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Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:03 am
by nichols31
I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A MOBILE HOME.THE ROOF HAD LEAKED AND STAINED ALL THE CELING.WE ARE REPLACING IT AND GOING WITH 2'X2' CELINGS TILES.I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE CAN TELL ME THE APPROXIMATE COST AND IF GOING WITH TILES IS A GOOD IDEA.THE LEAKS HAVE BEEN FIXED,THANKS A BUNCH.SCOTT

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:50 am
by nichols31
IS ANYONE AROUND THAT CAN HELP PLEASE!!

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:31 am
by JD
Hi Scott and a very warm welcome to the forum.

2x2 acoustic ceiling tiles are cheap. About $50 a box. I think there are 16-20 in a box, something like that. You could probably patch things together just to repair a small part of a ceiling panel with them, but it will look like a patched ceiling. Replacing an entire 4x12 ceiling panel would look better (after painting the entire ceiling), but the panels will not be an exact match and if you have the plastic strips 16"o.c., they will not match at all.

To make a good looking ceiling, you would need to replace all panels that are in "line of sight", meaning the entire room. In the great room area, this could be terribly expensive because sometimes this will include living room, kitchen, dining room, family room and hall. For entire ceiling or single 4x12 panel replacment, look for Modulux ceiling panels from Okaply. http://www.okaply.com/index.php

Hope this helps.
JD

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 12:47 pm
by Yanita
Hi,

Another welcome to the site.

As for your ceiling you could also use 5/8 sheetrock.

Just a quick note about this site. Please do not use all capital letters when posting. We consider this hollering at us. Also not all post or any for that matter will be answered as soon as it is posted. I do know that all Admins/Mods have full time jobs and most of our members. This means there could possibly be a few hours before your post is answered.

Thanks and look forward to your contributions in the future.

Yanita

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:21 pm
by Greg
Hi & welcome. As Yanita said, We do all have outside jobs ans some of us are gone ALL day, let's see JD@ 11:30, Yanita @ 1:47 must be nice!
If you have not started I would try Kilz first and see if you can get by with a coat of paint. Greg

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:36 pm
by mokehillannie
I'm going to be needing the same type of ceiling material. Ours was empty for 4 years with a few small ceiling leaks. It caused buckling of the ceiling. We will have to take it down in all but one room. I was thinking about a lauan paneling that looks like bead-board. We haven't decided what yet.

JD, is the Okaply available in the US?

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:18 pm
by JD
Yes it is being sold in many places in the US, but I would imagine it would depend on the area. To become a distributor, you have to buy a train box car load. Smaller dealers will buy from those guys. I have a distributor about $100 miles from me that will deliver, but I need a decent order. I have a dealer here in my own town just 15 minutes away. I know this does not help you, but just trying to show that there could be someone with the panels close to you.

The best way to find out to to contact Okaply through their web site and ask for the nearest distributor. Just to let you know, I am not crazy about their plastic splines. The part you see kind of clips into either a groove in the panel itself, or a second receiving trim piece. The receiving trim pieces are just for the edges, the ones pushed into grooves are for the two 16" o.c. truss/staple area. Anyways, they kind of hang down just a fraction of an inch. I can see where the ones just pushed into the groove of the panel could loosen up over time and pop out in places. These panels are also softer and more fragile than the old (Mannington) factory panels. They are still easy enough to install, but you have to be real careful.

The last ceiling I did, I opted to forgo the plastic trim strips, which are like $8 each. 4 per panel, so $32 and tax. I used 1-1/2" flat screen trim. These were just straight grain flat trim. I covered the 1" staples up with them and caulked and painted them. Looks great. (see below) Actually, I primed and painted the strips out in the carport, then installed them with a 5/16" construction stapler (screws or ribbed nails could work), then spackled and touch-up painted them after installed.

JD

Image

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:17 am
by mokehillannie
That looks alright. I kind of wanted to get away from having the strips. I guess leaves me sheet rock and joint compound.

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:35 am
by JD
Yes, sheetrock and wall board compound or texture is about the only way to get a monolithic looking ceiling. All mobile home type ceiling panels will have plastic strips or batten of some type to cover the 1" staples used to install the panel. They used to make a 16" wide tongue and groove mobile home ceiling panel that just left an indented line, but those have been out of production for a very long time.

Most ceiling repairs I do involve 30-40 year old homes. When you look at the ceiling panels and see that they are a glorified cardboard product, they actually held up pretty good. They only go bad when allowed to get wet. The mobile home owner has to be very vigilant about checking the roof and ceiling for leaks. If caught and repaired immediately, the ceiling can usually be painted and show no damage. Having a contractor replace ceilings is an expensive job. It is even expensive for a DIY and very hard work.

JD

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:17 pm
by mokehillannie
We aren't in any hurry to get this finished, so I'm watching Craigslist for sheet rock and other building materials. I'll probably have to get the thin sheet rock for the ceiling at one of the big box stores.

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:18 pm
by Dean2
Did I miss something? Is this planned 2'x2' cieling going to be suspended on a normal grid system? If Yes,IMO,they are a good looking cieling,more common in basements tho. They are useful when,down the road,adding wiring and such beacause access is easy.

On a suspended cieling the recessed type tile look far better than the ones that lay flat above-grid,,but,,anything looks better than the 2'x4' suspended cieling tiles,,,,they have a cheap "commercial" look.

If You were/are planning to use them as I think JD mentioned,then,I agree with every word JD said.

Greg may also be "onto" something,if the stains aren't too terrible *and* if the areas aren't too soft,then,maybe,Kilz could block the stains.Kilz will not help with unseen damage above the cieling tho.

Dean

RE: Replacing existing ceiling

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:08 pm
by oldfart
Well now Moke as one who has replaced the entire ceiling in a 12x70 s.w. mobile home ca. 1970 let me add a few words of advice. If yer determined to use sheetrock be prepared for some problems. Go with the 3/8ths. sheetrock on account of it bends and bows to attach it to your rafters..which I'll gar-an-tee aren't flat/straight/level or even relatively close to being on 16in. centers. Mine ran from 14in. to 18in. at best. And in the center of my home the ceiling bowed down almost 2 inches from the outside walls. And the floor bowed up almost as much! Rip out the old ceiling an pull a string from end to end in the room..and then side to side and tell me what ya find. Eh? I spent untold hours raising/lowering/shimming rafters to try and flatten the ceiling. I replaced ALL the truss (rafter) braces and installed above-rafter-bracing and wing-walls to twarth cracking and joint problems. Por nada. I can show ya cracks on every joint and seam in my drywall ceiling. And I've actually done a helluva lot of drywall! Probably hung/finished and painted more drywall than Lowes has on stock at this time. (20+yrs.) If I had it to do all over again...I'd consider installing a "hung-ceiling" with easily replacable panels. Simple drop-in panels on a 2x4 grid screwed to the walls. Provided you have the headspace to do it of course. (I didn't..) This type of ceiling allows easy access to electrical work, insulation concerns and possible condensation problems. Ya don't have to finish drywall or worry about paint. Just drop down a failed tile and put up a new one. If they expand and contract...you'll never notice it. Given the way these homes expand and contract..drywall/sheetrock is not the answer I thought it was. JMHO of course. Audie...the Oldfart...

Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:53 pm
by Dean2
Hey Audie,You n Me ain't so different,,I have plenty of dw experience too!

When it comes to drop-tile/hung-grid/suspended cielings,I gotta disagree with the "2'x4' grid",,a 2'x2' with recessed tiles has a much better look and the tiles are less apt to warp over time. The downside is the 2'x2' system is more expensive.

There is a middle road tho,,purchase the 2'x4' system,purchase 2' cross-Ts,and,cut the less expensive 2'x4' tiles(not recessed)to fit the altered(now 2'x2') grid. Just one of many combinations of possibilities I guess.

If a body never installed a grid before I suggest a lengthy study of the Main Runners-4' Cross Ts-2' Cross Ts,recommended wire placement(usually 4'x4')-and-how to properly install the hang wires for less sagging "down the road". Oh,and don't forget to study how to set it up so the border tiles match.

I partially disagreed with Ya Audie,but,I do like Yer style! LOL,Yer cool Man.

Dean

Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:07 pm
by mokehillannie
You are probably right, but I hate the "grid" look. Oh well, I guess we will have to do what we have to do.

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:47 am
by Fuller
Thank you all for the good information about ceiling repair. I am hoping to find someone to repair my mom's ceiling in Modesto, CA; any good leads, or should I start a new topic? Sorry, new to this :)