Handling drywall is a bit like waltzing: You can do it by yourself, but it’s not all that much fun.
For starters, carrying an cumbersome 70-lb. panel around a work site is a two-person job. Both of you should be on the same side of the panel, same hand supporting the bottom edge, same hand balancing the top. (Imagine ballet dancers in a line.) As you walk, lean the upper part of the panel against your shoulder.
Hanging ceilings is definitely a two-person job, especially if you’re hanging longer panels to minimize joints. Once the two (or three) of you tack up a ceiling panel, one of you can finish attaching it, while another measures or cuts the next piece.
Measuring isn’t difficult, but you need to be aware of framing quirks. For example, if the walls aren’t plumb where they meet in the corners, take at least two measurements so you’ll know what angle to cut in the end of the panel you’re installing. If the two readings vary only slightly—say, !4 in.—there’s no need to trim the end of the panel because taping and filling the joint will take care of the gap. But if readings vary more than % in., trim the panel end at an angle, so there’s no gap where it abuts the out-of-plumb wall.
Second, if you’re running panels perpendicular to the framing, butt ends must meet over joist or stud centers. If framing members aren’t evenly spaced, you may occasionally need to trim a butt end to make it coincide with a joist center.
Last, and most important, cut panels about / in. short so you never need to force a panel into place. Forcing will crush an end that you’ll need to repair later. If it’s a ceiling panel, the gap will eventually be covered by wall panels fitted snugly against it.
Once you’ve cut a panel, snap parallel chalklines across its face, indicating stud or joist centers behind the drywall once it’s in place. Guided by these lines, your screws or nails will always bed into framing.
Cutting drywall is literally a snap if the blades in your utility knife are sharp. Run the blade along a drywall T-square or a framing square, if that’s all you have. In one pass, score the paper covering. Then grasp the smaller section and snap it sharply away from the cut, breaking the gypsum core along the scored line. Then cut through the paper on the backside, and set aside the waste section.
Cutting is usually easiest if you lean the panel against a wall so you don’t need to bend over. But if you’ve already stacked panels on the floor, you
