As the owner of a 99-year old house, I can sympathize. What is this sheetrock that you speak of? You mean some people don't have plaster walls? ;\)

I'd think that big hole you just made in your kitchen ceiling would start letting a lot of heat into that space. That ought to help.

The good news is that as soon as you get a trickle going, it should thaw quickly. And the resulting fire from the heat gun will certainly help too. Always look on the bright side. ;\)

M80v2 | VP150v2 | QS8v2
SVS Pci+ 20-39
Emotiva UMC-1 & LPA-1
M22ti + T-Amp, in the Office