Putting in a Drop Ceiling ; how effective for hvac savings?

[TheyCallMeDave]

Just moved into my Florida Mobile home, built in 1984 . Has a cathedral ceiling for the living room and it must be allowing tons of heated air into the space ; am seriously considering having someone put in a drop ceiling grid with 2x4' lay-in tiles with batt insulation laying above it. Has anyone done this, how effective do you suppose it will be at reducing the heating/cooling load ...and... what is a good budget price on someone installing just the grid ? Any idea ? I know i have very minimal insulation in the two attic areas on each end of the home and will be blowing ALOT of insulation in those spaces this winter. (I just installed 2 Solar operated Attic Fans and they seemed to help a bit).

Please advise thoughts / price for a drop ceiling if you have any knowledge on this. Thanks alot, David.

[Robert]

Hi David,


Haven't done it, but know it would help keep from losing heated air and reduce space to be heated.


That said, will move this to mobile home repair forum as it mostly deals with that type situation and will get better review and replies.


Also, whenever doing such a task, be aware of your ceiling joists and the increased weight load on them.

Because of this, you have to be very careful with what is attached to the ceiling weight wise.



Take care and best wishes,
Robert

[Johanna Bruns]

I'm glad I'm not the only one looking at the drop ceiling.

My mobile was built in 1970, and it's had its share of roof leaks, resulting in ceiling panels that in some cases have actually fallen apart. I'd thought to strip the ceiling out of the bathroom (worst), save the good tile, and follow the mounting strips used by the old tile to put up the grid. I don't *think* that the new will weigh any more than the old, but after reading this I'll check on that.

Thanks
Johanna

[JD]

This does sound like a tempting idea. I really couldn't answer to the engineering aspects as to the air gaps or double vapor barriers if the installation created one. But it seems to me that if the added insulation was faceless fiberglass and there was sufficient ventilation in what cavity is left, this should be of great benefit. You should probably research the idea pretty thoroughly though. You would not want to create a mold situation.

After reading your idea, I envisioned the hanging support wire for the grid coming down to stout hardware cloth, like they use in concrete. A good wrap there and then connect the tag to the grid. The grid could be used to lay the insulation on. You do need some maneuvering room above the grid to get the panels in. There are some immediate bugs in that plan though. You would want to have a fairly consistent amount of insulation across the entire ceiling. This could create a problem where the pitch of the ceiling meets the wall. Having more insulation in most areas, but not next to the wall could just channel the heat/cooling/moisture loss to that wall area. Just some off the top thoughts there.

I know that putting insulation directly on acoustic ceiling tiles is not recommended because it will make the tiles bow.

The Lowe's web site shows the metal grid system at $234 for 64SF and the tiles for $4 to $5 each. All the other grid products they show are PVC plastic. I would be hesitant about using the plastic. Seems like it would bow and collect stains from the air, but don't know that for a fact. Never used the plastic stuff.

This site, http://www.ceilinglink.com/ shows images using furring strips to support the weight of the insulation and their PVC grid system. Looks pretty simple.


JD

[flcruising]

I added about another 8-10" of blown in cellulose insulation to my attic about a year and a half ago, and I can certainly tell you that it mitigated almost all of the 'hot attic' issues we had before. There is a noticabley less amount of time the a/c runs. Mainly it delayed the time the a/c first comes on by several hours. My ductwork runs through the attic, so I covered it was sure to cover it with a few inches.

I have a pull down stair to get into my attic. In your case, you probably will have to remove a few of the top rows of shingles, then the roof sheathing along the ridge. This will give you access to the attic space. I was able to rent the equipment to do mine, but since yours will need to be thrown further, you will probably need professional equipment, or just hire somebody.

[TheyCallMeDave]

I added about another 8-10" of blown in cellulose insulation to my attic about a year and a half ago, and I can certainly tell you that it mitigated almost all of the 'hot attic' issues we had before. There is a noticabley less amount of time the a/c runs. Mainly it delayed the time the a/c first comes on by several hours. My ductwork runs through the attic, so I covered it was sure to cover it with a few inches.

I have a pull down stair to get into my attic. In your case, you probably will have to remove a few of the top rows of shingles, then the roof sheathing along the ridge. This will give you access to the attic space. I was able to rent the equipment to do mine, but since yours will need to be thrown further, you will probably need professional equipment, or just hire somebody.

Thanks to all who responded. Hey Aaron...i live in Holt, Fl. also ! Im over on Whippoorwill Dr. about a half mile in from Route 189. What a coinky-dink ! Yes, im going to rent Lowes blown in insulation machine this winter and get at least another 8 inches in the two attic cavities (one on each side of the middle living room cathedral ceiling). Going to get estimates from Contractors on putting in a drop ceiling grid right away. Good to know the added insulation made a difference --- right now, i only have 3.5 inches in each attic space. David.

[flcruising]

Hey, we're pretty much neighbors! I'm basically on 189 (even though the road changes names a couple times before you get to me), down in the valley, over the wooden bridge, around the left curve, then the first house on the right just before the cemetery.

Here's our house actually-