A drywall lift allows you to install drywall by yourself.
If you're like most homeowners, when you have to hang drywall, you have to do it alone. Most professional drywall hangers work in crews of three or more. Hiring extra hands is cost-prohibitive for many do-it-yourselfers. Instead of begging friends and acquaintances to help you out for the day, do the project on your own by using a drywall lift. It will allow you to single-handedly raise heavy drywall panels into position.
Building a Lift
Hanging drywall by yourself is difficult because you need two sets of hands: one to hold the board up, the other to drive in the nails or screws. One way around this is to build a dead man, which is a T-shaped wood device used to prop up the board while you attach it. To build one, use screws to attach a short piece of wood to a longer one so that it forms a T that is 2 inches shorter than the height of your ceiling. Add support braces to the arms if necessary. Most types of board will do, but two-by-fours are best.
To use the dead man, lean it upright against a wall. Then rest a drywall panel on it so that when you lift the board from one end, the dead man holds up the other.
There are several disadvantages to this method. First, it is very easy to knock over, causing your fragile drywall to drop. Second, if your floor is uneven, the dead man will work only for those areas that match its height. And third, it is difficult to use a dead man for boards in the center of a room.
Renting a Lift
Renting a drywall lift from a tool center is the best option for do-it-yourselfers. For a smallish job --say, a kitchen or bedroom remodel -- the cheapest drywall lift available should be adequate.
Drywall lifts come in several pieces, usually three. This makes them easy to transport from one location to another with an average-size car. Once you get the lift home, assemble it according to the instructions provided by the tool-rental outlet. The main parts of the drywall lift are the support hooks -- large metal protrusions that hold the drywall, -- the winch and the extension shaft.
Since the drywall lift has wheels, you can use it to transport the panels from one side of the job to another, a huge help if you are doing this job alone.
Using a Rental Lift
If you intend to drywall an entire room, begin with the ceiling. Measure and cut the first drywall panel to size. Lift the panel up and place it on the lift's metal support hooks. Move slowly to avoid accidentally dropping the fragile drywall.
You can now lift the panel into place. With the drywall panel resting on the support hooks, turn the winch. This lengthens the extension shaft. Once the drywall panel comes in contact with the ceiling, the lift will flatten out, allowing the drywall panel to align itself. At that point, temporarily secure the drywall in place by hammering a few drywall nails around the edges of the panel. Make sure the nails penetrate through the drywall and into the wood studs of the ceiling.
Lower the lift by turning the winch. With the lift out of the way, install drywall screws every 4 to 6 inches along the length of every wood stud. Proceed to the next area and repeat the loading, lifting and installing process until the job is complete.
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