# Hang the top piece of drywall first



## daxinarian (Jul 9, 2008)

Can anyone tell me why you should hang the top piece of drywall before you hang the bottom piece?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

If you hang the walls first, you would have a hard time getting the gap for the top piece to sit in right. Your nailers for the ceiling would have to be wider. The wall sheetrock also helps retain the ceiling sheetrock's edges. 
Hanging the walls first will also make it much harder to cut the ceiling sheets unless the room is perfectly square, which many rooms are not.


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## daxinarian (Jul 9, 2008)

I was asking about walls. Ceiling before walls I am fine with.
I am asking why do you hang sheet rock on walls starting with the sheet touching the ceiling?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

Ah, ok! 

I always hang the top first because you can get a nice tight joint with the ceiling, and ensure that the sheet is square to the ceiling without having to scribe it in. Then I hang the lower sheet (or sheet plus some) tight to the upper one.

Any gap at the floor will be concealed by the base boards.


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## buletbob (May 9, 2008)

:thumbup:


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## daxinarian (Jul 9, 2008)

thanks for the explanation. I hate not knowing the "why" behind the rule


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Always go from the Top Down (Ceiling, Top Wall Panel, then Bottom.


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## mjdonovan (Mar 15, 2007)

Because the top piece can butt up nice and tight to the ceiling, where as a gap at the bottom is less important. Baseboard trim will hide the gap at the bottom of the wall. http://www.schluter.com/6_1_ditra.aspx


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## TazinCR (Jun 23, 2008)

If you are hanging more then 6 or 8 pieces rent a drywall jack life will be great.


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## Big Bob (Jul 27, 2007)

daxinarian said:


> Can anyone tell me why you should hang the top piece of drywall before you hang the bottom piece?


besides all that above... dats da way its always bin done.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Exception to the rule is on vaulted rooms. Start at the bottom. The straight run on the bottom gives you a way to measure the wall/ceiling angle when you get to the top.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

bjbatlanta said:


> Exception to the rule is on vaulted rooms. Start at the bottom. The straight run on the bottom gives you a way to measure the wall/ceiling angle when you get to the top.


Same principle applies to stair wells (start at the bottom, and stack upwards).


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Sorry to disagree WB. I always start at the top for stairs. Be sure to take at least 6" off the first sheet so a joint does not break where the bottom plate/ floor joists / top plate for the next floor all come together. (Often something doesn't quite line up and makes for a bad joint.) If you start at the bottom, you're starting off with an angle that would be, at the least, time consuming to determine. The stair stringers have a 2"x4" between them and the wall running at the same angle as the stringer (a spacer for drywall and skirt board) fastened to the wall. No way to stack the rock off the floor. I've done it "top down" for 30+ years. It could be done, but not likely by a "production" drywall hanger.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

bjbatlanta said:


> Sorry to disagree WB. I always start at the top for stairs. Be sure to take at least 6" off the first sheet so a joint does not break where the bottom plate/ floor joists / top plate for the next floor all come together. (Often something doesn't quite line up and makes for a bad joint.) If you start at the bottom, you're starting off with an angle that would be, at the least, time consuming to determine. The stair stringers have a 2"x4" between them and the wall running at the same angle as the stringer (a spacer for drywall and skirt board) fastened to the wall. No way to stack the rock off the floor. I've done it "top down" for 30+ years. It could be done, but not likely by a "production" drywall hanger.


When we do stair wells (without the 2x4s attached to the stringers and wall - this is probably the key point), we place strapping to prop the first sheet section up, cut also to overlay the floor joists (as you stated, to avoid the ugly seam), then stack from there. We use a level to make sure that the first sheet is level. The stacking allows exact measurements for the angle. We do both sides, then install the ceiling last.

We use the T-square, placed upside down, on the lower sheet to find the 4' point, where the angle starts (for the next sheet). That is marked on the lower sheet (installed level). The measurement is taken from that mark to the end inside-angle-end of the lower sheet. This way, the cut angle comes out exact to a fraction of an inch's-fraction. Very-very quick, extremely accurate measuring, perfect angles, and the sheets support their own weight until screwed off.

The difference in the approach, that we are discussing, appears to be with the particular stair construction (I'm referring to stairs without 2x4's attached to the stringer/walls...slide-throughs).


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

I kinda thought that might be the case. Now it would make sense, and I would agree with your method. Either the 4' square to find the angle or a scrap (14" or so) piece of rock with a factory edge. Done it both ways.


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