How To Hang A Drop Ceiling
If you need to sound proof of your original ceiling or hide the unsightly wires and cable cords hanging from your ceiling, then hanging a drop ceiling is an excellent idea. This part of home improvement is very simple which you can easily do it yourself; maybe with a bit of some help from someone who could hold some materials for you. Make sure you take help from an adult. Avoid taking help from children as this job involves sharp-end beans and other pointed tools even though the materials involved are lightweight.
There are many types of drop ceiling; from simple 2x4 ft panels to the more fancy ones with different textures and patterns. Choose the panels that match your décor and budget. It doesn’t matter what style you choose as all of them have the same mechanism on how to hang a drop ceiling.
You also need to determine how many panels you need. This can be done by drawing your ceiling on a piece of paper. Now decide the appropriate height of the ceiling. Usually the normal height of the original ceilings is 7 to 8 inches. Allow around 5 to 7 inches between the existing ceiling and the drop ceiling given the installation of light fixtures and water pipes.
Once you are done with the above procedures, the real work on how to hang a drop ceiling starts. You need to start installing the wall angles. Make sure there are in level by using level. Draw lines around the perimeter of the room. This line will tell you how far below you need to fix the angles from the existing ceiling.
Now nail the angles to the wall. You need to find the studs before nailing them. Use a stud finder. If you don’t have a stud finder you can fasten the angles to the walls by using masonry screws. These screws are very sturdy and will hold the angles quite firmly. If your angles are in the proper angle, so will be your drop ceiling.
Now you need to evenly install eye hooks to the existing ceiling or the floor joists (in case of basement). Once the hooks are placed evenly, fasten the suspension wires to them. Cut the suspension wires to proper length so that they do not dangle in your way while installing the panels. The next step is to install the main tees and the cross tees to form a grid.
Now all you need to do is to drop in the panels into the grid. If you had your measurements right, the tiles will be a perfect fit for the grid. You can trim the panels if required.
