Jacking up garage ceiling

[Oxjockey]

So my garage ceiling sags - probably a good 6" in the center. It's hard to tell because the floor is cracked and sunken probably about the same amount. :rolleyes:

Anyway, we were going to jack it back up and sister the joists. What's the best way to jack it up without screwing up the sheet rock and stuff? I figure if we get some 2x10s and put them perp. to the ceiling joists, then it should jack up easily enough...anything else to worry about?

TIA

[Sundowner]

what are your cieling joists now?

[PAToyota]

Chances are that you're going to have to redo the sheetrock. As the ceiling sagged, the holes from the screws or nails holding it up elongated. As you push it back into position, they are going to elongate the other way. Better to take it down than have a sheet fall on something (or someone) a few days later. It will also make sistering things a lot easier -- I assume you were planning to work from the top down? Much easier to work from below.

[Oxjockey]

Chances are that you're going to have to redo the sheetrock. As the ceiling sagged, the holes from the screws or nails holding it up elongated. As you push it back into position, they are going to elongate the other way. Better to take it down than have a sheet fall on something (or someone) a few days later. It will also make sistering things a lot easier -- I assume you were planning to work from the top down? Much easier to work from below.

I plan on working from the top and leaving the plaster in place. It's got blown in insulation and everything else up there.

The house has been plagued with water problems for years, and I can only guess that the POs used to use this area for storage.

I think they're 2x8s, but they could be 2x6s.

[coyote]

the best thing to do is get jack joists...take it slow and you should be good...first you need to know what you have...we can help if we know the span that the joists cover, (is anything above the garage or just roof) and distance between joists...it's also nice to know the construction of the joist...depending on the age of the house...you can get the joist jacks from a local rental center....find what's the true height, then work from the lowest point....remember go slow...1 quater of an inch is allot of adjustment...last one I raised was about 2.5 inch sag and took me about a month....

enjoy....

[Oxjockey]

the best thing to do is get jack joists...take it slow and you should be good...first you need to know what you have...we can help if we know the span that the joists cover, (is anything above the garage or just roof) and distance between joists...it's also nice to know the construction of the joist...depending on the age of the house...you can get the joist jacks from a local rental center....find what's the true height, then work from the lowest point....remember go slow...1 quater of an inch is allot of adjustment...last one I raised was about 2.5 inch sag and took me about a month....

enjoy....

They're just undersized clear span joists, about 21'. No jack studs or trussing, etc. The joists run perpendicular to the roof joists. :rolleyes:

Joist jacks = pole jacks?

[PAToyota]

Even at 2x8, 21 feet is too long to even support the sheetrock...

I know you want to save the hassle of tearing down the sheetrock, insulation, and all. But I'll pretty much bet you that it starts falling down within a month after you shore things up for the reasons I gave.

[fledgling666]

i wouldn't tear out the sheet rock. instead, i would get it jacked-up and fix the problem with whatever supports you're going to use. then i would add more screws to hold the sheet rock up and patch the elongated holes with joint compound or plaster and repaint where the screw-ups are. the sheet-rock should be fine as long as it isn't rotten or something.

[Oxjockey]

i wouldn't tear out the sheet rock. instead, i would get it jacked-up and fix the problem with whatever supports you're going to use. then i would add more screws to hold the sheet rock up and patch the elongated holes with joint compound or plaster and repaint where the screw-ups are. the sheet-rock should be fine as long as it isn't rotten or something.

That's pretty much what I'd thought. This is "only" a short term (5-10 year) fix until we build the real garage and convert this into living space, anyway.

[Oxjockey]

So it's officially sagging 4.75", I measured from the ridge rafter. 2x6s across about 22'.

If the holes in the plaster became elongated, wouldn't the nails travel in the same path back? I'm planning on screwing the plaster back up once we're back to "normal".

[PAToyota]

Chances are that they won't slide back "perfectly" on the same path and end up making the holes big enough that it won't come down immediately, but will come down in a couple weeks or months. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt... Fortunately, it was on my ex-mother-in-law's garage and not mine! :)

[Oxjockey]

Update!

Negative sag, as of this weekend:

http://www.dana60.com/images/mantle.jpg

We're 1/2" above level in the middle, hard to measure the outside rungs and I haven't bothered to throw a level across it. So we went up a whopping 5.25" in a weekend. Now, we brace it and fix the stairs so they hit the floor again. :D

Next is lighting and floor remediation. :rolleyes:

Thanks to Sundowner for his help! :blender:

[EMG7895]

I would get some drywall screws and just put some up to strengthen it.

[Oxjockey]

I would get some drywall screws and just put some up to strengthen it.

I keep saying I will, but I won't bother. I have lights to hang, so when I'm up there for that, I might. It's at least a few weeks out.

The strips of plaster are like 18x32 or something, odd stuff.

[Sundowner]

I love the crown in that rig

the column on the right has enough stress in it that it twangs like a tuning fork when you flick it with your finger.

[BigWhiteStroke]

Now that my friend is an interesting rig....

[u2slow]

Now I know how I'm going to lift my car-port. :D

[TheBandit]

I love the creative jack work

[Oxjockey]

I love the creative jack work

To rent pole jacks was $11 per day - each. And I'm not sure they wouldn't have bent. This let us brace the vert. members and minimize the deflection.