A standard sheet of drywall weighs about 60lbs. It’s not the kind of weight you want to lift over your head for a long time. When it comes to working with the drywall in the ceiling, ¼” material seems a lot more reasonable than ½” drywall but can you use ¼” in the ceiling?
You can use ¼” drywall on your ceiling but not as a replacement for existing drywall. You should only use ¼” as a method of repair or covering up unsightly abrasions, stains, or chips in the existing sheetrock. But ¼” is not the right thickness for a standalone job.
Drywall usually comes in 4 x 8 sheets that weigh roughly 60lbs. This is not only the standard size it’s also just plain standard. Other types of drywall include green board, fire-resistant, moisture-resistant, acoustic drywall, etc. When we refer to standard drywall, that’s all we’re referring to.
Drywall Thickness Applications
Standard drywall for residential applications comes in four thicknesses of ¼”, ⅜”, ½”, and ⅝”. They’re not designed to mix and match. Each one has a very specific use. When it comes to the walls in your home, all of the drywall should be ½” thick.
The same goes for your ceiling, whether you have a standard, smooth ceiling or a popcorn ceiling, the thickness should be ½”. If you somehow got a hole in your ceiling and want to replace that sheetrock panel, you need to replace it with another ½” thick sheetrock panel.
If it makes you feel any better, there are newer “standard” drywall materials that are called “lightweight” drywall. They provide homes with the same thickness and durability standards while weighing 19lbs less than the standard drywall that everyone is familiar with.
In the residential construction industry, contractors are becoming more and more enamored with lightweight drywall, especially in ceiling applications. They are also starting to buy up drywall in much larger panels. Sure, it adds more weight to the project, but that’s fewer seals that you have to work in after it’s in place.
⅝” Drywall
This drywall is commonly used for ceiling applications because it’s thick enough and strong enough that there is little concern with sagging. It is also applied heavily in duplexes between residences because it’s thick enough to drown out sounds and acoustic drywall is even better.
½” Drywall
Even though ⅝” is commonly used in ceilings, ½” drywall is the most common choice for ceilings, along with most of the walls in a residential setting. The best part about ½” drywall is that it has the most variety in terms of panel sizes, something the other drywall thicknesses lack.
⅜” Drywall
This is mostly used for patching large holes in existing drywall or as a curved drywall piece. The material is just thin enough to allow for some curvature, although severely curved walls may be a little too much for it.
¼” Drywall
This drywall thickness is best for repairs and patching since it is thin enough that the bulge will barely be noticeable, especially if you’re not looking for it. It also curves very well, making it a favorite for sharply curved wall aesthetics.
It also happens to be the cheapest option, since there is less material there.
What’s the Problem with ¼” Drywall for the Ceiling?
It’s not a problem so long as it is used for repair work and not as a replacement for the original panel. Of course, when you use it for repair work you have to be careful as well. For instance, if you place a large piece of ¼” drywall over the original drywall and seal all of the edges, it will likely sag in the middle, bulging out from the overhead.
To make it work right, you will have to add plenty of construction adhesive to the surface area of both the back of the ¼” drywall panel and the surface area of the spot you are placing it over.
One of the drawbacks of working with very thin drywall is that it lacks the strength to maintain itself. Large sections of ¼” drywall will give in to the sway of gravity, allowing its middle section to drop lower and lower until it breaks or you fix it.
If it’s a minor repair, you shouldn’t even bother with grabbing a piece of drywall to cover it up. Using large ¼” panels of drywall to repair ceilings should only be an option when you are trying to cover up a very large surface area.
Use Joint Compound
For minor cracks or chips in the ceiling, you should consider using joint compound rather than trying to tack on ¼” drywall over it. Joint compound will fill in the cracks or the chips in the drywall and all you need to use is a putty knife to smooth it out.
Once it’s smoothed over, simply take a chip of the paint down to your local hardware store, get it matched, bring home the new paint, and paint over the joint compound after it’s had time to cure.
Never Replace Removed Ceiling Pieces with ¼” Drywall
If you have to remove a chunk of the drywall out of the ceiling, never replace it with ¼” drywall. Always match the existing ceiling drywall thickness, which should be ½” or ⅝” thickness.
When replacing drywall, it’s often difficult to cut out the damaged section and have an available joist for you to screw in the new panel replacement piece. The best advice is to install nailing strips, which are simply sections of 2×2 or 2×4 wood that you can fit the joists in the attic so you have something to screw your new piece into.
Final Thoughts
There are some uses for ¼” drywall but replacing sections out of your ceiling isn’t one of them. You can use it to repair sections of your overhead, however, you have to ensure that the entire backside of the ¼” drywall is covered in adhesive or it will end up sagging on you later.
Ultimately, the best way to repair your ceiling is to use a joint compound for minor repairs and replace bad sections with drywall that matches the existing drywall in thickness.
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