Substitute for drywall ceiling

[rmanrman]

I’ve got an unfinished room above my 1& 1/2 garage. The ceiling and walls in the garage is 5/8 inch fire rated. There is a fire rated door in the garage to the stairway to the upper floor above the attic
This room has 10 foot high ceiling insulated and wired lighting
To get drywall upstairs will be difficult and a 10 ft ceiling for my senior back. Is there an alternative material to install on the ceiling?
Not interested in T bar and drop in panels and wood is crazy expensive. I’ve called several drywall installers and those that called back said job too small or a crazy price over the phone. What about Luan plywood if not crazy price? Thanks

 

[strutaeng]

Not that I'm aware of. It needs to type X? There's 3/4" fire retardant plywood, which is used in commercial work, but I don't think it will have a UL assembly rating.

I hear you on weight. I used 5/8x4x12 rock on an addition. 104 lbs per sheet. Ouch. Did 8' ceilings myself, sometimes with a helper. Hired some professional guys to the 17' ceilings. 7 guys with 2 scaffolds sets installed like 40 or 50 sheets on a day, I can't remember the exact numbers.

They do make a lighter 5/8 rock. I think it's called FC30? Otherwise the lightweight 1/2" drywall panels are pretty light these days. Some say it's too light and tends to sag @24" vs. the older stuff.

 

[HeelSpur]

They used to make a fiber board that was finished on one side and it was lightweight and easy to install.

 

[The Cobbler]

got any high or wide windows in the space? boom trucks are amazing

 

[gunguy]

You're wanting this to be a DIY project? If I understand your issue correctly, hire a couple of guys to get the sheetrock up the stairs to the unfinished room then buy a Harbor Freight (or equivalent) drywall lift to hang the ceiling. Sell the lift when your done if you don't want to keep it. Buying then selling a lift is much cheaper than renting, especially if hanging is going to take longer than a couple of days. Allows you to take your time and not worry about the inevitable disruptions and interruptions.

Just a thought

Jim

 

[rktinc]

No idea about the fire rating issue but I just used 4x8 sheets of Home Depot nickle gap wall panels to finish a ceiling in my shop. They were light and easy to install. I plan to paint them a semi gloss white. I priced several ceiling options and was shocked at the price of ceiling tile, and other pre-made items for ceilings. Frankly I may have left the 70 year old tiles in place if I would have known who much it cost to refinish a ceiling.

This was done in one afternoon. Still doing the trim work but it turned out nicely.

 

[Bucko]

I second an upstairs window if its an option.

My mother's house had a roof leak that damaged the upstairs ceiling and the stairs were built by an idiot. She actually had furniture hoisted up and over a balcony before because there was no way to get many items upstairs.
I either had to cut the sheets in half and still struggle (yes the stairs were that bad) or get them over the rail. I made a platform for a drywall lift and secured it down. I then used it to get the sheets to rail level and into one of the upstairs rooms. It was a process since I was all by myself but it worked. I think it was about 20 sheets total.

 

[billconner]

I don't believe there is any fire safety requirement for the finishes in a space above the garage. If it's habitable - like a den or office - code does not allow egress through the garage.

I like rough sawn pine these days. 60 cents a board foot around here. But if 4x8 drywall will fit, it sounds like hiring someone to carry it up is the right answer.

 

[racecougar]

What is the intended use for the room? Living quarters? Storage? Office? That will typically play a role in material choice here. For instance, you might choose liner panel for storage/work space, but probably not for living quarters.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I’ve got an unfinished room above my 1& 1/2 garage. The ceiling and walls in the garage is 5/8 inch fire rated. There is a fire rated door in the garage to the stairway to the upper floor above the attic
This room has 10 foot high ceiling insulated and wired lighting
To get drywall upstairs will be difficult and a 10 ft ceiling for my senior back. Is there an alternative material to install on the ceiling?
Not interested in T bar and drop in panels and wood is crazy expensive. I’ve called several drywall installers and those that called back said job too small or a crazy price over the phone. What about Luan plywood if not crazy price? Thanks

For the upstairs you can get away with 1/2" sheetrock which is lighter. I borrowed a sheetrock lift to do mine and it made even the 5/8" doable by myself. Granted I was slightly less senior when I did it 13 years ago. You should be able to rent one of those.

For an alternative, they have tin and copper panels and some that just look like metal that are either fiber or plastic. There are vinyl products that look like painted wood but I don't think they are any cheaper than real wood. If you consider the cost of a drywall installer you can probably justify a real wood product installing yourself with a nail gun. I know it's a lot of money now but ten years down the road you will like the wood if it is the look you want. I still wish I had done wood on my vaulted ceiling upstairs.

 

[rmanrman]

No idea about the fire rating issue but I just used 4x8 sheets of Home Depot nickle gap wall panels to finish a ceiling in my shop. They were light and easy to install. I plan to paint them a semi gloss white. I priced several ceiling options and was shocked at the price of ceiling tile, and other pre-made items for ceilings. Frankly I may have left the 70 year old tiles in place if I would have known who much it cost to refinish a ceiling.

This was done in one afternoon. Still doing the trim work but it turned out nicely.

Love the look nice job.
Did you use a 4x8 panel or planks?
This room will be an office/storage room
Does a Hf drywall lift go to 10feet?

 

[racecougar]

Does a Hf drywall lift go to 10feet?

11'5"

150 lb. Capacity Drywall Panel Hoist

Amazing deals on this 150Lb Drywall Panel Hoist at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Toomanytools?]

Love the look nice job.
Did you use a 4x8 panel or planks?
This room will be an office/storage room
Does a Hf drywall lift go to 10feet?

HF lift is $260, and max lift 11'5".