Dropped ceilings may help reduce home heating costs and they are often installed to mask piping, but kitchens with dropped ceilings may, overtime, become stained from water and smoke from cooking, rendering them ugly. They're also not as modern a look as the high ceilings covered up by the dropped ceiling tiles. Once you remove the dropped ceiling, the kitchen will immediately feel like an updated room.
Instructions
1. Climb up on a stepladder, lift a ceiling tile and look at the condition of the ceiling above using a flash light. You may see right away that you're able to tackle the project to bring back the original ceiling based on the sight of pipes, ductwork or falling plaster. Moving pipes and heating ducts, or repairing old plaster takes far more involvement than simply pulling down the dropped ceiling and painting the ceiling.
2. Remove all the ceiling panels if you decide you can tackle the job. If you lift one end and then tilt the tile, you can pull it through the opening in the tile structure. Wear a dust mask and goggles since there will be plenty of dust involved.
3. Turn off the power to the lights in the ceiling at the wall switch as well as at the breaker in the electrical panel for the house. You don't want to electrocute yourself.
4. Take down all the lightbulbs. Keep them in a safe place. Unscrew the light fixtures with an electric drill and pull out the old fixtures, cutting wires as necessary using wire cutters. Usually the wires will all be coming out from old light receptacles in the ceiling, so you can cut the extra wire up to the receptacle.
5. Cut the suspension wires that hold up the framework to the suspended ceiling. Work from one end of the room, disassembling the framework as you go. Work with partner so that you have help carting the metal outside while you work.
6. Unscrew all the suspension wire eye bolts in the ceiling and use a hammer to pull away the tracking from around the walls. Disconnect any old receptacles and leave the wires hanging until after you finish renovating the walls.
7. Patch any holes in the wall with spackling using a putty knife. Dry sand and repeat until the surface of the wall is smooth. Paint the walls the color of your choice after first priming them with a quality primer.
8. Install new lights and switches, and restore the power.
Tags: dropped ceiling