Plaster ceiling in detached garage

[plunkinberry]

I've been asked to replace a celing in a detached garage (~20'x20'). House looks quite old and is, generally, in very good shape. The 2 car detached garage appears to have been neglected (ignored mostly) for some time. The squirrels and mice in the rafters dislodge the decaying plaster (around a third of the ceiling) and it falls on their expensive BMWs...

My plan is to dislodge any loose plaster and remove it completely. I plan to leave the relatively sound plaster in place. I plan to install 3/8" drywall over the plaster to contain the plaster and close the rafter area (this is at the home-owner's request). I will tape/mud the seams, then paint to seal the drywall.

Flaws with my plan? Missing anything simple?

[Sweep]

Just be sure the attic joists, rafters and any ties are in good shape and nailed properly (hurricane ties?) especially since you will be adding some weight. Inspect the garage door beam just to be safe; sometimes they are completely rotted and and only deflect a few inches waiting for a bad day. Check garage door hanger attachment and reinforce if necessary. Ask if they want to hang anything from the ceiling (because you know they will) and try to find a way to do it without overstressing the structure especially if you are in a heavy snow zone. It is usually better to provife something high on the wall or braced up theough the ceiling to the rafter near the bearing wall. Provide access to the attic space and ventilation if it is required or desired. It's unlikely but he inspector may ask for 5/8 fire rated drywall at walls shared with the house or even a solid-core door if it doesn't have them, you never know, and it can't hurt to bring it up to code. Find a plastic wheel stop so they can park in the right position and they will thank you. When you're done and paid off tell them to stop cutting people off and terrorizing the highways in their precious beemers ... or maybe not.

[giddonah]

If you're going to be rocking the whole thing and containing the old plaster, why not just take it all down? You'll take a lot of weight out of the ceiling, and it's not doing anything anyway. Yeah, a little more at the dump, but if you separate the plaster from the lathe and nails, it's clean fill. Look at their driveway for a dumping spot or something. That's where I take my plaster pile, to my driveway lakes. :D

[plunkinberry]

The doors are not overhead - they are the old style bifold so they aren't suspended from the ceiling. Nothing else is suspended from the ceiling - just 2 bare light bulbs.

The garage is detached so fire rating shouldn't be an issue - fully seperated from the home. And, I don't anticipate any inspection - I'm not pulling permits.

I will investigate pulling the whole ceiling down when I get there on Saturday. I know its loose for approx. a third of the ceiling. I'm more concerned about moving all the junk in one half of the garage out of the way so I don't have to work around/clean up around it.

[plunkinberry]

Ended up taking down all the old plaster - very dirty work but not difficult. Got the drywall up and taped/mudded in one day. Went back on Sunday and painted to seal (I didn't finish the seams - it is a garage after all). Project done; on to the next...

[giddonah]

glad that worked out, I was wondering how that went.