sheetrock over sheetrock?

Question

MY CEILING IN MY HOUSE IS PULLING AWAY FROM CEILING STUDS WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS THE BEST WAY TO GO OVER THE HALF INCH ROCK THAT IS THERE AND WHAT SIZE ROCK I SHOULD USE ALL TIPS WELCOMED

Answer 1

I need to know why the old ceiling is dropping...is it possible to just put new screws into the old Sheetrock? Whats causing the old ceiling to drop I wonder...is it dampness...Is the old Gyproc fastened to strapping, and the strapping is letting go? If it's a plaster ceiling that's letting go I would just fasten up some new 1/2 gyproc over it. But it's hard to give you an answer unless I see the problem and whats causing it...Ya gotta fix the reason for the old stuff letting go or it will happen again.

Answer 2

Do you have water damage? Is that why the sheet rock is pulling away from the studs? If so....you need to repair the leaks if you can or your just wasting time and money on the new sheetrock. It is best NOT to put sheetrock over sheetrock mostly due to the weight of both pieces of material. And then there is the issue of actually attaching the sheetrock to another piece of sheetrock...the sheetrock screws would hardly be long enough to go through the sheetrock and into the studs....

the best thing would be to remove the existing sheetrock and put up fresh sheetrock after making any repairs if there is water damage.

Answer 3

in my house the sheet rock was installed to firring strips to level out the old rough cut ceiling joists. the firring was nailed up with smooth nails and over time they lost their grip. this might be what is happening in your situation. since you will be putting up new sheet rock you don't have to worry about making a lot of nail holes in the ceiling. start by finding the joists along the center bearing wall,mark them on the wall, then do the opposing outside wall. next, go down the outside side wall and 'see' with a nail or screw if you find any 'grip' 2-3" in from the wall. these will be the firring strips, if you find them, mark these on both of these opposing walls. with a chalk line make a grid pattern on you ceiling, where the lines intersect is where you will need to re attach the firring to the joists. drive 2 1/2 or 3" drywall screws through the sheet rock to do this. now the old ceiling is secure and you can add your new sheet rock ceiling. good luck and hope this helps fix your ceiling.

Answer 4

happy new year everyone had a good post. We need to know why this is happening, it is definately not typical. Cracking is normal, pulling away is not at all normal.

Perhaps they used the wrong nails. I have seen that done too many times. Are the nails pulling out of the joists along with the drywall? That would indicate wrong nails.

Has there been a lot of water damage or repeated water damage? We need more information because you want to fix the problem, not just the symptoms.

Answer 5

MAKE A 2X4 TEE TO HELP PUSH THE SHEETROCK BACK UP AND RESCREW THE SHEETROCK UP USING SHEETROCK SCREWS 6" APART. THIS SHOULD HOLD
NOW U ONLY HAVE TO PATCH WITH SHEETROCK MUD AND SAND LIGHTLY, SECOND COAT MAY BE NECESSARY, SAND AND REPAINT CEILING.
U WOULD HAVE TO SCREW DOWN THE FIRST SHEETS ANYWAY EVEN IF U ARE GOING TO OVERLAY WITH MORE ROCK(1/4") U WILL HAVE TO OR THE MORE WEIGHT WILL MAKE IT ALL FALL DOWN
OVERLAY WILL BE MORE EXPENSE AND LABOR.

Answer 6

Use 1/2" sheet-rock and also use drywall screws that are at least 2" long. Mark the walls where the ceiling stringers are so you will know where to drive in the screws.

When you finish the sheet-rock use the fiberglass tape. It is a little more expensive but it saves you a lot of time, mess, and aggravation. It is self sticking (like masking tape) and is very easy to use.

I suspect you know how to finish the sheet-rock already, so I wont go into details there. You might want to rent a drywall jack to hold it in place while you screw it into place.

Answer 7

Unless the current ceiling is water damaged or something, I myself would simply put a few more screws in to hold it up, then patch it and paint it.