Building walls in areas where a suspended ceiling exists requires you to carefully cut and alter the ceiling or to simply attach the wall to the suspended ceiling. Attaching directly to the suspended ceiling is a good option when you do not want the hassle of modifying a suspended ceiling, which is not an easy task. Attaching to a suspended ceiling is sufficient anchoring for most walls, but not in all cases. You would not want to attach exercise equipment to such a wall because, over time, the wall could work loose.
Instructions
1. Build the wall and secure it to the floor. Do not place it at a height that pushes up the ceiling or is more than 1/2 inch below it. Ideally, the wall should be less than a 1/2-inch from the suspended ceiling without touching it.
2. Plumb the wall and mark the grid of the suspended ceiling with a pencil. Mark it on each end of the wall. If your ceiling is aligned with the wall, measure off of the grid to set the location of the wall. If not, use your eye or a string to align the wall.
3. Insert shims between the ceiling grid and the top of the wall. This keeps the ceiling from bending when the screws are installed.
4. Install a drywall screw through the ceiling grid and shims into the top plate of the wall. Attach screws to the wall every 2 feet.
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