Suspended ceilings act as noise and heat buffers.
Suspended ceilings may be installed for several reasons. They muffle sound between floors in a house, they help to keep the heat in a room lower, where it can be appreciated, and they hide ductwork and wiring while still leaving it accessible for renovation or repair. Suspended ceilings are relatively easy to install, and don't involve any spackling, sanding or painting. Both frames and panels can be bought in a number of styles and colors.
Instructions
Install the Perimeter Flange
1. Measure the perimeter of the room where you will be installing the ceiling. You will need this length of L-shaped bracket.
2. Stretch a chalk line along one wall at the height where you want to put the ceiling. It must be at least 4 inches below the existing ceiling in order to have enough room to tilt the panels in.
3. Put a line level onto the chalk line, make sure it is perfectly level, then snap the line, leaving a level line of chalk along the wall.
4. Do the same for the other three walls. If they are all level, the end of your last line should meet up with the beginning of your first line.
5. Nail the L-shaped bracket onto the wall along this line, being sure that the nails go into studs and not just drywall. If you are attaching the bracket to a concrete wall, you will need to screw it in with concrete screws.
Install the Grid
6. Lay out your ceiling in a scale drawing on a piece of paper. You may need to cut the panels on one side of the room if the size of the room is not an exact multiple of the sizes of the panels.
7. Calculate how many T-shaped brackets you will need. The T shaped brackets are installed with the crossbar of the T on the bottom, each side of it supporting the edge of one panel.
8. Install a T bracket down the center of the room, with each end supported on top of the L bracket that is attached to the wall. Support the T bracket every 24 inches with a piece of wire that runs from the T bracket up to a nail driven into one of the floor joists above it.
9. Continue installing T brackets parallel to the first one, with the spaces between the T brackets matching the widths of the panels.
10. Cut pieces of T bracket to lengths that match the spaces between the T brackets you have just installed. Install a row of these shorter T brackets perpendicular to the first ones, with the distance from a wall being the same as the length of the panels.
11. Continue doing this until you have completed the room. You now have an empty grid with holes in it that are the same size as the panels.
Install the Panels
12. Tilt a panel and slide it into one of the holes in the corner of a room. Flatten it out in the space above the grid and lower it down into the space so that it is seated in the bracket.
13. Continue doing this with the rest of the panels.
14. Trim the last row of panels to size if necessary.
Related Posts:
Install Suspended Ceiling Grids
You can install suspended ceiling grids.Hanging drywall for ceilings can be a very difficult and daunting task. A good alternative is doing a suspended ceiling. Areas like a basement, where water...
Install A Suspended Ceiling In A Basement & The Minimum Height
In a basement, suspended ceilings get hung below the exposed ceiling joists. The distance needed between the ceiling and the joists depends on whether or not you plan to install light fixtures. Su...
Tile A Bathroom Ceiling
Ceiling tiles come in a range of sizes.Spruce up your bathroom with a tiled ceiling that compliments your d#233;cor while concealing old stains and cracks. Installation is easy, even for nonhandy...
Ceiling Max Installation Instructions
CeilingMAX ceilings are not suspended.CeilingMAX is a surface-mounted ceiling system and is well suited for use in a room with a low ceiling, such as a basement. Some suspended systems require a 4...
Installation Instructions For A Ceiling Grid
Conventional ceiling grid installations are an ideal solution for basement ceilings because they allow easy access to plumbing, duct work and wiring. It is easier to remove a few tiles damaged fro...
