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On ceilings, use annular ring nails or drywall screws to fasten drywall panels to joists. On walls, use drywall nails or screws to attach panels to studs and top and bottom plates. Panel joints should be centered against ceiling joists or wall studs and staggered so they don’t align with adjacent joints.
Materials & Tools HomeTips Recommends for This Project
Before installing drywall panels, mark wall-stud locations on the floor and ceiling so you can find their locations easily after the panels are in place.
Using a screw gun or drill driver to attach panels is easiest, particularly for ceilings. Most codes call for spacing fasteners every 8 inches along panel ends, edges, and intermediate supports. Place the fasteners at least 3/8 inch from panel edges.
If you nail the panels, use a bell-faced or drywall hammer to dimple the drywall surface with the final blow on each nailhead. This creates a small divot that will be filled with drywall compound.
1) To attach drywall to a ceiling, position a pair of stepladders or set up sturdy sawhorses and planks to serve as a low scaffold. Then you and a helper can hold each end of a panel in place against the ceiling joists. Start fastening near the center of each panel and then place a few fasteners at the edges until the panel can support its own weight. Continue until each panel is fully fastened.
2) For walls, begin at a corner. Push the panel tight against the ceiling and fasten to the studs. Install the rest of the upper panels and then the lower ones. Force the lower panels tight against the upper ones before fastening, using a pry bar or a block and flat board as a lever. Make cutouts for receptacle and switch boxes using a power jig saw.
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