We had a fire last year and had to remove our plaster ceilings. We’re left with beams that have all kinds of shims etc. that were used to level the lath. Every drywaller has had a different idea of how ceiling should be prepped. A few have said they didn’t want the job.
None of the joists are structural. I just checked the floor/ceiling above and it is pretty level and flat.
The floor of the room is definitely not level so measuring up from the floor (one suggestion) wouldn’t work. The beams are definitely not level as they are all different sizes and have been affected by settling. We are installing floor to (almost ceiling) pantry cabinets on one wall.
Would it be easier to just remove the old joists (we would reuse them wood for a furniture project) and add new ones – measuring down from ceiling/upstairs floor to the lowest point of the beams?
The picture with door shows the one beam that has 2.25 change in level.
Thanks for your input.
Best Answer
1st off, make sure all structural elements are sound before closing. And it's a good idea to clean up the patchwork up there. It's actually very easy to level. Use a lazer level adjusted to your lowest point. Sister any joists to that line. This image shows how with T-bar drop ceilings but the concept is exactly the same.
This one shows how to do it using steel stud.