Ceiling tiles are attached using finishing nails.
Installing ceiling tiles is a good way to add a bit of flair to a room. Ceiling tiles come in tin, copper, plastic and a variety of other materials. The majority of tiles have raised patterns on the surface that range from simple borders to intricate scrollwork. While some ceiling tiles are supported by a system of rails, others are simply nailed into place over a plywood ceiling.
Instructions
1. Climb up on a ladder and place a stud finder flat against the ceiling. Turn the stud finder on and move it until it lights up to indicate the location if a ceiling joist beam. Mark the location with a pencil. Continue until you have marked all of the ceiling joists.
2. Place a piece of 1/4-inch plywood flat up to the ceiling and attach it to the ceiling joists using a screwdriver and 2-1/2-inch screws that are spaced 8 inches apart. Continue until the entire ceiling is covered in plywood. You will need another person to assist with this process.
3. Place the end of a tape measure at one end of the ceiling and stretch it all the way to the other end to establish the length. Divide the length in half to determine the center of the room. Stretch a chalk line across the center of the room and snap the line to divide the room in half.
4. Place the end of the tape measure at one side of the room and stretch it across to the other side to determine the width of the ceiling. Divide this number in half to locate the center of the width. Use the chalk line just as you did before, to create a line that divides the ceiling into quarters.
5. Insert one of the ceiling tiles onto the ceiling in one of the center corners created by the chalk line.
6. Examine the edges of the tile for the 1/4-inch raised lip on the edge of the tile. Insert finishing nails into this lip using a nail gun and spacing the nails at 3- to 4-inch intervals around three sides of the tile.
7. Place another ceiling tile directly next to the first tile and insert the edge under the free edge of the first tile. Nail this tile in place just as you did the first.
8. Continue installing ceiling tiles until you reach the end of the wall. Use a to determine if the last tile needs to be cut, and mark the cut location with a pencil. Cut the off using tin snips if the tile is metal or a circular saw for other materials.
9. Return to the center of the room and begin installing a second row of tiles in the same manner. Install ceiling tiles until a quarter section of the ceiling is complete, and then return to the center and start on another quarter section.
Tags: center room, chalk line, tape measure, ceiling joists, ceiling tile, ceiling tiles,