Sheetrocking a ceiling is more complicated, and more physically difficult, than sheetrocking a wall. The problem, put simply, is gravity. Holding big, heavy sheets of drywall up over your head, then fastening, taping and sanding them in that position, makes sheetrocking the walls seem downright simple. Because of the danger of the sheetrock sagging between the joists, you can't even "cheat" by using thinner, lighter drywall on ceilings--in fact, it should be thicker. It's going to be a difficult project no matter what, but there are a few tricks to make it easier.
Choosing Sheetrock
For ceilings, 5/8-inch sheetrock is the standard, rather than the 1/2-inch sheets that you can usually get away with on walls. The extra strength of the thicker material is necessary to prevent sagging. Special "anti-sag" 1/2-sag ceiling drywall is available; it's not always easy to find, but is easier to hang. You also could double up on regular 1/2-inch drywall--hang one full layer, then another right on top of it, with different seams. (The idea is to avoid having to hang the heavier 5/8-inch sheets, but of course the trade-off is that you have to drywall the room twice.) If you're drywalling a bathroom, you'll need to use wetrock, which is heavier than regular sheetrock.
Fastening Methods
Sheetrock can be either nailed or screwed to the ceiling joists, and should always be glued as well. Nailing is simpler, screwing is quicker and stronger. If you nail, use a drywall hammer (the cross-hatch pattern on the head dimples the drywall surface when you sink the nails, rather than knocking a full hole in it like a regular hammer will) and sink two nails right next to each other every six inches or so. For screws, use a screwgun set to sink the heads just below the surface of the sheetrock. Apply the carpenter's glue in beads from a glue gun along the underside of each joist.
Lifting the Sheetrock
The hardest part of hanging ceiling sheetrock is holding it in place above your head while attaching it to the joists. If you have a partner, it's still difficult, but do-able. If you're working alone, you can rent a drywall jack or make one yourself by screwing the flat end of a 2-foot 1-by-4 on the end of a 2-by-4 that's as tall as the ceiling. The jack holds up one end of the drywall while you hold up the other end and screw or nail it in.
Taping
The taping and mudding process on ceiling sheetroc --like just about every other aspect of it--is more difficult than on walls, because you have to reach the ceiling and hold your arms above your head for extended periods of time, which is harder than you think. Moving the ladder around under the seams is time consuming, and you might consider renting drywall stilts. These odd-looking things, used by professionals, are stilts, 2 feet long or so, that attach to your legs so you can walk under the seams and do your ceiling work without having to move a ladder around.
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