Take the Pain Out of Taping Overhead
Here are three ways to overcome the challenges of working at ceiling height.
For best results, I prefer to tape the entire length of a seam or inside corner in one pass. That’s no problem when you’re working on a horizontal wall seam 4 ft. from the floor, but ceilings and the tops of inside or outside corners present more of a challenge.
For ceilings 9 ft. high or less, I find that a pair of adjustable stilts allows me the greatest maneuverability for taping joints and fasteners. If stilts are not practical for you (or if you’re not allowed to use them for drywalling where you live), set up a plank long enough to work the length of a seam at an appropriate height. For ceilings over 9 ft. high, you’ll have to set up some kind of scaffolding.
In most rooms, all you need to reach the top of an inside or outside corner is an overturned, empty joint-compound pail. I find it easiest to work from the top down.
|
|
|
|
Take the pressure off
To see another unique piece of gear that can help reduce some of the physical strain when working overhead, check out this video of the Airframe exoskeleton that we got to see at the International Builders’ Show. It’s basically a wearable device that uses spring-loaded braces to support your arm and distribute weight more evenly when holding tools or materials in awkward positions.
