Ceiling tiles are installed with basic tools.
A drop ceiling, also called a suspended ceiling, is often used when finishing off a basement. The benefit of this type of installation is that it hides electrical wiring and water pipes but still allows easy access to these areas for maintenance. The ceiling tiles rest on a metal grid system that is suspended from the joists with the use of wires. The key to installing ceiling tiles is to have accurate measurements.
Instructions
1. Mark the perimeter of the basement walls. Measure down 4 inches below one of the ceiling joists near a side wall and place a mark with a pencil. Measure several more places along this wall, place a mark and connect these marks with a carpenter's level. Repeat this process for the other walls, making a reference line around the room.
2. Locate the studs around the walls by using a stud finder tool. Mark each location.
3. Attach the perimeter molding, or track, to the walls using the reference line and the reference wall stud marks. Use 6d nails. If the molding needs to be cut to size, use tin snips. For inside corners, install one wall's molding tightly into the corner and then slide the other wall's molding into the first and attach it to the wall. Cut the molding at a 45-degree mitered angle with tin snips for outside wall corners.
4. Take a measurement parallel with the ceiling joists across the room. Divide this number by the length of the tiles being used to get the number of full tiles needed. Subtract this number from the room's dimension to get the perimeter gap size. Split the gap size in half. This is the amount of gap on each side of the room and indicates where the first and last runner will be attached.
5. Measure out from the wall the length of the gap, stretch a chalk line perpendicular to the joists and snap a chalk line. Measure out from this line the length of each full ceiling tile and snap another line. Continue across the room snapping lines.
6. Screw in eye bolts along the chalk line at every third joist. Attach 16 gauge wire to each bolt by twisting it to itself. Attach a string across the room between the perimeter moldings, every 8 feet, to help you hang the runners at the same level.
7. Align each runner with a reference chalk line. Insert the end into the perimeter molding, making sure the bottom of the runner is resting on the string, and attach it to the wires. If you need to attach runners together due to the size of the room, connect the ends where the slots and tabs are located and secure this connection with wire.
8. Attach the cross tees, or cross supports, to the runners. These simply hook into slots in the runner. Evenly space them according to the width of the ceiling tiles to form a grid pattern.
9. Insert the tiles starting at the center of the grid. Angle them as you insert them through the grid and allow them to lower down onto the runners and cross tees.
10. Cut the perimeter ceiling tiles, face up, to size with a utility knife and insert them in place to complete the project.
Tags: chalk line, across room, wall molding, ceiling joists, ceiling tiles, ceiling tiles, cross tees