Suspended Ceiling or Sheet Rock?

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rickyray
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Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:19 am

Big project ongoing. We had sagging joists that we have reinforced per a post here. We have also done a roof over-looks great. Joists feel much more solid now and pretty level comparitively. Probably stronger than when new in the 70's.

So the next question is the ceiling replacement, primarily in the living room area where the spans are the greatest. I am concerned that sheet rock will eventually crack as the joists, although stronger, are still going to move and give a little. What are my options? I was thinking about a suspended ceiling or using the Ceilingmax product so we don't loose room height. This was assuming that the 2x2 or 2x4 ceiling tiles are lighter than sheet rock. Has anyone done this? Your help and thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks.
ponch37300
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Location: wisconsin

Drywall and compound will add some weight. How did you strengthen things up? What was originally on the ceiling? Ceiling tiles are lighter depending on which ones you use. I've installed thousands of feet of ceiling max and other suspended ceilings, used to work for a company that did schools and hospitals and other commercial buildings and their sister company ACP is the maker of ceiling max. So if you do decide to go that route I can give you some tips. With ceiling max you want your rafters/trusses to be on plane. They don't really have to be level but they do have to be on plane. By this I mean if you run a string from one end to the other the rafters should all pretty much be right on the string. I would say no more then a 1/4" at the most variance. Since it's a flexible plastic you are going to see any waves in your ceiling and it will look like a roller coaster. How tall are your ceilings now? You can typically do a tradition grid system and only lose about 3 inches depending. So if you have 3" to spare that is another option. Another option would be FRP panels or other wood panels and then trim between them so you don't have to worry about cracking.
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Greg
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I usually use 3/8 sheetrock. It is lighter than 1/2" so weight is not as much of a factor.
Ceiling tile would be another option.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
ponch37300
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Maybe Greg or JD or someone else can answer this, does the sheet rock or paneling on the ceiling offer any structural support in MHs?
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Greg
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I suppose that "on paper" it might, but the only thing I could see is that it may prevent racking. But if you think about the racking factor there you would have MAJOR problems over and above diagonal ceiling rack.

You can easily see how it adds support it side walls since you can about fold up the walls once you remove the sheetrock & outer covering. But in a ceiling??? And that's why I don't have an engineering degree!!

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Irishgirl
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:58 am

There is a product out there that I was looking at. Made of styrofoam. Has anyone used it?

Glues directly to ceiling so you dont lose any height. Has cold & heat insulation properties,
moisture & mold resistant . Reduces sound. Very lightweight.

They offer alot of styles comparable to the Armstrong styles. I need to see what their fire resistant properties are.

They are a little more expensive , but could be worth it. Need to shop around,
Thanks
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Greg
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Irish, I hereby authorize you to investigate and report back!! :)

It sounds like it may be worth checking out, but the fire rating may be a major issue.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
HouseMedic
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There is always this style tile. You have to first lay out 1x3 cross boards to staple the tiles to but they look really good when installed and you would only loose about an inch in your overall height.
They come is all kinds of patterns. http://www.lowes.com/pd_85912-61-231F_4 ... facetInfo=

Here is the installation guide. http://pdf.lowes.com/installationguides ... nstall.pdf

Ron
asa
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:03 pm

After doing sheetrock on the walls, I knew I did not want to do it on the ceiling.

I did research on drop ceilings and had decided I liked CeilingLink the best. http://www.ceilinglink.com/

Ultimately, though, we decided to go with a corrugated metal ceiling. It fit my quirky style, we are in a rural location where the barn/cabin look is popular, the cost wasn't bad, and it was extremely lightweight.

We just started getting up the ceiling trim last weekend. it's certainly not a look for everyone, but we are liking it so far and really quickly got so used to it that we don't even really notice it anymore.

Image

Image
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JD
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I think that looks industro-cool. "Back in the day" when I parked my motorcycle in the dining room it would have been perfect! Nowadays, I have to give up some quirky for peace in the home.
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
ANav1982
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Location: Florida - West Palm Beach
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I know this post is old (ish), but I have a few questions about it :

Where did you get the metal (thin gauge aluminum?) and how much did you end up spending?
How did you affix it to the ceiling (by nailing it to whatever beam work was already there)?
How difficult was it to work with the sheets, did you have to cut any to fit irregular areas?
How are your light fixtures done, did you cut holes for everything to fit into the ceiling or is it touching the ceiling?
Thank you for your time.
asa
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:03 pm

More info here viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10200&start=15

We bought the corrugated metal at a local hardware store/lumber yard. Lowes and Home Depot have it too.

It's screwed into the joints with sheet metal screws.

Shorter sheets would have been easier to work with as its pretty flimsy.

We used tin snips and a jig saw to make cuts for the light ceiling boxes and where a panel wrapped around the corner.

Cost was good. Under $1 sqft for all supplies.
opinion free
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 3:24 pm

If you go to eBay and search ceiling tiles, they have the glue up ones. They come in a zillion styles and colors. They are very lightweight and have an R-value. They are pricey, but for someone like me, with very poor handyman skills, they look very easy to install.
DaleM
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:07 am

I will throw this out there since I saw it not long ago for a room replacement ceiling. They tore down the old ceiling ( Cellutex panels) and insulation. Installed new insulation and plastic vapor barrier then for a finished ceiling they installed 3/8" OSB. Screwed into rafters, screw holes filled and then it was primed and painted white. They kept the "rough" surface down so it had a textured look once completed. Also used small trim battens at all the seams. Seams were also stepped so the only ones that were aligned were across the width of the home/room. Looked pretty good!!
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