Drop Ceiling Installation Guide

Let your ceiling panels adjust to the environment in the room of installation.

Drop ceiling installation guide.

Determine the exact height at which the suspended ceiling will be installed. Installation is a straightforward job that any skilled diyer can do by attaching hanger wires to the ceiling joists with nails or screws and then suspending the main beams and cross tees. Reduce total project cost by having multiple vendors bid on the same detailed work specification of your drop ceiling project. If your room configuration is unusual you may require additional components.

Then use wire to hang the main runners from your ceiling joists. Main beams are typically installed on 4 centers. Now let s get to the meat and potatoes of how to install a drop ceiling. Full length main tees bold lines are spaced 4 on center o c as measured from the center of one tee to the center of the next with 4 cross tees installed perpendicular 2 o c.

Drop ceiling installation tools and materials. Metal channel thats shapped like an l. Don t assume the wall is straight. Unpack all panels at least 24 hours prior to installation.

Once you ve figured out the size of the border row measure back from the cross tee slots and cut your main tees to size. Cut the main tees for the drop ceiling hangers. To allow for ceiling tile installation and accessibility the minimum drop is 3 with traditional hanger wire or 2 5 with quickhang grid hooks. Quickhang instructions are notated by a gray background.

Allow a minimum of 3 to 4 inches for clearance between the old ceiling and the new ceiling. Then 24 x 24 or 24 x 48 panels are inserted into the open metal grid and the drop ceiling is complete. To install a drop ceiling you will first need to install a grid system to support its weight. 1 draw the room to scale.

Drop ceiling installation costs vary considerably by location. Steps for installing a drop ceiling in a nutshell installing a drop ceiling has several parts. Panels may be stored in areas with a temperature between 60 and 80 f. From layout and planning to execution this guide will walk you through the key steps of installing a ceiling.

For an accurate estimate in your area enter your zip code in the calculator above. Suspended ceiling for 2 x 4 ceiling panels. Keep in mind that additional clearance will be required if recessed lighting is being used. Start by measuring the dimensions of your room so you can cut the runners of the grid to fit.

You will install this first around the entire perimeter of the wall a few inches below your ceiling hence the drop in drop ceiling. The cross tee slots must line up. Also be sure to check that the relative humidity is below 70.