That time I got a call to fix a ceiling collapse in a downtown loft

Last Tuesday I walked into a $2 million loft unit downtown and the entire living room ceiling had let go. The builder had hung 5/8 fire rated board on 24 inch centers with the wrong screws. Wound up tearing out 600 square feet and starting fresh with 1/2 inch on 16 inch centers. Who else is seeing guys skip proper screw spacing on big open ceilings?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.morgan15d agoMost Upvoted

Tbh I ran into almost the exact same mess last fall in a older condo building downtown. Owner had a contractor use drywall nails instead of screws on a vaulted ceiling and the whole thing sagged about two inches before it let go. Ended up having to come in with a drywall lift and a crew to reframe the strapping too because the original guys skipped putting in blocking. Its wild how many people think 24 inch centers is fine for any ceiling let alone a big open one.

sanchez.mia15d ago

Oh man, a buddy of mine had a similar thing happen in his new place, the whole kitchen ceiling just drooped down one morning! He found out the contractor used regular drywall screws that were way too short for the double layer of board they’d put up.