Sawhorse steadies drywall deadman

Putting drywall on a ceiling by yourself is never fun, but at least you can minimize the agony by using temporary supports (called deadmen) to steady the panels as you drive home the fasteners. The drawing illustrates how I combined the standard T-shaped drywall deadman with a sawhorse. I use a couple of these sawhorses to support a sheet of drywall.

The 2-in, gap between the top of the deadman crossbar and the bottom of the joists (or strapping) leaves enough space to slip the drywall easily into place. Then I place a 2x block between the crossbar and the drywall to lift the sheet into contact with the joists.

I stretch a couple of planks between the sawhorses for a mini-scaffold that allows an easy reach to the ceiling. A sturdy step stool beside the scaffold completes the setup.

Mike Hoffman, 108 Mile Ranch, British Columbia, ca