Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Easy-to-install suspended ceilings consist of a metal grid supported from above by wire or spring-type hangers. The grid holds acoustic or decorative fiberboard panels.
In addition to the panels on display at most home improvement centers (and available by special order), look at some of the commercial offerings in manufacturers’ catalogs and on their websites.
The most common panel dimension is 2 feet by 4 feet. Transparent and translucent plastic panels and egg-crate grilles are made to fit the supporting grid and admit light from above. Recessed lighting panels that exactly replace one panel are available from some manufacturers.
All components are replaceable, and panels can be raised for access to wiring, ducts, and pipes. Panels are usually sold in packages containing a certain number of square feet of material.
To estimate the quantity you need, measure the length and width of the room, eliminating areas that will not be covered with panels (a skylight or a ceiling fan, for example). Multiply these figures for the square footage and add 10 percent for waste.
For a professional-looking job, plan to create equal-size borders on opposite sides of the room. To determine the nonstandard width of panels needed for perimeter rows, measure the extra space from the last full row of pieces to one wall and divide by two. This final figure will be the width of border pieces against that wall and the opposite wall. To complete your calculations, repeat this procedure for the other room dimensions.
Easy-to-install suspended ceilings consist of a metal grid supported from above by wire or spring-type hangers. The grid holds acoustic or decorative fiberboard panels.