Looking for advice on fiber ceiling planks. Armstrong website suggests using adhesive on sound surfaces or their metal track system for less solid surfaces.

I want to use regular 1x3 furring strips instead of their metal track system which is rather expensive. The tongue and groove looks like it has a wide stapling flange similar to standard square tiles.

Is 16" spacing for my furring strips good? Also, do the butted ends (which are also tongue and groove) need to be supported?

My house is old and the ceiling joists are covered with wood and drywall/plaster/fiber tiles. The way i want the planks to run will cause my furring strips to run parallel to the joists, not perpendicular as recomended.

The screws that will secure the strips will bite into the wooden boards that make up the first layer of the ceiling. Is this ok?

If not, do you have a suggestion how to run them? Diagonally? Lol.

Just starting this project so any and all advice is welcome... can't have too much info!

 

Armstrong no longer recommends stapling to fur strips because people used power staplers, wrong staples, ect and the planks/tiles were failing, so they invented an expensive metal track system that "must" be used.... however they used to recommend 1/2" staples into fur strips at 12" on center.

So thats what I'm doing.

 

I have installed the Country Planks in the last 3 homes, we love the look.

I recently finished my basement and installed there as well. I ran furring strips on 12" centers and used the same mastic as installed on the dry walled ceiling.

Had a minor issue when a section came down so reinstalled but installed staples which held the planks till the glue dried.

I don't recall the cost but it was like WTF?? No way!!

16" strips might be pushing it?

I'll post a picture of the ceiling in progress when I get home!

 

Here is my basement ceiling with the furring strips.

I also take back my statement about the spacing, looking at my pictures it sure looks like I was 16" on center. Memory!!