Hi folks,
I need to put a new drywall ceiling over a severly damaged plaster and lath ceiling. I was wondering if there exisisted an inexpensive (less than $100) laser level that would assist me in mounting the furring strips on an even plane on the old ceiling? Thanks for any help or advice.
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Replies
Rotary Laser
A rotary laser is the tool for the job. I haven't priced them, but I think they are somewhat more expensive. They will provide a level plane of laser light, filling the entire room so at any point you can measure up from the laser beam to the furring. The five beam lasers which give plumb and level beams or the cheapies that just give one beam an also produce a level beam but will need to be constantly rotated or repositioned as you move around the room.
You could get by without one just using several strings stretched level and measure up from them. My concern is that you might be far better off time wise yanking down the old cieling and putting up a new one. If the orginal joists have sagged you might want to figure out why during the process and leveling the ceiling will be easier by just sistering wood/metal studs to the side of the joists than by trying to shim furring strips.
Thanks. After closer inspection I have decided to take out the old ceiling.
Sistering Metal Track
If you decide to tear out the ceiling and build down, here's an easy way to do it.
First,
Use metal track. Part of the fire rating of ceilings (at least here in NYC) is due to the fact that the joist bays are "sealed" by the ceiling so a fire in the joist bay gets starved of oxygen pretty fast and will smolder, giving the Fire Dept. more time to respond. The holes in metal studs alow air to move from bay to bay.
Second
Work in a grid.
Work from the lowest point in the room (best found with a water level or a benchmark line made around the room with a level ) and level a track on the side of a joist. Using deep throated locking C-clamps (vise grips) make temporary placement easy before you screw them on. Then clamp a track perpendicular to the first (small vise grip c-clamps this time, or some zip screws) and level the track you would attach to a joist about 10 feet away (the length of track) from both ends of the first installed track and level to the first (installed track). With two track installed to joists and two track hanging (attached to the installed track) you have a box to lay on the track in between and don't have to bother leveling each piece. Move the operation down the room or across as you need to.
This way you can get a pretty good leveling job done pretty quickly with one good magnetic level.