Drywalling: which way to go: 2 people or 1 person and a drywall lifter?

KUIPORNG

I am juggling on this issue>

pay $10/per hour for a person labour to help me do the drywalling of my approx 2000sq.ft. area

or purchase a $300 drywall lifter unit and do it myself alone....

my relative will help me move the drywalls to basement... it is the installation I am juggling here...

Any experience people have any opinion here? like everything else in my basements, this is my first time doing it...

dougrus

Me? Eventhough I am pretty grumpy, I prefer humans in this situation. That is, if you gotta go with one or the other... Wish gramps was still alive...a canadian with a steel plate in his head... cant beat that for rockin' a ceiling.

__________________
Doug Russell

"What if the hokey pokey really IS what its all about."

J187

Kui****, I know you seriously hate to pay labor, but if there is one thing worse then paying for labor, its hanging drywall alone. Pay the person. Especially considering that people will be able to do the same exact thing that the lifter can do and much much more. Plus, however many hours less than 30 that it takes you, you'll save money

KUIPORNG

Thanks J187... it is really the freedom I lost that I hate, not exactly the money... if I pay someone, I have to do it 7,8 hours the whole day, if I do it myself... I can do it one hour per day or more up to myself.... but anyway... I will do it with two people first and see how it goes... you know... like everything in construction, it always more scare before it started...

Bonus

Kui, why don't you rent the lift? Here they're about $20/day.

KUIPORNG

and again I kind of need to work 10 hours a day alone to better use the rental tool, I might not have such strength, on top of my demanding wife , 1 year old, 3 years old...

I think I make up my mind to go with the 2 people approach, at least for the beginning see how it goes...

Bonus

Even with the helpers I'd get the lift, get just enough screws into each sheet to move to the next then come back at your leisure (but soon) and finish it. If you haven't used a lift before, get ready to fall in love with it.

KUIPORNG

Here is another idea... thanks Bonus... My cousin happens to live with me for a few months as he intends to migrate his families here...He and his daughter stay with me before he moved to his new home. This idea will fit perfectly as I don't want to use him for a lengthy time if I can do it myself even I provide him accomodation, he catch big fish for us to eat though, he caught a six pounder last night, also he bought some good food occasionally... you know, my wife keep asking me to use him for help... but I only want to ask him for things when it require to be done by two people... the lift is very tempting... I saw it selling for 150 Candian plus 120 shipping though... if it is in local, and I could pick it up... I will sure go for it... but for 300 bucks...I will pass it... you know you want to save here and there to cut the cost down...

Bonus

Yeah, it's not something I do enough to own one, I just hate lifting that stuff over my head.

skits

Definitely get a drywall lifter! Those sheets are heavy and you can only hold your hands up so long. And unless you have a perfectly square house (which you don't) you'll be putting them up and taking them down and shaving them. We just did two ceilings (much smaller than yours) and once we used one, the next ceiling that was the first thing we got. We rented it for a day and it was oh so worth the money! You'll still want another person if possible. Wife? I'm the wife and I was the gopher for the project. (I'm the mudder, he's the hanger LOL)

clasact

I would do as the other guy suggested rent one but your most likely going to need some human help also even if its just minamal help that is unless the room your working on is perfectly square ?

747

Here is a trick for making drywalling simple. BEFORE you hang the drywall Take some drywall nails. Go ahead and tap them in 16 inchs on center meaning every 16 inches about a inch down from the top of the drywall. This is assuming your studs are 16 inches on center. Then just tap them into the studs. This will hold the drywall up to get the screws in. SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THAT TRICK I MIGHT HAVE HIM CONFUSED. Tap the first one in then the last one now the drywall isn't moving on you.

Darylh

2 guys and a drywall lift EVERY TIME for this guy.It also allows you to use longer sheets when possible which means less joints. You could just sell that machine when your finished.

KUIPORNG

ok, I spent 239 USD bought this tool. after triple thinking about it many times...

Bonus

You won't regret it.