Selecting the Tiles
Most ceiling tiles are made of fiberboard. Standard
tiles measure 12" by 12", although tiles are also made in 12" by 24"
and other sizes. Acoustical tiles are made from the same type of fiber
with an additional manufacturing process to help absorb sound in a
room. A well designed acoustical tile absorbs up to 70 percent of
excess noise.
Ask the supplier to help estimate the materials you
need for installation. Most manufacturers provide charts to determine
the number of tiles, the amount of furring, and the gallons of
adhesive needed (if adhesive is used) based on the room size. Tiles
are typically packed as follows: 12" by 12" ceiling tiles in cartons
of 40, 12" by 24" are packed 20 to a carton.
Ceiling Tile Installation Methods
The most common methods of ceiling tile application
are adhesives, stapled or nailed to wood furring strips, or a metal
grid suspended from the overhead floor joists. For ceilings made of
plaster, sheetrock, or other materials that provides a smooth,
continuous backing, use adhesives to apply the ceiling tiles. If the
ceiling has cracked plaster or other defects, apply furring strips and
nail or staple the tiles to the furring strips.
Basic Rules
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All cut tiles should be used for the edges of the room
where the ceiling meets the walls.
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Cut tiles at opposite ends of the room should be the
same size.
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If at all possible, cut tiles should not be less than
half a tile wide.
Determine the Size of Border Tiles
Measure the distance from wall to wall on the longer
side of the room. If the length measures exact feet, you will not need
to cut 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. For example, if
the room is 10′ 6" long, add 12 to 6 (18) and divide 18 by 2. The
result of 9" is the width of the border tiles for each end of the run.
Do the same thing for the shorter side of the room. Confused? Here is
the result of the calculations:
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10′ 6" = 126 total
inches of the run (10′ x 12" to the foot = 120") + 6" = 126"
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6" + 12" = 18" (to make sure each end tile is at least
1/2 tile wide)
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18" / 2 = 9"
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9" on start of run + 9" on end of run = 18", so 126"
(total length of the run) - 18" = 108"
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108" / 12" (size of standard ceiling tile) = 9 tiles
in middle of the run
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9 tiles x 12" = 108" + 9" start of run + 9" end of
run = 126"
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126" / 12" = 10′ 6"
Installing Tiles with Adhesive
Use adhesive for applying tiles only if the ceiling is
flat and even, with no high or low spots. A wavy surface will be
magnified by the application of ceiling tiles. If you can’t get the
ceiling in acceptable condition, use the furring strip method.
Surface preparation is important when using adhesives.
Paint should be checked carefully to be sure it has a good bond and is
compatible with the adhesive to be used. You don’t want to spend a lot
of time installing tiles only to have them start falling down due to
an adverse reaction between paint and adhesive.
Use the above formula to calculate width of borders on
each end of the runs. 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.
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.
Cut border tiles on a flat surface with the finished
side up. Use a very sharp knife or utility knife and a clean
straightedge. Watch your hands and fingers! Don’t cut directly towards
your body because you can injure yourself if the knife slips.
Place the adhesive in each corner of the tile about an
inch from the edge and in the middle of the tile. Place the border
tile in position in the corner and 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.
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. Place several border tiles in position
along each edge, then fill in the ceiling with full-sized tiles. Once
you’ve installed all the full-sized tiles, you must measure and fit
each border tile carefully on the opposite end of the run. Install a
border molding to complete the run.
Installing Tiles Using Furring Strips
For a ceiling with exposed joists or surface defects
too difficult to correct, nail furring strips to the ceiling before
applying the tiles. These can be purchased from building supply
centers and/or the same place where you buy your ceiling tiles. 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.
Joists are usually installed on 16" or 24" centers.
After you locate the first one, measure across 16" and try again. If
you miss at 16", try 24". Locate and mark all joists with a chalk line
so you can attach the furring strips. Nail the strips across the
joists at right angles to the joists.
Attach the first furring strip to the ceiling
immediately against the wall that runs at right angles to the ceiling
joists. Position the second furring strip so that the distance between
the center of the strip and the wall is the width of your
border tile. It is critical that the remaining furring strips be
exactly parallel to this second strip, and that the distance from
center to center of each furring strip is 12". Continue
installing strips until you reach the border tile area at the other
end, then attach the last strip against the wall.
Use 8d (8 penny) common nails for nailing the strips
at each joist. All strips must be level. Use a long level to get a
reading as they are installed. If needed, insert wood shims between
the joists and the furring strips for leveling. At the walls running
parallel to the ceiling joists (at right angles to the furring
strips), use scraps of furring to provide a nailing surface for the
border tiles. In other words, fill-in the ends of parallel furring
strip runs.
Stapling Tiles to Furring Strips
Cut your first border tile to size. This tile fits
into a corner, so 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.
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.
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. Place several border tiles in position
along each edge, then fill in the ceiling with your full-sized tiles.
After working your way across to the opposite wall,
you must measure and fit each border tile carefully on the opposite
border. Install a border molding to complete the job. The molding also
holds the final border tiles 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.