how to install ceiling tiles

8/14/2019 How to Install Ceiling Tiles

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How to Install Ceiling Tiles

Here are tips and general instructions on installing ceiling tiles. They canhelp you save time and effort once you begin the job.

Be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions for installation, particularly if

you're using cement or adhesive. Inside this document you will find

information about:

1. Selecting the right tiles

2. Determining how to apply tiles

3. How to determine the size of border tiles

4. Applying tile with adhesives

5. Installing tiles on wood furring strips

6. Installing the furring strips

7. Stapling tiles to furring strips

8. Tiling around posts or pipes

1. SELECTING THE RIGHT TILES

a) Most ceiling tiles are made of fiberboard, a mixture of fine fibers cut

from wood or cane and chemical binders, which are pressed into

semi-hard, flat panels. Special chemicals are added during this

process to make fire-resistant tiles.

b) Standard tiles measure 12" by 12", although tiles are also made in

12" by 24" and other sizes. Most ceiling tiles have tongue-and-

groove edges for easier installation. You can choose from plain,

embossed and patterned finishes. Some are molded with special

texturing and square edges instead of the common beveled edges

to make seams barely visible when the tiles are in place.

c) Acoustical tiles are made from the same type of fiber, but an

additional manufacturing process helps these tiles absorb much of


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the sound in a room. A well-designed acoustical tile absorbs up to 70

percent of the excess noise in an area.

d) Ask your retailer to help you estimate the materials you need for a

tile installation. Most manufacturers provide charts to the retailer tohelp estimate the number of tiles, the amount of furring, and the

gallons of adhesive needed, based on the room size.

e) Manufacturers typically pack 12" by 12" ceiling tiles in cartons of 40,

and 12" by 24" tiles are packed 20 to a carton.

1. DETERMINING HOW TO APPLY TILES

a) The two most common methods of ceiling tile application are to use

adhesives or to staple or nail the tiles to wood furring strips. A third

system involves a metal grid instead of furring strips and metal clips

instead of glue or nails.

b) For ceilings made of sound plaster, gypsum board, or other material

that provides a sound, smooth, continuous backing, use adhesives

to apply the ceiling tiles.

c) If the ceiling has exposed joints, cracked plaster, or any other

unsound surface, apply furring strips and nail or staple the tiles to

the furring strips.

1. FOLLOW THESE THREE BASIC RULES

a) All cut tiles should be used for the edges of

the room where the ceiling meets the walls.

b) Cut tiles at opposite ends of the room

should be the same size.

c) Cut tiles should never be less than half a tile

wide.

1. HOW TO DETERMINE THE SIZE OF BORDER TILES

a) Measure the total distance from wall to wall on the longer side of

the room. If the length measures in exact feet, you will not need to


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cut any border tiles for that direction. If the distance does not come

out in exact feet, add 12 to the number of inches remaining and

divide by two. This gives you the width of your border tiles.

b)For example, if the room is 10'6" long, add 12 to the 6, divide 18 by2, and the result, 9", is the proper width of your border tile. (Adding

12 guarantees that your border tile will be more than half the width

of a full tile.)

c) Use the same measurement technique for the shorter side of the

room.

1. APPLYING TILE WITH ADHESIVES

a) Use adhesive for applying tiles only if the ceiling is sound and even.

If it is not, use the furring strip method.

b) Surface preparation is important when using adhesives. Any painted

surface should be checked carefullythe paint may flake, peel or

become chalky, and your tiles will not adhere. You can test painted

surfaces by installing four or five tiles at different places around the

room and waiting 48 hours to see how well they adhere.

c) Using the technique outlined in (determining the size of border

tiles), make sure that the border tiles will be the same on opposing

sides of the room.

d) Snap a chalk line along each side of the room that equals the width

of the border tile from the wall. Use these lines to align the first row

of border tiles along both the short and long sides of the room.

e) Cut your first border tile to size. This tile fits into the corner, so you

must take into consideration the dimensions of border tiles on both

the short and long sides of the room. For example, if your border

tiles on the long side of the room are to be 10" and on the short side

of the room only 9", the corner tile should be cut to measure 10" by

9". This allows all other border tiles in the room to line up properly

with your full-sized tiles.


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f) Cut border tiles on a flat surface, with the finished side up. Use a

very sharp knife or utility knife, and a clean (preferably metal-

edged) straightedge.

g) Place the adhesive or cement in each corner of the tile about aninch from the edge, and in the middle of the tile.

h) Place the border tile in position in the corner. Make sure the wide

stapling edge lines up with the chalk marks on both sides. The

flange must be exposed so the tongue of the next tile can slide into

the tile you've just placed. This guarantees a solid fit.

i) It may be necessary to use a staple in each flange to hold the tile in

position while the adhesive dries. Follow the manufacturer's

recommendations.

j) Place several border tiles in position along each edge, then fill in the

ceiling with full-sized tiles.

k) Once you've installed all the full-sized tiles, you must measure and

fit each border tile carefully on the opposite border.

l) Install a border molding to complete the job, and finish with a neat

and finished appearance

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1. INSTALLING TILES ON WOOD FURRING STRIPS

a) For a ceiling with exposed joists, unsound plaster or an uneven

surface, nail furring strips to the ceiling before applying the tiles.

b) Seasoned, straight-grained soft woods, such as pine, spruce or fir

make ideal furring strips.

c) If the ceiling has joists hidden by an existing ceiling, these joists

must be located and marked before the furring strips are applied.

You can locate joists by driving a nail into the ceiling or by using a

stud finder.

d) Joists are usually located every 16" or 24". After you locate the first

joist, measure across 16" and try again. After you have determined

the spacing, locate and mark all joists with a chalk line so you can

attach the furring strips without having to locate the joists again on

each run.

e) Nail the 1" x 3" furring strips across the joists at right angles to the

joists.

f) Attach the first furring strip on the ceiling immediately against the

wall that runs at right angles to the ceiling joists.


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1. INSTALLING THE FURRING STRIPS

a) Position the second furring strip so that the distance between thecenter of the strip and the wall is the width of your border tile.

b) It is critical that the remaining furring strips be exactly parallel to

this strip, and that the distance from center to center of each furring

strip is 12". One of the easiest ways to position the remaining

furring strips is to cut a block of wood exactly 12" less the width of

one furring strip. Use the block as a guide in positioning the

remaining strips.

c) Use 8-penny common nails for nailing the strips, with one nail at

each joist.

d) All furring strips must be level. Use a long level to get a reading on

all strips as they are added. If needed, insert wood shims between

the joists and the furring strips for leveling.

e) At the walls running parallel to the ceiling joists (at right angles to

the furring strips), use scraps of furring to provide a nailing or

stapling position for the border tiles.

1. STAPLING TILES TO FURRING STRIPS

a) Snap a chalk line along both the short and long sides of the room to

align the first row of border tiles. These chalk lines will run down the

center of the furring strip on one side and across the furring strips

on the other side.

b) Cut your first border tile to size. This tile fits into a corner, so you

must take into consideration the dimensions of the border tiles on

both the short and long sides of the room. For example, if your

border tiles on the long side of the room are 10" and on the short

side of the room only 9", the corner tile should be cut to measure

10" by 9". This allows all other border tiles in the room to line up

properly with your full-size tiles.


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c) When you cut these first border tiles, cut off the side without the

wide stapling edge. The wide stapling flange must be exposed so

the tongue of the next tile can fit into the groove of the tile you've

just placed. This guarantees a solid fit.d) Staple the tile in place, with three staples on the edge that is

completely against a furring strip and staples only in the corner on

the other edge.

e) Place several border tiles in position along each edge, then fill in the

ceiling with your full-sized tiles.

f) After working your way across to the opposite wall, you must

measure and fit each border tile carefully on the opposite border.

g) Install a border molding to complete the job. The molding also holds

the final border tiles in place where there is no flange left for

stapling. At the border, where your access to the stapling area is

limited, you can attach the tiles with small, broad headed nails.

Position the nails as close to the wall as possible so the border

molding conceals them.

1. TILING AROUND POSTS OR PIPES

a) Figures illustrate how ceiling tiles can be fitted around posts or

pipes. Cut the tile in half, then cut each half to the contour of the

pipe or post.

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b) Figures illustrate how to fit ceiling tiles around ceiling fixture outlets

or smaller pipes near the wall. When you're cutting a ceiling tile,

always be sure to cut the tile face up, using a sharp utility knife.

TOOL AND MATERIAL CHECKLIST

1. Ceiling Tile2. Nails (Several Sizes)3. Glue Gun4. Steel Tape5. Ladder6. Furring Strips

7. Stapler8. Caulking Gun9. Border Molding10.Straightedge

11.Handsaw12.Staples13.Chalk Line14.Utility Knife15.Graph Paper16.Hammer

17.Adhesive18.Folding Rule19.Hand Cleaner20.Tracing Paper


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