Drop ceiling installation is a far better way to go as compared to the usual drywall ceilings. Drop ceilings or suspended ceilings, as referred to by some, can give you more room so you can easily access wirings on your overhead pipes. Unlike drywall ceilings, you can easily install drop ceilings because it makes use of your typical household tools. Lastly, it can provide you with better sound proofing.
Drop Ceiling Composition
Drop ceiling installation is composed of different metal brackets that are affixed to the wall or sometimes suspended by the use of wires from your ceiling. These L-shaped metal brackets are fastened to your walls using screws or nails. The main runners or the T-shaped brackets are attached with four feet intervals along the room. Main runners are often installed perpendicular or at right angles to the existing ceiling truss. The cross tees or brackets are mounted at a 90-degree angle into the T-shaped brackets every 24-inch lightweight, with 2 x 4 plates resting between the main runners, thus forming the major part of your drop ceiling.
Proper Drop Ceiling Installation
The first thing that you need to do is to get a graph paper and carefully measure the dimension of the room where you want to fit your drop ceiling. Show this sketch to a distributor and he will provide you with the necessary supplies. After that, you will need to establish the height of your ceiling. What you should do is to begin measuring from the lowest point of your old ceiling truss down to at least four feet. If you are setting up the lighting on your ceiling, you will have to provide ample space – enough to hold your lighting system of choice. Using a chalk and a level, mark the preferred height of your ceiling. If by chance you own a laser level, making an accurate line would be easy for you. After you have set the perimeter, look for metal studs across your room and connect the bracket to it. It is a must that you overlap the inside corners and cut the outside ones at a 45-degree angle.
Installing the Main Runners
Now, you need to install the main runners in four feet intervals, making a corner to the existing ceiling truss. The main runners must be positioned in the center of the room in order for the partial panel to end up along the room’s edging. For you to properly install the runners, use a string to measure the perimeter brackets to assess the height of your runners. It must be suspended on a sixteen-gauge wire affixed to the ceiling truss. The wires should be attached to every third or fourth truss and make certain that they hang at about twelve inches below the normal ceiling height. Connect the runner to the bracket then attach it to the suspension wires to fasten the main runner along the room up to the opposite bracket. The cross tees are snapped onto the runners and should be at least two feet apart from the holes of the runners. Once you finish installing the runners and the brackets, you will then need to install any ductwork or lighting that will pass through your ceiling. Lastly, you will need to install the panel by placing its flange onto to the main run.
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