Should I install drywall panels parallel or perpendicular to ceiling joists?

Question

I am going to be putting drywall up on my ceiling soon and I am not sure which is the best orientation\layout for the drywall.

The ceiling joists run horizontal to the following images. The section of the ceiling is approximately 33' by 11'.

Which of the following would be better? Option #1 has 12 butt joints while Option #2 only has 8.

Not sure if this matters but the ceiling joists do not match up with drywall lengths so I've added blocking at the appropriate spots for support.

Longer sheets are not an option.

Answer 1

With option 2 you have twice as much seam length running down the center of ceiling joists. This can be a real pain to keep everything aligned, especially when you have roof braces, overhead door brackets, and other structures holding the truss members rigidly in place.

Also, some brands of drywall aren't designed to resist sag parallel to the mounting lines and should only be installed perpendicular to the framing.

For those reasons, along with what juicestain09 said, option 1 is far better.

One note... unless your wall is very straight, you may want to run the first row on a chalked line 24" off center, and cut both outer rows to fit. Cutting drywall is not difficult, and you may end up with a nicer fit. That said, you have 1/2" of coverage available from the wall panels, so maybe that's adequate.

Answer 2

Tooooonnnnsssss more cutting in option 2. Butt joints aren't a problem if you're careful with your screws so that you don't pop through or break the edge. I'd say option 1, imo.

Answer 3

Option 1 is the only way to do it. In 30 years I've never seen anyone do it any other way on site.

I am confused though, if the joist spacing doesn't work boards, how was option 2 even on the table? Surely the long edges would end up hovering in the space between joists no? (Forgive me if I missed something, speed reading lol!)

I concur, panel jacks are the holy grail. I'll never go back to hoisting them over my head...