Walls and Ceilings - new garage ceiling

We've had some structural work done on our townhouse. As a result, we hired a contractor to replace almost half of the garage ceiling. He's done a few things that are starting to make me wonder if he really knows what he's doing though. One particular item i'm concerned about is where two sheets of 5/8 sheetrock meet. They're screwed to 2x10 joists that are 16" on center. Here's the part i'm wondering about: the corner of one of the sheets is just about halfway between joists with no crossbrace to screw it to either. is this ok? Will this corner be adequately supported when everything is taped / floated, or will it sag later?

I'm not sure if I understand. Is the corner of the rock screwwed to the joist or floating with no support. If the end of the rock doesn't land on a joist/rafter it should have either been cut so it does or additional framing should have been added.

Derek - I'm curious, what did your contractor say when you pointed this out?
Just my opinion but I don't think it will sag. You only have 8" of overhang and 5/8" sheetrock is fairly stiff. I do believe that the joint will probably crack tho as the garage moves.

Have it cross braced, sistered, or whatever it takes to make the floating end attach to something solid. It may not sag, but I will give you a written guarantee it will crack at the seam, repeatedly.

To clarify, one sheetrock panel is hanging 8 inches over the joist along the 8 foot length. There arent any cross-braces to screw it down - so the corner is just kinda hanging out too. Another panel is hung perpendicular so that 8 inches hang over along the 4 foot length.

I was afraid it might sag and crack. Now it sounds like it will just crack, but I don't consider that acceptable. Tonight I've discovered some other issues, including some structural ones like a crossbeam that was removed but not replaced in the bathroom doorway. :mad: Tomorrow should be a short day for him as he packs his bags. I'll be looking for another contractor to finish this job (and redo parts of it).

Thanks for the sage advice and good luck on your projects!

There are brackets that are made for applications where one has a "floating" butt joint. If he used them he should be able to tell you. If he did use them, screws would also be installed as they would be if it broke on a joist.

My .02

Well, the contractor left for lunch yesterday and never returned. So far, he hasn't put up all of the drywall, which is a good thing. It looks like I may be finishing this myself. Can you tell me what these brackets are called? Also, where can I get them - at a big box store?
I'm thinking that a few extra strategically placed cross-braces along with these brackets might save me from having to undo everything he did. I'll still have to undo some of it though, like where he removed a joist and 'forgot' to replace it before sheetrocking over it. Anyway, he hasn't taped or floated yet so i know he didn't use any brackets. I'm just thankful I took a good look before he covered it all up.