False ceilings provide a way to cover up exposed electrical wiring, air ducts and water pipes in your house's ceiling, including in basements. Rather than being made of drywall, a false ceiling is made up of numerous tiles that sit suspended in a framework that also suspends from the ceiling or subfloor above.
General Concept
While the exact features of different types of false ceilings may differ, all false ceilings share some common traits. False ceilings sit below the surface of the actual ceiling in the room. Wires that anchor into the real ceiling suspend a metal framework. Panels that make up the false ceiling's surface sit inside this framework.
Materials
The panels on a false ceiling may be made of a variety of materials. Many false ceiling panels are made of gypsum board, which offers the advantage of resisting fire. You may wallpaper or paint gypsum board, helping create a custom look for the ceiling. Some false ceilings feature metal panels, which help give a decorative and high-end look to the room. False ceiling panels also come as pieces of plywood, which you may paint or stain to give your ceiling a wood look. Fiberboard and even plaster of Paris ceiling tiles are available for false ceilings.
Easy to Install
A homeowner who has no experience working with drywall or other types of construction may install a false ceiling. Different manufacturers sell false ceiling systems that provide the metal framework, suspension wires, ceiling panels and hardware to mount the suspension wires to the house's structure. You must measure the ceiling area where you wish to install the false ceiling to plan how many ceiling tiles to purchase as well as the lengths of the metal framework pieces. A home improvement or hardware store that carries the false ceiling systems can also help you in planning the layout.
Greater Access
False ceilings offer an easier way to access water pipes, ductwork or electrical wiring hidden by the ceiling. If you were to install a drywall ceiling, you would have to cut a hole in the ceiling to access the pipes, ducts or if you needed to make a repair or improvement to your house. You may also end up cutting more than one hole because you guessed wrong on the location you needed to access behind the ceiling. With a false ceiling, you only need to pop out the panels to access the ducts, pipes and wires, and then you replace the panels when you are done.
Tags: false ceiling, ceiling panels, electrical wiring, false ceiling, metal framework, , ceiling systems