replace two walls and the ceiling. Should I do the ceiling first and then the walls, or do the sides first and then the ceiling?


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

AngelArs said:


> This winter I had a pipe burst in a bedroom and now I need to replace two walls and the ceiling. Should I do the ceiling first and then the walls, or do the sides first and then the ceiling?


 we always do the ceilings 1 st so walls help support ends of ceilings ... but some say you can do walls 1 st and it really dosen't matter..imo i think it does,:yes:


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## AngelArs (Sep 8, 2012)

THANKS! That makes sense. I guess it would help support the ceiling :thumbsup:


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Replace your ceiling drywall sheets first. Then your upper wall sheets go in. This
will help hold your ceiling edges up and give you a nice tight corner. The lower wall sheets go in last, also pushed up to meet the bottom of your upper wall sheet. In theory you should now have a tight ceiling corner and also a tight wall seam. Any gap left over at the bottom will be covered with your base molding. Regarding taping, corners and seams with tapered edges are first. Any butt joints are last. And regarding finish coats of mud, I tend to sling the stuff around a bit, so I start at the highest point and work down from there.


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## AngelArs (Sep 8, 2012)

THANKS Yodaman, appreciate the tips :thumbsup:


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## Sir MixAlot (Apr 4, 2008)

+1 for ceilings first. :thumbsup:


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## Olcrazy1 (May 28, 2013)

Same here, ceiling first. have to disagree with the post about doing upper and lower wall boards, this implies laying the drywall horizontal long ways which doesn't make sense to me. By sheets long enough to go floor to ceiling so you only nee to but the side tapered joints, save yourself a lot of mudding


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Horizontal is much easier. Even if you have perfect studs, which never happens you only have 1 1/2" to screw to the entire 8' length of the stud. Now divide that in half for each sheet and that leaves you 3/4" to screw too.

Now throw in a crooked stud or a stud that is not placed exactly right and one sheet is left with nothing or almost nothing to screw too now you need to add nailers. This doesn't take into account it's easier to tape and mud. 

Now the only place you need to worry about the stud placement is at the end of the sheet. plus by using 12' or 16' sheets horizontal makes really quick work of doing a room.


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## Olcrazy1 (May 28, 2013)

Understood, that's why you guys are the pros. I just did a very large basement, bigger than most diy'ers would try to tackle and I did mine vertical. Because I didn't want to mess with tapping/mudding butt joints. I marked each stud on floor and ceiling and ran lines in the field to my marks. You are correct not all were straight or perfect so I did have to install blocks to nail to but it wasn't horrible. Took a bit longer to hang them all but I wasn't in a hurry because it was my basement. It made mudding go a ton faster since I was only mudding verticle tapered joints. Anyhow, I know you pros have all the tricks to speed it up and get it done but this worked for me


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

Horizontal also means you don't have to bend over to mud joints.


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

stick\shift said:


> Horizontal also means you don't have to bend over to mud joints.


But that the majority of your seams are not fastened, unlike stand-up sheet, where the perimeter can be 100% screwed


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Anti-wingnut said:


> But that the majority of your seams are not fastened, unlike stand-up sheet, where the perimeter can be 100% screwed


Have never seen a crew hang drywall vertical. Ron


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## Olcrazy1 (May 28, 2013)

I didn't mean to open a can of worms or start a debate. I have no idea if horizontal or vertical is the proper way. For me by my reasoning I went vertical so I only had to tape and mud the tapered seams from floor to ceiling. I didn't want to but joint or have to deal with mudding an feathering out those butt joints. It worked great for me. I screwed the boarders all the way around and glued the centers. Less mudding and came out great. See attached..... If I had to do it again it would be the same way. Also no worry of nail pops ever cause there are no nails. Just glue and screw


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Anti-wingnut said:


> But that the majority of your seams are not fastened, unlike stand-up sheet, where the perimeter can be 100% screwed


Sorry but I really don't understand this statement What seam is not fastened?


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Don't worry this debate has went on before and will go on again. But if butt joints are the big concern they are very easily eliminated.


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## Olcrazy1 (May 28, 2013)

ToolSeeker said:


> Sorry but I really don't understand this statement What seam is not fastened?


 I think he meant that when vertical the entire seam on all 4 sides has a stud behind it. When you lay it horizontal the horizontal seam between the 2 pieces only has wood every 16" and the space between the studs is unsupported. Can't speak for who made that comment but that's the way I interpreted it. I'm sure proper taped and missed it doesn't really matter, I just prefer not to mess with butt joints because they are harder for me to make disappear and you have to feather them out to far


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

ront02769 said:


> Have never seen a crew hang drywall vertical. Ron


I have ran commercial work probably in the order of several million square feet, vertical is the standard there.


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

Olcrazy1 said:


> I think he meant that when vertical the entire seam on all 4 sides has a stud behind it. When you lay it horizontal the horizontal seam between the 2 pieces only has wood every 16" and the space between the studs is unsupported


Yup, that's what I meant


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