Nail up ceiling tiles tend to be decorative tiles made of metals such as tin or steel that won't adhere well to surfaces using glue. The tiles often possess complicated patterns on the face, creating an elegant look that's difficult to achieve with paint, ceiling texture or glued-on tiles. Installation is simple and quick. The tiles are mounted to a layer of plywood covering the ceiling, using small nails at the edges of each tile to hold it in place. The nails are small enough to be unnoticeable, leaving only the tiles themselves to attract the eye to a ceiling that can act as a centerpiece.
Instructions
1. Locate the ceiling joists by running a stud finder over the surface of the ceiling and watching the finder for its indicator light. Mark the location of each joist with a piece of chalk once found.
2. Cover the ceiling with 1/4-inch plywood boards. Attach the boards using 2-1/2-inch screws driven through the plywood and the existing ceiling surface and into the joists with an electric screwdriver. Have a helper hold the board against the ceiling and then place the screws along the line of the joists every 8 inches. Cut the boards when needed to fit the edges of the ceiling using a circular saw.
3. Measure the length and width of the ceiling using a tape measure. Divide the measurements in half and place a mark at the halfway point at the ceiling edges. Connect opposing marks by snapping a chalk line against the ceiling to create a cross in the center of the ceiling's surface, dividing the ceiling into quadrants.
4. Attach the ceiling tiles beginning with one corner of the cross at the center of the ceiling. Use the angle of the corner to place the corner of the tile, using the two connected chalk lines as guides for the tile edges. Nail the tile to the ceiling using an automatic brad gun with 18 gauge brad nails. Space the nails every 6 inches around the perimeter of three sides of the tile.
5. Place the adjacent tile next to the first, with the edge of the new tile under the edge of the first tile not nailed in place. Nail the new tile in place on three sides, including the overlapping side. Continue to install the tiles in a row towards the nearest wall, overlapping each new tile under the edge of the previous one.
6. Measure the distance between the last full tile and the wall. Cut a tile to fit the partial space if necessary, using a pair of tin snips for metallic tiles or a circular saw for other types of tiles. Nail the partial tile in place on all four sides.
7. Start the next row of tiles at the center of the room using the same process that you used on the first row of tiles. Place additional rows until you finish with the quadrant, and then begin with the next, following the same process until all four are filled with tiles.
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