Drop ceiling specs (1 Viewer)

[Darryl _Scott]

I have decided to hang a drop ceiling in my theater. Can anyone help with some more technical info. that will be helpful when I go to purchase the ceiling.

Examples: acoustical rating, tile size, manufacturer info., links would be help also.(what worked for you)

I would like my ceiling to be black, did anyone find a black drop ceiling?

Thanks

(My 1st POST)

 

[RogerB]

I have a black drop ceiling. My tiles are 2x2 and flat black. I love the look it provides.
I had to special order the black tiles and rails. The manufacturer is USG (www.usg.com). None of the local building superstores (Lowes & Menards) would special order black for me. I found a contractor supplier (Indianapolis Drywall) who would.
Planning the grid was probably harder than the actual installation (you'll need help). I guess I was worried about getting it spaced properly. Installing the recessed light fixtures was also no fun.
Good luck!

 

[Scott_G]

I'd go with the smaller tiles 2x2 max. 2x4 will sag over time. Get someone to put the grid up for you. Tiles are messy but easy to cut and put in.

 

[Rick Mostaert]

RogerB,

What did you find difficult about the recessed light fixtures? I am doing a drop ceiling and recessed lights also. The ceiling will be about the last thing installed. Since I have to run conduit for electricl, I put a junction box at each approximate location and will pig tail with flex conduit when the lights go in after I know exactly where each tile goes. How did you do it and what issues did you run into.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[DougRuss]

Have had my 2x4 Tiles up for about 10 years now.......not sagging yet ?
Guess "I" did a good job on the Grid?:b

 

[Jon_Are]

I installed my drop ceiling last summer. I used both standard flourescent and recessed lighting. The job came out even nicer than I'd dared hoped; there's not reason to believe you can't do the whole project yourself if you're reasonably handy. Some comments:

The key to the whole deal is planning. Get a sheet of graph paper and lay out your ceiling, one square = one square foot. Mark your grids, as well as your lights, on the paper. Know where you'll run the wiring, place switches & outlets, etc.

Recessed lighting was not at all difficult, as long as you think it through completely beforehand. Run the wires before you put up the grids.

My biggest mistake was not leaving enough clearance between the joists and my grids. I had to do some customizing and some mighty tricky maneuvering to get it to work.

Take your time. Check that all is level frequently. Be aware that, if you make an adjustment here, you may be throwing it off level over there.

I also found that I used too many lag bolts and wire to hold the ceiling up. I wanted it solid and went a bit overboard. I discovered that too many wires interfere with tile placement (this was probably made worse because of my too-low clearance).

Get the dimensional, rather than the flat, tiles. Looks much, much nicer. It's a bit tricky learning to cut it, but once you screw up a few cuts, you'll find yourself getting pretty good at it. Also, cut or chipped edges can easily be touched up with white paint.

Good luck!

Jon

 

[mark_th]

I just put my ceiling up a couple of weeks ago. I special ordered come Armstrong ceiling tiles from home depot is black. The grid I painted as there was a minimum order for black grid pieces.

It really went together pretty easily. I agree with Jon_Are if you plan it out well you can probably do it yourself. The hardest part is getting the main bemas level, once that is done it snaps together pretty easily.

Also so far I don't have any rattling problem. The key is to put something on top of the tiles to give a little more weight to the structure. I layed R-19 insulation batts on top which not only added weight but also added soundproofing. Good luck.