Sheetrock on Wall

Can You Sheetrock Walls Before the Ceiling?

In Construction by Giovanni ValleLeave a Comment

With home renovations and “Do It Yourself” jobs gaining popularity, being able to sheetrock correctly has become a valuable skill. But that’s not all there is to it. You shouldn’t just know how to do it, but also when to do it.

You should not sheetrock walls before sheetrocking the ceiling. When working with drywall, it is always easiest to work from the top down. This means starting with the ceiling, then working your way down the walls. This will save you time, energy, and money in case something goes wrong.

Learning to sheetrock correctly is a crucial skill for DIY home renovations. Keep reading to learn more about what sheetrock is, why it’s important, and why you should sheetrock the ceiling before the walls.

Why You Should Sheetrock the Ceiling First

When sheetrocking, it is incredibly important that you sheetrock your ceiling before you sheetrock the walls.

Many elements in building projects come with specific recommendations, but builders can change them as they see fit.

However, when it comes to indications about sheetrock, they shouldn’t be changed under any conditions. Read on to learn more about why you should sheetrock your ceiling first.

Sheetrocked Walls Support the Ceiling

While nails, screws, and adhesive can do a great job holding your sheetrock to the ceiling for a short time, eventually, gravity will win and the sheetrock will droop. 

If you install sheetrock on the ceiling first, you can then apply sheetrock to the walls to give better support to the ceiling.

After installing the ceiling sheetrock, you’ll see a slight lip under it. You use it to install the wall sheetrock in a way that helps support the ceiling. The sheetrock wall reduces the pressure on the adhesive and will keep your ceiling from drooping.

Sheetrocking the Ceiling Makes for Better Corners and Edges

When applying sheetrock to the ceiling, you want to be sure that you sheetrock the entirety of the surface, all the way out to the edge.

This makes it so that there are no weird edges or unclean corners when the sheetrock is installed on the walls. These can be aesthetically unpleasing and make your renovation look more DIY than it should.

If you were to install them in reverse order, you are much more likely to get ugly and weak edges.

Sheetrocking the Ceiling First Makes the Process Easier

When sheetrocking, you want to start from the top down. This makes it so you can use the full size of the sheetrock before needing to cut to the correct size.

You’re already working with the largest area you need to cover, so you know how much you’ll have to cut. And in case you were to make a mistake, starting from the top makes it easier to fix.

What Is Sheetrock?

When discussing home improvement, the terms “sheetrock” and “drywall” are used often. These terms are thrown around constantly, but not everyone understands the particulars of it.

Sheetrock is a specific brand of drywall made by a particular company. In practice, sheetrock is the same thing as drywall. It is similar to when people refer to a Band-Aid versus an adhesive bandage.

Sheetrock, however, can also refer to a building material many people use to create walls and ceilings. It uses an incredibly lightweight and structurally strong rock known as gypsum, combined with wood and paper, to make a supportive panel.

The gypsum is ground up into a powder and pushed into the paper. This special paper is then attached to wood, making a large panel that can be applied wherever necessary to create a wall or ceiling.

Sheetrock has become popularized in recent years because of its extreme ease of use in comparison to traditional ways of creating walls.

In the past, people used plaster to make walls and ceilings. While it’s still possible to do, plastering can take a lot of time, and unless done properly, it can look and feel unappealing.

Today, when people use plaster, it’s usually because they have a special request for their walls and ceiling. Otherwise, sheetrock is the more common option.

Why Is Sheetrock Important?

Now that we understand why we use sheetrock, you may be wondering if sheetrock is necessary at all.

Although it’s certainly not the only way of putting up walls and ceilings, Sheetrock carries benefits that can be incredibly important for your home. Affordability and ease of installment are only some of them.

Sheetrock is important because it helps to insulate your home, it helps prevent fires from spreading, and it can prevent mold. While plaster and plane wooden walls carry some of these benefits, neither carries all of these important functions.

No matter the climate your home is in, insulation is incredibly important. Sheetrock helps insulate your home from the outside elements, allowing it to remain warm and cold for longer.

Drywall allows homeowners an extra layer of protection from the outside and the opportunity to add additional insulation if necessary between the wall and the drywall.

Since sheetrock is made out of rock, it is naturally fire-resistant. This means that not only will sheetrock take longer to burn in the case of a fire, but it will also prevent flames from moving from room to room.

It will also support the structural integrity of your home for longer than other materials. Some sheetrock is also treated with extra fire-resistant materials, making it even better at preventing fire spread.

Finally, sheetrock also helps to absorb the moisture found naturally in your home. Most houses are at least partly made of wood, and sheetrock can prevent mold from spreading through it.

Some sheetrock is even designed specially to go in rooms with high moisture, such as bathrooms.

Final Thoughts

When applying sheetrock, it is important that you sheetrock your ceiling first, then make your way down the walls.

This means sheetrock is better able to do the important tasks it must accomplish, but it also makes the process easier and makes the sheetrock better looking. 

Though you can apply sheetrock yourself, you might want to consider getting help or hiring professionals.

Sources

Share this Post

Leave a Comment