Plan a Suspended Ceiling
Installing a suspended ceiling will require planning and careful measurements. The layout will deal with straight lines forming a pattern to support either 2 foot by 4 foot tiles or 2 foot by 2 foot tiles. There are several considerations that must be taken into account when planning your ceiling and estimating the amount of materials you will need for construction.
Instructions
1. Determine if you will use 2 foot by 4 foot tiles or 2 foot square tiles for your ceiling. The installation process will be slightly longer for 2 foot square tiles, but the strength and durability will be almost identical. The major difference will be in the appearance, which is a matter of personal preference. This decision must be made before the planning process can begin in earnest.
2. Take exact measurements of the space where you intend to install the ceiling. Transfer these measurements to paper, creating a scale drawing of your room. Total the measurements for the perimeter of the room. For example, in a 12 foot by 10 foot room you would have a total of 44 feet. This is the amount of wall angles your project will require. These normally come in 12 foot lengths, so in this case you would purchase 4 sections of wall angle. The extra 4 feet may be needed if you have any posts or obstructions to work around.
3. Draw the main tees that will run the full length of the room. These will be spaced on four foot centers. In our sample 12 foot by 10 foot room, our main tees would travel the full 12 feet across the room. To cover the 10 foot span we would need two runs, one at 4 feet, the second at 8 feet. These main tees will be supported by hanger wires secured to the ceiling joists above. These wires should be installed every three feet along the main tees. You will need to install additional hanger wires for any light fixtures or fans you may wish to install. In our example we would need only two 12 foot sections of the tee angle.
4. Mark the locations of the cross tees. These will be located every 2 feet along the . For our room there would be five rows of for each 12 foot run. These tees will be four feet in length for the first two sections, and 2 feet in length for the last section to cover our distance of ten feet. Our sample room would require 10 of the 4 foot cross tees and five of the 2 foot cross tees.
5. Count the number of ceiling tiles you will need to fill the grid you have just drawn. Our sample room would require six tiles 2 feet by 2 feet as well as 12 tiles 2 feet by 4 feet. If you must purchase these tiles in bundles, you can cut a 2 foot by 4 foot piece in half and achieve the same results without the need to purchase a bundle of tiles you do not need.
Tags: , main tees, cross tees, foot foot tiles, foot tiles