The answer to your question, "Do I need a sheetrock lift?" is almost always "yes" especially when you are putting sheetrock on your ceiling. And, you can build your own lift and save the cost of renting or buying a new one. It is really quite simple to construct a lift and, once it's done, you will save endless hours of gruesome and painful sheetrock work.
A lift for sheetrock is just a device that lifts sheetrock (or drywall) panels up to the ceiling, where they are nailed into place. New lifts can cost hundreds of dollars and they can also be rented by the hour from rental supply stores. You can save money by building your own lift and it doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to do so.
Cordless Dewalt
In order to build a lift, you will need some basic equipment. Things you'll need to have are a circular saw, drywall screws or nails, a cordless screwdriver, a tape measure, a ladder and 2x4 pieces of wood. The first thing you'll need to do is determine how long to make your lift. This can be done by measuring the distance it is from the floor to the ceiling.
The next step in the process is to cut a 3 foot length of 2x4. Then, cut another section of 2x4 the exact same length as the length of your ceiling. Cut a third piece of 2x4 into a 4 foot length. This will be used to join the 2 other pieces together. These three pieces of wood will be attached together to help you when hoisting the sheetrock up to the ceiling. All you have to do now is put a piece of sheetrock on your lift. It may take more than one person to actually hoist up the sheetrock. (This is not necessary with store-bought lifts.) Once the sheetrock is in place, then all you have to do is nail it securely in place.
Making your own sheetrock lift is a project that you can do in no time. And, just think how rewarding it will be to know that you were able to make something that is not only efficient but useful as well.