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How to install drywall on the ceiling? I used to often ask myself this question, but now, having some experience, I will tell you how to assemble a frame and correctly attach plasterboard to the ceiling on a profile. I am sure that this information will help beginners cope with this work on their own.
Installation of gypsum boards on profiles
The process of installing drywall (gypsum board) on the ceiling can be divided into several main stages:
Performing markup
Before attaching drywall to the ceiling, you must make markings. This determines how smooth and high-quality the ceiling will be.
The marking process looks like this:
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Level designation:
It's even easier to mark a line using a water level. Use it to move the mark to the corners of the room, then connect the dots with a paint cord. |
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Marking for profiles. Draw lines across the entire ceiling in 600 mm increments, 250 mm from the wall. Keep in mind that the lines must be across the sheets, i.e. you need to decide in advance how you will place the gypsum board on the frame. |
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Marking for hangers. Mark lines on the ceiling perpendicular to the existing ones in increments of 0.5 m. Draw the first line at a distance of 0.25 m from the wall. |
At this point, the marking process is completed, and you can begin assembling the frame.
Frame assembly
Since the gypsum boards are attached to the ceiling using a frame, it is extremely important to assemble it correctly. Therefore, it is necessary to approach this operation no less responsibly than applying markings.
Instructions for marking are as follows:
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Materials:
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Installation of UD guides. Along the perimeter of the room, guides need to be attached to the walls, aligning them to the intended level. For these purposes, use dowel nails. If the walls are wooden, you can use self-tapping screws. |
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Installation of hangers. Secure straight hangers using dowel nails. During the installation process, make sure that they are positioned strictly according to the markings. |
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Installation of CD profile. The CD installation process is generally quite simple. However, keep in mind that the profiles sag, especially if the room area is large. Therefore, the work should be done like this:
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Jumper installation:
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If the base is fairly level, install the gypsum boards on wooden slats. The latter can be attached to the ceiling using dowel nails.
GKL fastening
So, we have figured out the installation of the frame, now we will look at how to properly attach drywall to the ceiling. To avoid a number of problems after covering the frame, the following rules must be observed:
- The gypsum board must be positioned correctly. Cut the sheets so that they do not form cross-shaped seams on the frame;
- The edges of the sheets should be on the profile.“Hanging” edges of gypsum boards will lead to the formation of cracks;
- The screws must be positioned correctly relative to the edge of the sheet and relative to each other. The distance from the edge of the sheet to the screw should be 1 cm, optimal step between screws – 25 cm;
- Drive screws correctly. Mounting for plasterboard on the ceiling, i.e. the screw should be deepened by about a millimeter. If the cap sticks out above the surface of the ceiling, it will not allow you to perform the putty properly.
If you deepen the screw too much, the head may break through the cardboard, and the material will not be fixed at all.
When finishing a bathroom or kitchen, sheets marked GKLV should be used. Their price is higher than the cost regular drywall, but they are resistant to moisture.
Before attaching drywall to the ceiling, you will probably need to cut the sheets. The work is done like this:
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Cutting cardboard from one side:
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Bending the sheet. Break the sheet along the fold line, as shown in the photo. |
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Cutting the cardboard from the second side. Cut the cardboard along the fold line. |
After cutting the sheets, you can attach the plasterboard to the ceiling. The work itself is quite simple - you need to attach the sheet to the frame and secure it with self-tapping screws, following the rules that we discussed above. The only thing, keep in mind that the sheets are quite heavy, so it is more convenient to do the work together.
If you are going to work with your own hands without helpers, you can make special devices in the form of mops. The length of such a mop should slightly exceed the height of the room. This will allow you to place the sheet on the mop and support the frame with it.
Gluing
In cases where the base is flat, you can do without a frame by gluing drywall to the surface liquid nails. This solution allows you to significantly reduce finishing time and costs.
The process of gluing drywall looks like this:
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Preparing the base. Preparation consists of removing finishing coating if it exists. This could be wallpaper or, for example, water-based paint. If the base is in poor condition - the plaster is peeling off or the paint is difficult to remove, then it is more advisable to abandon gluing and attach it to the frame. |
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Padding. Prime the base with a universal primer or deep penetration primer. |
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Gluing drywall:
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Today, the use of plasterboard sheets when carrying out repairs in a cottage, country house or apartment is the most faithful and economical solution. Through the said building material You can easily remove all defects Not flat surface, having received level base for subsequent finishing. In order to understand how to properly attach drywall to the ceiling, you will need to identify the features of this raw material and master installation options.
Gypsum plasterboard includes gypsum filler with various binding additives and facing layers of cardboard. The weight of one sheet ranges from 12 to 35 kg depending on its thickness: 6 mm, 9 mm and 12.5 mm.
The widespread use of the presented material is due to a number of important advantages:
- the ceiling surface will be perfectly flat;
- providing opportunities for placement and subsequent hiding of communication systems;
- providing heat and sound insulation;
- use in different types premises due to the variety of types: classic, fire-resistant, moisture-resistant and universal;
- ease of installation;
- implementation of complex design projects to create multi-level ceilings and unique lighting systems.
Preparatory work is important stage any construction event and determine the entire course of further installation. They include:
- Selection of the necessary tools and fasteners - building level, tape measure, drill with a hammer drill and a cross-shaped bit, jigsaw or hacksaw with a small blade width, dowel-nails and self-tapping screws.
- Marking the ceiling. Considering that in most cases ceiling surface has some unevenness, the first step is to determine its lower limit. For this purpose, the distance to the floorboard is measured from each corner using a tape measure. Having determined the lowest point, it is worth securing a guide beam or profile around the perimeter of the intended space.
Correct marking of the positions of the guide elements is the key to the success of subsequent installation. It is worth remembering that the procedure described above requires a leveled floor!
Ceiling in wooden house can be easily sheathed using plasterboard boards. This finish not only has an aesthetic appearance, but also provides a natural microclimate in the room.
The following types of fastening plasterboard to a wooden ceiling surface are currently used:
- through adhesives;
- on wooden profile slats;
Adhesive installation method
Installation of plasterboard slabs without a profile requires the use of special adhesives and the presence of a perfectly flat surface to be glued. In most cases, gypsum mastic is used as an adhesive mass, which includes bone glue and gypsum stone chips. Applying the mixture should start from the edges of the sheet in small cakes at intervals of 30 cm from each other, gradually moving towards the center. After which the plate is pressed onto the prepared surface. To increase the adhesive properties, it would be useful to prime the ceiling in advance.
Since plasterboard sheets have significant weight, in the finishing option wooden ceiling To reduce the pressure created, you can divide the slab into two equal parts, which will greatly simplify the installation procedure and the material will stick faster.
The presented design allows you to “hide” all ceiling defects, greatly saving its height. It is advisable to use a rack frame when constructing single-level surfaces. The main advantage of this method is its low cost. However, when arranging it, a well-dried timber is required, otherwise the supporting elements will soon become moldy and deformed.
We place the main beam along the entire plane of the ceiling in increments of 80 cm. Then we fasten it at an angle of 90° relative to it at a distance of 50 cm from each other. load-bearing partitions, which will subsequently become the holding base for the drywall.
Having finished installing the frame, we proceed to attaching the slabs. Screws are screwed in around the perimeter of the sheet at intervals of 15 cm in a checkerboard pattern so that the head of the rod is slightly buried in the material. Subsequently, these places are puttied, and the entire surface becomes smooth. appearance.
When attaching drywall, you should leave a distance between joints of about 5–7 mm. Subsequently, these gaps are easily sealed with putty, providing better adhesion to the entire plane.
The method of assembling the structure is approximately the same as when arranging a wooden frame, however, there are a number of nuances. The guide profiles are attached in increments of 40 cm, so that one classic plate with a length of 120 cm is fixed on four such metal slats.
Having finished arranging the guide bases, we begin to fix the hanging devices. Attach them to the ceiling using dowel nails at a distance of 40 cm from each other. Next, the supporting profile is attached so that its ends are strictly on the guide rail at an angle of 90°, and its body is in the hangers. All frame elements are fastened to each other with special screws on metal.
During the execution of all installation work The horizontal profiles must be checked with a level, and places of expected load must be reinforced with jumpers or anchors.
The procedure for installing plasterboard sheets requires the use of two pairs of hands, however, to sheathe the ceiling alone, you will need to use additional holding devices. One of these homemade devices are the platform and supports.
This option involves making a small structure from a pair of boards, hinges and supports. When opened, the height of the retractable platform should be 5–6 cm below the ceiling level.
When manufacturing, do not forget to take into account that this interval also includes, along with the design, the width plasterboard sheet.
The process of lifting the slab is carried out in several stages. First, the first selection is set to hand height, then the main one. After this, we climb onto the prepared scaffolding and calmly attach the drywall to the frame.
In conclusion, I would like to note that attaching plasterboard sheets to an equipped frame is the most reliable finishing option than using adhesives, especially in a wooden house. Due to the fact that buildings made of wood “live their own lives” and are constantly in motion, no one knows how the resulting adhesive base may behave after some time.
Video
In the provided video materials, you can learn the intricacies of making a plasterboard ceiling, as well as how to attach plasterboard alone:
Scheme
In the diagrams you can see some features of attaching drywall and frame to the ceiling:
Installing drywall on the ceiling is one of the most labor-intensive types of finishing work. Therefore, in order to eliminate errors and minimize the cost of materials and time, you should carefully mark the ceiling, prepare necessary tools and materials. Immediately before attaching the drywall to the ceiling, check everything again, since errors made during the installation process are either very difficult or even impossible to eliminate.
Installing a plasterboard ceiling is one of the most labor-intensive processes.
Options for the supporting frame
Working with plasterboard slabs involves three options for attaching the slabs to the base:
- using adhesives;
- on a wooden frame;
- on a metal profile.
Each method has its own advantages, but is only suitable for certain conditions.
Installation with glue reduces the height of the room the least, but requires that the ceiling surface have high strength and evenness. Using glue, unevenness of no more than 1 - 1.5 cm is eliminated. Install slabs on plastered ceilings glue method This is not possible, since gypsum board has a decent weight and can come off along with the plaster. Also, with this installation it is impossible to install Spotlights.
A wooden frame for attaching drywall to the ceiling is suitable only in rooms with a small area and constant temperature and low humidity. Wood changes its linear dimensions greatly with fluctuations in temperature and humidity, so with a high degree of probability the installed ceiling will become covered with cracks.
It is best to make a frame from metal profiles - this is a lighter material with which you can make multi-level ceilings from plasterboard.
It is much better to attach plasterboard to the ceiling using special metal profiles, which allow you to create multi-level surfaces at any height from the ceiling. Strength, lightness and ease of fastening bring the metal profile to a leading position among materials for making load-bearing frames.
Materials and tools
The main material for constructing ceilings is ceiling plasterboard 9.5 mm thick. The thicker one has a lot of weight, and the thinner one is arched and has a small thickness. Both require the installation of additional profiles to reduce the load on the frame or reduce the likelihood of deflections.
The following materials will be needed:
- guide profile PNP or UD with dimensions 27×28 mm;
- supporting profile PP or CD with dimensions 7×60 mm;
- hangers for attaching load-bearing profiles to the ceiling (butterflies);
- dowels or self-tapping screws for attaching the UD profile to the wall and suspensions to the ceiling (depending on the design of the walls and ceilings);
- cross-shaped connectors for joining transverse load-bearing profiles or for extending a profile when long length premises;
- self-tapping screws for connecting profiles to each other, attaching to hangers or crabs (the so-called bugs or fleas);
- self-tapping screws for attaching gypsum boards to the frame, 20–25 mm long.
You will also need quite a lot of tools and equipment:
- a screwdriver or drill with variable speed control to screw the drywall to the ceiling;
- a hammer drill or impact drill for drilling holes for dowels;
- water or laser level;
- marking cord;
- stepladder or platform;
- supports to hold the slabs during installation;
- Phillips screwdriver;
- metal scissors for cutting profiles;
- a long cord to control the evenness of the installation of supporting profiles.
Marking and installation of the supporting frame
Marking for fastening the frame begins with determining the installation level of the guide profiles. To do this, on the walls starting from any corner using water or laser level transfer the marks to the remaining corners. Then, using a marking cord, mark a control line along the entire perimeter.
Carrying out calculations and drawings is one of the most important points When installing a gypsum board ceiling, making the slightest mistake can ruin the entire final result.
If it is not intended to install spotlights and it is necessary to reduce the height of the room to a minimum, then the supporting profiles can be mounted at a distance of about 30 mm from the lowest point of the ceiling. Most tips boil down to finding this lowest point and moving it to the nearest wall and then knocking the level off from there. But nowhere does it say how to do this.
It is much easier to mark a temporary horizontal line around the perimeter at a distance of 20 - 25 cm from the ceiling. By pulling the cord between any points on opposite walls, you can quickly find the lower level of the ceiling and move the temporary horizontal line to any value.
To attach the hangers, markings are also required. Here you need to proceed from the size of the slabs and the width of the walls. It may happen that you need to fasten a strip of sheet less than 20 - 25 cm wide. This is not advisable. It is better to cut plasterboard sheets symmetrically from opposite walls, ensuring that the minimum width of the attached strip is at least 25 cm.
The position of the profiles relative to the slabs may be different. It is most practical to lay the sheets so that the supporting profiles run across the gypsum board at a distance of 50 cm (for sheets 2.5 m long).
Between the laid profiles, jumpers are installed at a distance of half the width of the gypsum board. The connection of the jumpers is done using crabs.
Installation of plasterboard boards
Attaching the slabs to the frame is best done by two people, but if you have supports and some experience, you can do it alone.
The slabs are laid so that the edges are in the middle of the profile and there is a gap of 3–4 mm between adjacent slabs. In adjacent rows, the sheets are placed staggered so that the seams do not end up on the same line. Along the long sides of the gypsum board there is usually a chamfer or thinning for easy sealing of seams. For the same purpose, you also need to chamfer the ends with a special plane or assembly knife. The chamfers are removed while the slabs are not yet secured.
One person can install a plasterboard ceiling using supports, but if you are doing this for the first time, we recommend doing it with someone’s help.
The gypsum boards are fastened to the ceiling using self-tapping screws with a pitch of no more than 155 mm. The screws should be located at a distance of 20 mm from the edge of the sheet. The heads of the screws must be completely recessed into the surface, but must not break through the paper layer. If this happens, then the screw must be screwed into another, undamaged place. To avoid defects in work, you should not use the screwdriver at maximum speed. You need to experimentally determine the required friction clutch force, or it is better to use an attachment with a special skirt that does not allow the screw to be deepened beyond a certain value. The protrusions of the nozzle should be smooth, without wear. Otherwise, the self-tapping screw will not hold tightly and will often break off.
Before attaching plasterboard to the ceiling, be sure to check the correctness of the electrical wiring and mark the places where lamps will be installed in the future.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake when installing drywall is incorrect calculations and markings, when a section of several centimeters wide remains.
The second mistake is attaching the sheets directly to the guide profile. Firstly, the fastening is obtained at the very edge of the sheet, where it will crumble, and secondly, the rigid adhesion of the ceiling to the partitions and walls can lead to cracks due to temperature changes. It is better to attach gypsum boards to profiles that are laid in close proximity to the guides.
The use of plasterboard as a material for finishing work in the process of repair and construction is quite wide. This material is used for cladding walls, forming niches and partitions, as well as cladding ceilings.
In order to figure out how to attach drywall to the ceiling, you should carefully study the recommendations on this issue. this work is not particularly difficult, but non-professionals will have to work hard when learning a new skill.
A surface created from plasterboard sheets has many advantages:
- the ceiling will be perfectly flat - this quality of coating is difficult to achieve by any other means;
- the ability to place communications and insulation, hiding them under the covering;
- the opportunity to create unusual designs in accordance with your own ideas or design project. It is possible to form devices from one or several levels, giving them various colors and shades using finishing;
- creation of a unique lighting system, which is carried out using special lamps. It is possible to choose not only the power, but also the direction of the light flow, as well as the appearance of the lamp;
- You can create a plasterboard ceiling in any room. There are special varieties of this material that are moisture-resistant and fire-resistant, which makes it possible to install such a ceiling in the bathroom, kitchen, sauna, and so on;
- in conditions wet room You can also use ordinary sheets, impregnating them with a special composition. This option may be more economical than purchasing special sheets. The issue of waterproofing such surfaces deserves separate consideration.
Technology for attaching gypsum boards to the ceiling
- Marking the work area using a level.
- Fastening the UD profile along the perimeter of the ceiling.
- Attaching suspensions to the ceiling.
- Installation of CD profiles to guides and hangers.
- Fastening sheets of drywall to load-bearing profiles.
- Puttying joints and places where screws are installed.
- Finishing the surface.
To obtain a high-quality result, you need to adhere to the sequence of work, and also take a responsible approach to the choice of drywall and fastenings. Saving on a structure such as a ceiling should be considered carefully, otherwise excessive savings may affect the reliability and service life of the entire structure.
How to choose a profile and components for drywall
Creating a structure of several levels requires the presence of three types of fasteners: initial, main and longitudinal profile.
- Profiles that perform a load-bearing function must meet strength requirements and withstand the weight of the entire structure. Incorrect selection of these elements can lead to deformation, for example, sagging of the elements, which outside will appear as cracks or bends.
- In addition to the lack of aesthetic appeal, such defects are fraught with damage to the integrity of sheets of material.
- Attaching the suspensions to the base of the ceiling is done with anchors or dowels. All fasteners must be made of metal. Plastic parts will not provide the necessary strength.
The guide profiles are attached to the hangers, and the plasterboard panels are already attached to them. You should not opt for sheets that are too thin. Sheets 12.5 mm wide will provide sufficient structural rigidity.
Required Tools
- screwdriver;
- level;
- pencil and measuring tape.
Often, fastening elements are provided with profiles; if they are missing, you must purchase them yourself.
Marking the ceiling surface and installing a frame for drywall
- Like all Finishing work With the participation of plasterboard, ceiling installation begins with markings.
- The base line is drawn on the wall with a distance of 10-12 cm from the ceiling. This line is a guideline for installing the guides, which must be done by checking the level.
- Load-bearing parts must be inserted into profiles placed around the perimeter of the room, leaving a gap for possible deformation of the sheets during expansion.
- The plasterboard sheets are secured along the supporting profiles. The sheets are attached to guides across the longitudinal structures. In this way, a single-level ceiling is formed.
Attaching drywall to the ceiling without a frame
In the case where the premises have small sizes and the formation of a frame can significantly reduce it; it is possible to attach plasterboard to the ceiling with glue.
- The surface should not have obvious unevenness, and should also be protected from moisture and freezing.
- Before applying the glue, it is important to clean the ceiling from dust, dirt and greasy stains. If the ceiling was covered with putty or primer, you need to wait until it dries completely.
- To cover a ceiling that has significant unevenness, you can build a kind of frame from plasterboard. You need to cut strips 10 cm wide, then stick them on the surface in the form of a grid with square cells with sides of about 50 cm. The process should be controlled using a level.
- Drywall sheets are cut sharp knife. The cardboard layer is cut on one side, the sheet is broken at the point of the cut, after which a cut is made on the reverse side.
- Applying glue to the surface is done with a special spatula with teeth.
- The sheet is secured to the wall using a holder, after which you need to check its horizontalness using a level.
- Lumps and other irregularities can be eliminated by tapping the surface with a hammer through a wooden block.
- The seams formed between the sheets of drywall should not be arranged crosswise, so the installation must be done in a checkerboard pattern.
Fastening drywall to construction foam
Another material with which you can strengthen plasterboard sheets on the ceiling is polyurethane foam. Before performing such fastening, you need to level the surface and treat it with a primer.
- Before applying the composition, you need to make several holes on the surface of the sheet.
- Strips of foam rubber necessary to create a spring effect when leveling the structure should be glued to the back side.
- The sheet is then attached to the ceiling with washers, leaving a cavity of approximately 10-15 cm.
By adjusting the plane of the sheet with a level, you can fill the cavity with foam. After the composition has completely dried, you can unscrew the screws and screw in the self-tapping screws.
The finished surface should be covered with a layer of primer, the seams should be covered with reinforcing tape and the surface should be covered first with one and, after drying, with a second layer of putty. After drying, you need to sand it with fine sandpaper.
IN last years The most modern and technologically advanced materials are increasingly being used for finishing ceilings, which can include the well-known plasterboard. The use of materials of this class ensures a completely flat surface without resorting to tedious procedures for leveling the ceiling or plastering it.
All known methods of fastening drywall come down to the following three options:
- securing sheets of plasterboard to a metal frame structure using metal screws;
- using ordinary wooden slats as a frame;
- installation of drywall directly on the ceiling surface using dowels and special fasteners.
Before attaching drywall to the ceiling, you will need to thoroughly prepare its base.
Preparing the ceiling surface
First of all, using a water level, you should mark the places where the plasterboard sheets will be attached to the ceiling. To do this, at a height of about 1.5 meters from the floor, lines are drawn on the walls of the room, defining a basic level of markings (used as a reference point from which equal segments are laid towards the ceiling). The required level of fastening of the sheets is determined taking into account the depth of the frame with an adjustment of about 10 mm.
If you are going to mount spotlights on the ceiling, the depth frame structure should be selected in accordance with the dimensions of the lighting elements.
To successfully complete all planned work, you will definitely need (in addition to the drywall itself) following materials and tools:
- gypsum-based mastic;
- finished frame metal structure or wooden slats;
- construction screwdriver;
- dowels and screws.
Methods for attaching drywall
Let's talk about the most popular methods of installing drywall on the ceiling.
Work on arranging a plasterboard ceiling mounted on a metal frame begins with preparation load-bearing structure from the standard profile. In this case, all elements of the mounted frame are attached directly to the ceiling.
Installation work begins with securing a special starting profile around the perimeter of the room being equipped. Then metal strips are nailed across the ceiling in increments of about 40 cm, used as load-bearing profiles. And only then, on top of the strips with the same step, longitudinal metal profiles, used for fastening sheets of drywall. Upon completion of all these procedures, you will receive a structure divided into equal cells, in the niches of which sheets of drywall, cut according to the specified dimensions, will be placed.
To attach drywall blanks you will need self-tapping screws suitable size(with a length corresponding to the thickness of the sheet being fixed). For 9 mm drywall, for example, you will need to prepare 1.5 cm self-tapping screws. To secure the sheets, use a screwdriver, through which the screws are “driven” into the longitudinal profiles in increments of 12-15 centimeters so that their heads are slightly recessed in the material.
Using a wooden frame
Before attaching drywall to the ceiling on a wooden frame made of slats, its surface is carefully leveled using a primer. Using a slatted frame will allow you to hide all the unevenness of the ceiling and maintain the height of the finished room as much as possible.
Its preparation is carried out with special care, since the quality of the installed coating will depend on the accuracy of the markings.
First of all, it is necessary to mark the locations of the joints of the plasterboard sheets on the ceiling surface, where slats with a width of at least 8 cm are installed. The wooden frame is attached to the ceiling using dowels 8 to 10 centimeters long. In some cases, wooden plugs are used to fasten the slatted frame, driven into holes prepared in advance on the ceiling. Drywall sheets are attached to the wooden frame using self-tapping screws; at the same time, it is advisable to leave a small gap in the area of the joints, which is subsequently filled with putty.
Frameless mount
Frameless fastening of plasterboard to the ceiling can be realized by using a special mastic containing such well-known building compounds as gypsum and bone glue. A mixture of these binding materials ensures reliable adhesion of plasterboard sheets to the ceiling base.
First, small portions of gypsum mastic are applied to the drywall (along the edges and in the center), after which the original composition is leveled, and the sheet itself is pressed tightly against the ceiling base.
To reduce the load on the attachment points of the plasterboard sheet, it can be cut into pieces.
Video
We bring to your attention a video about attaching drywall to the ceiling.