Intro - Materials - Prep - Install - Finishing
Preparation
Margin of Error: Not applicable
Be sure to leave your tiles in open boxes in the room for at least 24 hours, so they can become acclimated to the temperature and humidity. Also, fix any leaks or moisture problems before beginning. Inspect the ceiling for dips, swells, and other irregularities
and chart these out on paper.
Laying out the Ceiling
Margin of Error: 1/4"
The layout for ceiling tiles is somewhat simpler than that for the suspended ceiling. The main thing you are planning for are the border files. These are the rows of files that run along the walls of a room. You want to plan these files so that they are never less than 6" (1/2 tile). Rarely do room dimensions work out in exact 12" intervals.
For example, let's assume the width between two of the walls is 9'8". If we made no adjustments, there would be 9 full-size tiles and two border rows of 4". To correct for these small border rows, convert 9'8" (1 16") into 8'20" (1 16"). In this way you can have 8 full size courses and two border rows of 10" each. Work out a similar layout in the other direction (in our example, 12'4" converts to 11 full size tiles and two 9' border files. In this way, all four border rows of a rectangular or square room are more than 6", and the two opposing border rows are equal.
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