replace fiberboard ceiling panels

jamiec · Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:37 pm

I bought a 1973 mobile home with 4'x12' ceiling panels made of fiberboard or what I would call flakeboard. Water damage that occurred before the roof was fixed created unrepairable sags in the ceiling panels, which are held up by rosettes 16" oc and thin strips of wood along the edges. I plan to remove the ceiling panels and replace them with lightweight 2'x4' ceiling panels made for a suspended ceiling, holding the new ceiling panels up by using long screws to hang rows of 1"x3" battens 2' oc perpendicular to the undersides of the trusses. With the battens in place, I would then insert the ceiling panels so that the battens would hold up their long, 4' edges, and then I would tighten the screws just enough to raise all of the panels to the same height. Where the 2' ends of the panels meet, I could caulk or glue them or just leave them as-is.

Does this plan seem sensible?

Once the rosettes are removed, should the old ceiling panels come down fairly easily?

Steve-WA · Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:44 pm

Old will not come down easily; they are stapled to the trusses with a million staples. Flat-top screwdriver to pry, and channel locks to lever-pull.

jamiec · Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:17 pm

I don't see any staples, and part of one panel fell down on its own, showing no staples. My question about how easily they would come down assumes no staples.

Greg · Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:02 pm

You may find the ceiling panels are in place before the walls so there MAY be a problem getting the last inch or so free.
They may have also used glue to hold the panels too. It's really just a guessing game until you get into it.

Greg

Steve-WA · Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:39 am

What lurks beneath those "thin strips of wood"... mwuuhahaha

Steve-WA · Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:44 am

Yes your plan seems sensible. The hard part is removal, and then leak location & repair. Installing new ceiling is relatively easy, as long as all damage inside is repaired. You may find that the paneling gussets have deteriorated, causing the ceiling-attachment edge of a truss to sag. New plywood gussets where needed, ensure all is level, make sure the vapor barrier is back in place, and you should be golden. Caulk and trim can forgive a lot of ugliness.