Garage Ceiling Drywall - How to deal with the garage door opener and rails?
#1
08-03-11, 12:51 PM
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Garage Ceiling Drywall - How to deal with the garage door opener and rails?
Half my garage ceiling drywall is gone due to a split support beam (now repaired). I would like to hang the drywall myself if possible. Having read previous horror stories, I intend to use a drywall lift and a self-loading drywall gun. However, I have two very significant problems to deal with: The two garage doors. All the drywall that is missing is located directly over the garage doors, door openers, and rails.
Now a little background, we're going to replace the doors anyway, which will get new rails from the installer most likely. However, we want the drywall hung before the doors are installed, otherwise we'd just have to take it all back down again.
So... I was wondering if there's a way to safely detach the garage door rails, et all, from their supports, and then install the drywall. Will the vertical rails hold the doors in place so that I don't have to worry about someone breaking into the house between the time I drywall and the time I get the doors replaced?
Also, if the support beams are covered up with drywall, how do they know where to anchor the new rails? With a stud-finder?
Lastly... I was quoted $600 (including materials) for a guy to come out and take care of all of this for me. Since I would have to buy the drywall, tape, compound, etc, and rent the tools anyway, I'm assuming his markup for labor is about $300-400.
Should I even bother trying to do this myself, or should I just cough up the money and have someone else mess with it, considering the headache?
Now a little background, we're going to replace the doors anyway, which will get new rails from the installer most likely. However, we want the drywall hung before the doors are installed, otherwise we'd just have to take it all back down again.
So... I was wondering if there's a way to safely detach the garage door rails, et all, from their supports, and then install the drywall. Will the vertical rails hold the doors in place so that I don't have to worry about someone breaking into the house between the time I drywall and the time I get the doors replaced?
Also, if the support beams are covered up with drywall, how do they know where to anchor the new rails? With a stud-finder?
Lastly... I was quoted $600 (including materials) for a guy to come out and take care of all of this for me. Since I would have to buy the drywall, tape, compound, etc, and rent the tools anyway, I'm assuming his markup for labor is about $300-400.
Should I even bother trying to do this myself, or should I just cough up the money and have someone else mess with it, considering the headache?
#2
08-03-11, 05:09 PM
If all the rails are going to be replaced, you could close the doors, use some 2x4s or something to hold the lower portion of the rails in place & cut out the upper portion of the rails that are in your way. Hang the new drywall & mark the joists as you go. That way the installers know where they are. Even if you rent a panel lifter, hire a day worker for the day.
#3
08-04-11, 04:45 AM
If you mark the ceiling joists - be sure to use a pencil! Ink will bleed thru most paints/primers. The door installers should be able to find the joists if they aren't marked..... but they won't mind if you make it a little easier for them 
#4
08-04-11, 05:46 AM
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Originally Posted by marksr
If you mark the ceiling joists - be sure to use a pencil! Ink will bleed thru most paints/primers.
you ain't kidd'n. i found that out the hard way
. 10 coats now, and it is still bleeding through (permanent marker)
#5
08-04-11, 05:49 AM
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close the door. take down the horizontal rails. then disconnect the motor end of the opener and lower that down. or better yet, just take the opener off, its only 2 more pins. depending on the installation, all of this would only take 1/2 hr at the most.
#6
08-04-11, 05:54 AM
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Originally Posted by TheLibra
Lastly... I was quoted $600 (including materials) for a guy to come out and take care of all of this for me. Since I would have to buy the drywall, tape, compound, etc, and rent the tools anyway, I'm assuming his markup for labor is about $300-400.
Should I even bother trying to do this myself, or should I just cough up the money and have someone else mess with it, considering the headache?
Should I even bother trying to do this myself, or should I just cough up the money and have someone else mess with it, considering the headache?
BTW - materials for a standard two car garage would likely only be $100 - 150. Still worth it IMO.
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08-04-11, 06:38 AM
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Thanks for the tip about pencil. REALLY good to know before I screwed up.
@Condo-Owner, have you tried priming over the marker, then painting?
@Tolyn, I took another look at the garage when I got home. It looks like I would only need to hang about 5-7 panels at most, though there's a considerable amount of taping/seaming that needs to be redone. I've requested another quote from a family friend who he and his son do construction work. So, if they can give a significantly lower quote, I may just go with them. Still, I'm a DIYer at heart, and an engineering student, so the idea of paying someone to do something I think I could conceivably do myself, just kills me. I reckon though between the $100 in materials, another $100 (at least) for tool rentals/purchases, and the risk of damage to our garage-door openers, it's really tempting just to pay someone to do it if their labor cost wasn't so high. We are by no means a wealthy family, nor flush with spare time, but we have more time than money at the moment, which makes doing it myself so much more appealing.
@Condo-Owner, have you tried priming over the marker, then painting?
@Tolyn, I took another look at the garage when I got home. It looks like I would only need to hang about 5-7 panels at most, though there's a considerable amount of taping/seaming that needs to be redone. I've requested another quote from a family friend who he and his son do construction work. So, if they can give a significantly lower quote, I may just go with them. Still, I'm a DIYer at heart, and an engineering student, so the idea of paying someone to do something I think I could conceivably do myself, just kills me. I reckon though between the $100 in materials, another $100 (at least) for tool rentals/purchases, and the risk of damage to our garage-door openers, it's really tempting just to pay someone to do it if their labor cost wasn't so high. We are by no means a wealthy family, nor flush with spare time, but we have more time than money at the moment, which makes doing it myself so much more appealing.
#8
08-04-11, 09:22 AM
Originally Posted by condo-owner
10 coats now, and it is still bleeding through 
(permanent marker)
(permanent marker)
#9
08-04-11, 09:25 AM
Group Moderator
In sheetrocking, labor is the main part of the job. They will likely have to make 3 trips to do the job. 1) hang it, do the tape coat and maybe double it up. 2) final coat. 3) sand.
I am the same way with the more time than money so I understand. I may suggest just renting the lift, but rather then renting the screw gun (which you may fight with a bit), maybe buying a cordless drill and using a drywall tip. It is slower but the purchase of the drill will be a long term investment that you will use for many other things. Just buy a good name brand.
I am the same way with the more time than money so I understand. I may suggest just renting the lift, but rather then renting the screw gun (which you may fight with a bit), maybe buying a cordless drill and using a drywall tip. It is slower but the purchase of the drill will be a long term investment that you will use for many other things. Just buy a good name brand.
#10
08-04-11, 09:36 AM
If you want to work a little harder and save a few bucks, skip the lift and make your self a prop out of 2x4s - basically a big T. Set nails in the drywall around the perimeter, prop one end of the drywall up and then set the nails while holding up the other end. That will secure the drywall well enough so you can then install the screws. While the lift is nice, I wouldn't go after one just to hang a couple of sheets.
I agree that you'll get more use out of a cordless drill! There is a drywall screw bit you can buy that helps to set the screws without over driving them.
I agree that you'll get more use out of a cordless drill! There is a drywall screw bit you can buy that helps to set the screws without over driving them.
#11
08-04-11, 11:24 AM
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the idea of paying someone to do something I think I could conceivably do myself, just kills me. The mantra of the true DIYer.
I did not drywall the car bays when I built my garage. A couple of years later I changed my mind. I thought drywalling the ceiling would be a challenge because of the GDOs but it wasn't. I just disconnected everything, marking the angle iron supports, rails and joists, and I put up the sheetrock by myself with a lift. I did it all in a day and a half. One of these days I'll get around to taping it too.
I rented a drywall lift from Big Orange a couple of months ago. I think it cost $40.
I did not drywall the car bays when I built my garage. A couple of years later I changed my mind. I thought drywalling the ceiling would be a challenge because of the GDOs but it wasn't. I just disconnected everything, marking the angle iron supports, rails and joists, and I put up the sheetrock by myself with a lift. I did it all in a day and a half. One of these days I'll get around to taping it too.
I rented a drywall lift from Big Orange a couple of months ago. I think it cost $40.
