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Suspended CeilingsBy Jim Sulski Summary: Suspended ceilings are a good way to hide pipes, wires, and unattractive existing ceilings. Here are instructions for planning and installing a suspended ceiling. Aesthetically, suspended ceilings have been kicked around quite a bit. But design-wise, they offer quite a number of advantages.
For example, they can mask an existing ceiling that is rife with cracks and blemishes. In places such as basements, they also hide pipes, shutoff valves, ductwork, and electrical work, yet still allow easy access to those items. Suspended ceilings are fairly easy to install. They consist of a number of cross-connected metal runners that are hung from the existing ceiling and attached to walls. Then, a number of two-by-two-foot or two-by-four-foot panels are inserted and hung from the runners. Luminous panels can also be inserted for fluorescent lighting above. Key to a successful suspended ceiling is planning. Your best bet is to first make a grid plan of the room. Plan to install the panels symmetrically. The tiles on a suspended ceiling should be installed so that the border tiles on opposites sides of the room are the same size, much like installing a floor tile configuration. The two-by-four-foot panels of suspended ceilings are usually installed lengthwise across the width of the room. Start the installation plan by measuring and then sketching the perimeter of the room on paper. Next, locate the center of the room lengthwise on the paper and draw a line from one end to the other. Do the same for the width of the room. Where the two lines intersect should be a starting point for four panels. Depending on the size of the basement, you may need to adjust the starting point a bit either width-wise and/or length-wise to line up the border panels at the walls. The best case scenario is to have at least half of a border panel all along the walls. The more panel at the wall, the better. Another mistake home improvers make is incorrectly installing the runners, resulting in a ceiling that's not level. Start by measuring up from the floor to the planned height of the suspended ceiling. This should at least be three or four inches from the existing ceiling, exposed joists, or from pipes and ductwork. To accommodate the latter in basement, the suspended ceiling may have more than one level or "boxes" for runs of pipe or ductwork. Mark the planned height of the suspended ceiling in as many spots on the wall as possible with chalk. Then, use tape and string to simulate the dimensions of the as it would run along the wall. Tape the string so that it's tight along the wall. You can also use a chalk line to do the same. Use a level to make sure it's all straight. Next, anchor the wall angle to the wall. The bottom edge or lip of the wall angle should be at string or the chalk line, and corners should overlap. Next, locate the midway mark on the two length-wise or longer walls. Draw a chalk line between the two points across the existing ceiling. This line may be parallel or perpendicular to the joists, depending on where in the house you are installing the ceiling. Then, following the grid pattern you've sketched earlier, mark the wall locations for the cross-T's, the runners that run across the width of the room. The cross-T marks should be at two or four-foot gaps, depending the size of the panels and they way you are laying them out in the room. Next, you'll need to do the same for the runners, which run along the length of the room, usually perpendicular to the joists. Then, you'll need to locate the joists in the ceiling. Attach a screw eye into every fourth joist or so above the strings designated for the runners. Cut the wire into pieces that are six inches longer than the gap between the new and old ceiling. Insert one end of the wire piece into the screw eye above and secure it by twisting the end several times. Then, begin cutting the runners. Center the notches designated for the cross-Ts so that they line up with the cross-T strings. Using a ladder to support the cut runner, and attach it to the wires so that the bottom edge is level with the string, again twisting the wires to secure it. When you have completed the grid system, begin placing the tiles through them. Push them through a grid opening on an angle and then let them fall into position. Border panels, which are made from fibrous wood or fiberglass, should be cut with a utility knife. Always measure twice and cut once to avoid mistakes.
© by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. May 31, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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