# Drywall over plaster ceiling



## rpbjb113 (May 11, 2011)

I am planning on drywalling over an exisitng plaster ceiling. I am being informed that the best way to do this is to put up furring strips first.

My ceiling differs by about an inch from high to low spots. 

Should the furring strips be "leveled" with shims?? To level the furring strips I will need to place the equavelency of two furring strips in some places. 

Or should I put up the furring strips and shim out the "noticible" waves??

Thanks


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## taperdave (May 14, 2011)

*get it?*

Use a 1 x 2 framing angle all around perimeter of room. Depending on size and shape of room use a laser or level to get 1 x 2 level. Use furring channel at 24" o/c, zip screw edges, level bar and support every 4'. Good luck.:thumbsup:


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

You will have a hard time with wood splitting. I would go with 7/8''hat channel and shimm where needed.

If it's a high ceiling and you can lose 1-5/8''.........use metal studs and brace at 5' or less max. This also gives the electricians room to run wires. I've done this many a times to fix messed up ceilings.

Good luck.:thumbsup:


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## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

whats your location? whats your trade? is this your house?

Level is so overrated:whistling


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Why not repair the plaster?


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## Miss Brown (Mar 30, 2011)

Maybe because it's too expensive to take all that paint back off the ceiling? (100 years of paint, I stripped the walls because they are beautiful, and the paint flakes weigh nearly 60 pounds. Lead, of course.) I'm doing one of these now, and did not fur the ceiling down...I'm using hefty screws and to make sure I hit all the joists I blocked out nailers in the attic, and snapped a grid on the ceiling...after demoing the saggy bits. (Saggy because the last guys demo'd the brick fireplace, and left bricks and mortar ON THE LATH. Gosh.) I won't pretend I'm not worried about it. I didn't know I was going to have to do this until I got into it. (Hits forehead.)


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## Plumbing Zombie (Jun 11, 2011)

Okay if you have a lot of sagging, locate joists, snap a grid, 1x3 firing with just a few hand spikes here and the to hold it. Then use a 12 x 12 square of 3/4 ply for support at floor and use a 2x4 an inch taller than finish height at low spots (directly on firing strips) to push plaster and lath back up tight, 3" screws, pull 2x4, pound spikes in flush. That will save a lot of cleanup and tearout, and will guarantee no future sag when all that plaster is resting on drywall.


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## Plumbing Zombie (Jun 11, 2011)

And don't get caught working with lead paint, the current fine is up to 38000 per day that you've worked on it unless youve been certified to do it and have jumped through the dumb hoops that go with it.


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## WilliamPerez (Jul 1, 2011)

One of the benefits of putting new ceiling panels over the old is that the mess of tearing out and cleaning up is avoided. If the insulation overhead is blown in, even more so. But my choice is to use 1 x 4 "strapping" placed 12" OC at right angles to the joists over the old ceiling and secured to the joists with screws at least 2" long, preferably 2 1/2", then put new drywall on the ceiling. The loss of height is 1 1/4", but sagging of the drywall will not occur.


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## moorewarner (May 29, 2009)

rpbjb113 said:


> I am planning on drywalling over an exisitng plaster ceiling. I am being informed that the best way to do this is to put up furring strips first.
> 
> My ceiling differs by about an inch from high to low spots.
> 
> ...


I suspect you are looking for the DIY forum, a sister site to this one, dedicated to Do-it-yourself folks that want to share information and find answers on their projects.

http://www.diychatroom.com/

You can have even better conversations over there as a non professional, as everyone gets to let it all hang out and not have to pretend to know more than they do, or be something they aren't, to avoid getting booted.

The conversations there tend to be far more detailed, including details that most here won't cover, as they are taken for granted as knowledge assumed to be already possessed by a professional contractor. Additionally many professionals from ContractorTalk spend time offering information and answering questions on the DIY forum; so between the knowledgeable user base and Moderators and visiting professionals there is far more detailed, high quality information available to you.

If you really are a professional then fill out your profile and head on over to the "Introduction" section and introduce your self. :thumbsup:


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

How do you know there is Lead Base Paints, did you test if? If so, did you follow the practises the EPA has outlined? Cause if your doing this type of work you had better hope they don't get a fix on you cause the Government is looking for all the Money they can get their hands on. Plus if this house has little kids living in it that just makes it even a bigger problem for you, cause you will need to have that house check to make sure there is No Lead dust in the floors. Good Luck cause the EPA can stick it to you with Big Fines.


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