Page 286 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 232

If you plan to install crown molding, no taping is needed where walls meet the ceiling. See Figure 10-07.
Set the trim with 8d finishing nails spaced 12” to 16” apart. Be sure to nail into the top wall plate.

Drywall Ceilings
You can apply new drywall directly over old plaster or on furring strips nailed over an uneven plaster
ceiling. Applying furring strips on a ceiling won’t create the problems that furring would on a wall. But
furring out the ceiling will usually be more work than tearing down the ceiling cover and starting over.
Use 2” x 2” or 2” x 3” furring strips nailed perpendicular to the joists. Space these furring strips 16” on
center for 3/8” drywall or 24” on center for 1/2” drywall. Nail the furring strips with two 8d nails at each
joist. Stagger board end joints. Be sure board edges end on a joist or furring strip. Don’t jam the boards
tightly together. It’s best if there’s only light contact at each edge.

Hanging ceiling panels is easier with a drywall lift that allows precise positioning while leaving two hands
free for driving nails or screws. If you don’t have a drywall lift, cut two braces like the one shown in
Figure 10-8. Make them slightly longer than the ceiling height. Nail or screw the drywall to all supporting
members, spacing the fasteners 7” to 8” apart. If you use nails, select 5d (1-1/4”) ring-shank nails for
1/2" drywall and 4d (1”) ring shank nails for 3/8” drywall. Again, don’t break the surface of the paper
when driving fasteners. Finish ceiling joints the same way you finish wall joints.

Textured Finishes for Drywall
Wall finish is usually smooth to make cleaning easier. But the ceiling finish may be textured, usually
with some form of joint compound. Texture hides ridges and bumps in the ceiling and improves
acoustics by eliminating echo off the ceiling. But textured ceilings are also an admission that there’s
something to hide. Many owners don’t like textured ceilings and know that texture is used to hide
defects. The first thing they'll say when they see a textured ceiling is, "What's wrong with your ceiling?"

Orange peel texture consists of thinned joint compound applied with a long-nap paint roller. In an
emergency, you can make ceiling texture by thinning out joint compound with water until it reaches a
consistency similar to that of paint. But it’s better to buy mix that’s specifically made for texturing. It’s
much easier than trying to make your own. To ensure proper consistency, try applying some mixture to
a scrap piece of drywall held upright. Adjust the consistency as necessary by adding more water or
joint compound to the bucket of mixture. When you’ve got the mixture just right, roll it onto the ceiling or
wall. Keep the rolling pattern uniform so the texture appears to have a grain. When the mixture dries,
avoid the temptation to sand the surface. The texture is very fragile. Sanding can knock off too much of
the desirable surface.