Appreciation post: The old-timer who showed me why you never skip the back-blocking on a long ceiling run

I was helping a crew in Denver last fall, and they were slapping up 12-foot sheets on a vaulted ceiling with just a few screws and glue. An older guy on the site, Frank, stopped us and insisted we back-block every seam with a 1x4. He said, 'That glue will let go in a year, and you'll have a wave you can surf on.' We grumbled but did it. Sure enough, I drove by that house six months later and the ceiling looked like glass. How many of you still back-block long spans, or is that a lost art?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianagreen2mo ago

Frank's 1x4 trick is solid for any span over 10 feet. I see too many guys trusting just glue and hoping for the best. That extra hour of work saves a massive callback.

bettyperry2mo ago

I used to skip the 1x4 trick on 12 foot spans, just glued and screwed. Then I had a floor start to sing on me last year. @dianagreen is right, that extra hour with the rips is cheap insurance. I won't build a long span without them now.

matthewsullivan1mo ago

Holy crap. Frank actually drove by that house six months later to check it? That's dedication most guys don't have. I'd bet @dianagreen is right about the hour being cheap insurance, but wow. I've never seen anyone go back to a past job just to look at their own work like that. That's a whole other level of pride.