Question about the weight of a full sheet of 5/8 drywall

I was reading through an old trade manual from the 90s at my local library, the one on Elm Street. I found a chart that listed the weight of a standard 4x8 sheet of 5/8 inch drywall. It said it was about 70 pounds. For some reason, I always thought it was closer to 60. I've been carrying these things up stairs for twenty years, and that extra 10 pounds per sheet really adds up over a day. It made me think about all the wear on my back and knees. I guess I never stopped to actually look it up. Do you guys have any good methods for moving full sheets by yourself on a tricky job, especially in tight spaces? I'm always looking for a safer way to handle them.

3 comments

3 Comments

cameron_webb3mo ago

I saw a video where a guy used a simple rope harness to walk sheets up stairs by himself. Looked way easier than bear hugging them lol.

ray_mitchell3mo ago

Wish I had seen that video before I moved last year, @cameron_webb. I tried the bear hug method with a queen mattress and basically just fell over sideways at the landing (it was not a good look). A rope harness sounds like a total game changer for anyone without a helper. I can picture it working way better, letting you use your legs instead of your arms. Next time I'm definitely searching for that trick instead of assuming I can wrestle a flat rectangle up a flight of stairs.

sageallen1mo ago

Wait, that rope harness trick actually works with a full sheet of 5/8 drywall? I've carried those things for twenty years and I've never seen anyone try that. How do you even rig it up so the sheet doesn't slide or flip on you going up a narrow stairwell? Seems like one wrong move and you're pinned under 70 pounds plus the rope cutting into your shoulders. I've always just used my drywall lift for the first floor and grunted through the stairs solo with a knee pad strapped to my thigh for support. That bear hug method you mentioned, ray_mitchell, is what gets most guys I know. Is there a specific knot or strap setup that keeps the weight centered so you don't end up torquing your back trying to balance it?