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How to Install a Drop Ceiling - 5 Simple Steps and 1 Big Mistake

by Adam 100 Comments

If you had asked me a year ago would I ever write an article called "how to install a drop ceiling" I would have looked at you like you had three heads. Yet, here I am. Or rather, here we are.

I figured out how to install a drop ceiling for my basement

I taught myself how to install a drop ceiling and here's the result. It makes me tear up with joy each time I go down to my basement. I'm writing this article to show you how to do yours.

I'm guessing you are here for the same reason that I was Googling for days on end a year ago. You want to know if you can install a drop ceiling in your basement on your own.  

The short answer is yes!  Yes you can and it's not that hard. You can save a lot of money by doing  it yourself IF you don't make some of these key mistakes. 

If you're here because you're still trying to decide should you go with a drop ceiling over a drywall ceiling for your basement then make sure to read both sides of the debate here on the site. Here's Jason's article that is definitely against drop ceilings. And here's my argument FOR choosing a suspended ceiling (let's show a little respect).

Now let's get to the meat and potatoes of how to install a drop ceiling. 

drop ceiling l-channel

Drop Ceiling Installation Tools and Materials

L-Channel: Metal channel thats shapped like an L. You will install this first around the entire perimeter of the wall, a few inches below your ceiling (hence the "drop" in drop ceiling).

drop ceiling main tT-Channel: Metal channel thats shapped like a... yep you guessed it, T! These run perpendicular to your floor joists.

4 foot cross T's: These are like mini T-Channel that run parallel to your floor joists and snap to the main T-Channel

drop ceiling cross T2 foot cross T's: If you are purchasing 4'x2' tiles, these are not needed. If you are going with 2'x2' tiles, these are needed and run between the 4 foot cross T's.

Drop Ceiling Tiles: These will be the most expensive part of your drop ceiling project. They come in a ton of styles and can be humidity and mold resistant and offer various levels of sound insulation.

Drop ceiling tiles come in flush mounts (the tiles are even with the T's) or with reveals (tiles sit slightly below T's). Personally I think the reveals provide a nice aesthetic touch.

Wire and Wire Hanging Eyelets: The eyelets are screwed to the floor joists and the wire is looped through the eyelet and the wholes in the main T-Channels to provide the needed support from the weight of the tiles. 


Tin Snips: You'll need a good pair of tin snips to make all the cuts on the L and T channels. I recommend this Bostitch model on Amazon. It's rated 4.5 stars and has free shipping with Prime.

eyelet bit

Drill Eyelet Adapter: A special drill bit that the eyelets fit into. Worth its little weight in gold!

Several fresh Utility Knife Blades: Do yourself a favor and stock up on utility blades before getting started. I can't stress how important sharp blades are while cutting tiles. Cutting drop ceiling tiles dulls them quickly and if you attempt to cut tiles with dull blades, your cuts will look sloppy.

How to Install a Drop Ceiling

I found a great video that explains how to install a drop ceiling. I've embedded it at the bottom of this article after these steps, but I recommend reading these steps first. I pretty much learned 90% of what I needed to know from this guys so props to him!  

I want to highlight here the key steps with some pain saving pointers. Save yourself some major aggravation and avoid my mistakes. Read through these, then watch the video, then leave a comment with any questions on how to install a drop ceiling.

Step 1 - Design Your Drop Ceiling Grid

It starts with a game plan. Literally, measure and make a TO SCALE drawing of each room. Then layout your tile spacing and see how it looks. Like tiling a floor, you want to make sure your outer edge ceiling tiles aren't too small. Ideally they will be evenly placed along the perimeter.

There are several websites and videos online on how to lay out a room. I was super annoyed though that every video on the web assumes you have a simple square shaped room. If you do, you've got a huge advantage in figuring out how to install a drop ceiling. Both of my main rooms had cut ins, jut outs, and soffits. If that's the same for you, use the videos as a starting point, lay out your room and make tweaks one direction or the other to avoid small tiles near those obstructions.

Step 2 - Install the L-Channel

how to install a drop ceiling using these L channels

Here's an nicely mitered L channel on an outside corner. While learning how to install a drop ceiling be sure to take the extra time to get these corners correct.

Now, time to get your hands dirty. Determine the drop you are going with and measure around the perimeter of the room down from the floor joists that amount. Mark the location of your wall studs and using self taping drywall screws, adhere the L-Channel to the wall.

Interior corners are simple - Either overlap the two pieces or butt them together. Exterior corners can similarly be butted together but to give them a sharper look, I overlapped them and cut one on a 45 degree angle to give the appearance of a mitered corner.

Step 3 - Install the T-Channel

The main T runs perpendicular to the floor joists. Place your first main piece of T-Channel spaced away from your wall as determined in your grid layout.

These pieces of channel will be supported on either end by the L channel and will be supported in the middle by the eyelets and wire spaced approximately 2-4 feet apart. This amounts to about every other or every third joist.

Once you have the wire loosely run through the channel and the eyelets, next work to ensure the channel is level. One good strategy is to run a string taut from wall to wall in line with the L-Channel. Then pull the individual wires tight to bring the T-Channel in line with the string. Wrap the wire around itself to ensure it doesn't sag or come loose with the weight of the tile. Rinse and repeat this process with the T-Channel spaced 4 feet apart until all the channel is up.

Step 4 - Install the Cross Ts

Cross T installation is a snap. Sorry, bad pun. You need to snap in the 4 foot cross T's.  Again if using 2x2 tiles, the 2 foot cross T's as well. It's easiest to do both at once for a smoother install. Start with full T's and once complete move to the edges. Measure and cut each T to size. Always cut a bevel on the wall end to avoid interference with the wall.

As you are going, drop in a couple full tiles to square up the grid. Definitely do this before cutting the edge tiles to ensure the grid is totally square.

drop ceiling light cut out

Here is one of my drop ceiling tiles with a recessed light cut-out. This is before I installed the light trim.

After all the T's are installed, drop in all of the full tiles and move on to the edge pieces. Measure and cut these as well.

If you bought tiles with a reveal, the best way to get an accurate cut is to first cut the tile to size and set it into place. Then score the tile along the edge, remove the tile and cut the reveal. This can fairly accurately be done by hand and by eyeballing the depth of the cut. After 1 or 2 cuts, you'll get used to it.

Make special cuts for other interferences (drop lighting, smoke detectors, etc).

Here's the best video I found online showing how to install a drop-ceiling:

 

Adam_Profile

There you go, Done! A successful drop ceiling install. Congrats!

Do you have questions about how to install a drop ceiling? I'd love to hear them below! 

-Adam

More Links on Basement Ceilings:

  • Should you go with a drop ceiling? Jason says NO!
  • Should you go with a drop ceiling? Adam says YES
  • Why You Should NOT install your own drywall
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Questions and Comments

Click here to ask a question or leave a comment.

  1. Joshua says

    July 3, 2014 at 10:59 am

    Thanks for the article Adam. My wife and I are looking for our first home and the biggest thing I want to do is finish the basement myself. I would rather have a dry wall ceiling with small access panels for plumbing shut offs and what not. However, after reading your arguments and your "how to" I'm starting to consider a drop ceiling. Especially for the sound proofing because I'm going big with the 7.1 surround sound. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

    As a side note: I will definitely do a drop ceiling if the home we buy has plumbing and electrical running beneath the floor joists. I don't consider the extra work and money would be worth it to do drywall. What do you think?

    Reply
  2. sing says

    January 3, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    can I install a drop ceiling in the basement where the walls are not finished? There is no dry wall, just the painted foundation wall. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Judy says

      June 26, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      I would like the answer to that question too

      Reply
      • Pradhan Balter says

        September 5, 2016 at 8:33 am

        Of course you can as long as you have studs to which you can tie the angle iron (L channel). The thing is, should you later decide to install drywall, you would probably want to install it inside that same corner. Here is a nice option though...suspend the grid without going all the way to the walls. It would appear to float. Once hung, and tiles inserted, it will be pretty stiff and it makes for a nice effect, creating some dimension. Also, there are sites that manufacture designer tile so that drop ceiling does not look so "standard".

        Reply
        • John says

          August 4, 2021 at 5:33 pm

          Wrong! I do it for a living and yes you can put directly to the foundation using hammer drill and tapcon screws! Just knock down any hunks of concrete that will keep wall track bumped out

          Reply
      • Todd Gervais says

        August 22, 2021 at 2:53 am

        yes you can rotohammer the wall angle to concrete using blue concrete screws.

        Reply
    • Robert Fox says

      January 30, 2018 at 8:44 pm

      No you cannot

      Reply
      • ARTHUR h WRIGHT says

        July 13, 2018 at 8:15 am

        why cant I install it right onto the foundation walls using the proper anchor screws

        Reply
        • Matt says

          November 26, 2019 at 1:32 pm

          Sure you can, using tapcons or expanding nails with predrilled holes

          Reply
          • Riggy says

            February 11, 2021 at 8:25 am

            you gotta live the YOLO life brah

            Reply
  3. sam esposito says

    January 28, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    I am installing a drop ceiling in my bsmt. to install my next run on the grids it falls directly under my heating trunk line so I cannot install the wire to support the grid, I cannot go the 2' or the 4', how do I support the grid

    Reply
    • Dustin says

      November 28, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      You do what is called a bridge put a wire on each side of the unit thats in the way if it's to a very long span you can use a piece of the main tee hang it from those 2 wires and now you can place the hanger wire in the proper place on that piece going to the ceiling

      Reply
  4. Charlene says

    April 20, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    Approximately how long would it takes to put in a dropped ceiling in 3 rooms of about 600 sq ft

    Reply
    • Jason says

      May 11, 2015 at 3:37 pm

      Assuming you have all of the materials but no experience installing drop-ceilings. I would guess about a week. If you've done it before, or can find just 1 person who has, I'd say you could knock it out in 2-3 days. - Jason

      Reply
      • Dustin West says

        November 28, 2021 at 4:37 pm

        Someone that knows what they're doing it'd be only like half a day just for the grid or full day for the grid and tile

        Reply
    • Carlos says

      August 1, 2015 at 9:40 pm

      With experience you can do about 100 sf per hr

      Reply
    • Riggy says

      February 11, 2021 at 8:25 am

      1 to tree years

      Reply
  5. Pete says

    September 19, 2015 at 10:12 am

    Can't find this answer anywhere. On a long wall (35 ft.), do you overlap L bracket or butt the pieces together? If overlap, how much?

    Reply
    • Stephen Parsons says

      September 25, 2017 at 10:10 am

      The strength of the wall angle pieces comes from screwing the L bracket to the wall. If your spacing is at the stud and it's no more than 16", then it won't make a difference. If you are at wider spacing, or just want to have less gap, but them together on the upright part of the L bracket and cut 1 45 (or just a little square tab) to over lap on the horizontal piece.

      Reply
    • Dustin West says

      November 28, 2021 at 4:38 pm

      Don't overlap it just make sure you put a factory edge to factory edge and but them together

      Reply
  6. Rick says

    January 14, 2016 at 8:06 am

    I have a room which changes direction by 45-60 degrees. The floor joists also change directions. Do I run a main tee across the room where the angle changes and bend the ends of the connecting main tees to fit the 45 degree main tee?

    Reply
    • Stephen Parsons says

      September 25, 2017 at 10:14 am

      Consider what the overall view will look like. The position and flow of joist is not particularly important, although you have to find places to screw in your eyelets that will line up with the main T track. It may be nicer to just have your T and flow to run in one direction, but if the room has a significant space on both sides of the change in direction, then consider following the contour. Take a picture of your ceiling and then use a photo editing tool to overlay each design to see what looks best.

      Reply
  7. Ed says

    June 4, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    Great article
    I have 44 inches left from the last main to the wall on both sides of the room. So I the side rule will match around the room. Would it be more sturdy to put another main 2 foot away from the last main leaving 20 inches. Or just use 4 foot tees cutting off the end to make the 44 inches. Which is more sturdy and which is faster.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Kris says

      July 5, 2019 at 11:09 am

      I am having a similar dilemma and wonder what you ended up doing here. My assumption is to use the 4-foot T method, but seems like a lot of weight to be sitting on the L

      Reply
  8. Kevin Durian says

    July 27, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    Can you install a drop ceiling if your walls are brick instead of drywall?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      July 28, 2016 at 7:41 am

      Hi Kevin - Yes, any type of wall material is ok, including drywall. - Jason

      Reply
  9. Ruby says

    July 28, 2016 at 7:58 am

    Have drop ceiling in basement but am having a hard time cutting a hole for box and getting back in place. It broke the first try. It's very tight in the area. What's the secret ???

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      March 3, 2020 at 8:53 am

      Hi Jason. This is a very helpful article. I think I have this figured out, but based on your article, my 2’ x 4’ tiles will be going the wrong direction. We want our tiles to run perpendicular to our floor joists. So my plan is to run the T channel every 2 feet and then connect them with 2 foot sections. Being that we are using a very light weight, vinyl tile, I don’t see why it would matter if Tiles run parallel or perpendicular to floor joists. But I would love an opinion on that. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Tom says

        July 20, 2020 at 1:28 pm

        I was wondering the same thing... my drop ceiling will be going from a room and then down a hallway that is 24 inches wide so I would like to run the 2x4 tiles long ways down the hall.

        The tiles though would be perpendicular to the floor joists. Not sure why the main ts can't run every 2 feet instead of 4... or can they?

        Reply
        • Todd Gervais says

          August 22, 2021 at 3:08 am

          Tiles and grid can run any direction that you want. Just as long as you have a wire every 4' on your main runners. You can span joists with studs for a plumb wire or you can put 2 wires in from each adjacent joist tied in the same spot so it doesn't create tension from just a single wire. Also install wires on all your tees over 8 inches. Don't overlap wall angle it's best to butt factory ends. Pop rivets work best for 1'' grid all others should be tied in with L- Clips.

          Reply
    • Marc says

      October 12, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      If a tile is in a tough spot to get it into , go to an area in the ceiling that you can easily get the tile through and into the ceiling space between the grid and the joists. Once you have the tile all the way up inside the grid just pass the tile over all the grid pieces until you get it to the space you want it in. Hope that makes sense

      Reply
  10. Hubert Gartner says

    August 22, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    How do you install the perimeter piece when you come to the stair wall. as it is at 45 degrees?

    Reply
    • James Ray Lund says

      January 21, 2021 at 2:15 am

      You cut a narrow strip at 45 degrees and attach that first to the area were the stairs are. Then attach your L angle to the strip.

      Reply
  11. A. Merges says

    October 15, 2016 at 11:15 am

    I reconfigured my basement and need to add to existing drop ceiling grid. Looks like the previous contractor used a staggered method for installing the T bars, meaning I would have to dismantle a good portion of the ceiling. Are there adapter clamps to make this easier? Should I look for a ceiling contractor, do you know anyone in the Chicago suburbs?

    Reply
  12. Susan A Taylor says

    October 30, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    House built in 1885. Room appears square but now seeing grid is off by about 1/2" from square -- tips... advice???

    Reply
    • Jason says

      November 1, 2016 at 6:39 pm

      Hi Susan - Wow, old house. Those are my favorite! If you won't lose to much space you can square of your room with the framing, this way your drywall and flooring will all work correctly. There's not much you can do to fix the "un-squareness" of the external walls. Good luck! - Jason

      Reply
  13. Brandon says

    December 5, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    Jason,
    I appreciate your article. I bought a house a few years ago that was built in 1959. I ripped out the carpet upstairs and put in wood flooring. I do notice that the basement is a bit louder as a result. The ceiling in the basement is that old 'cardboard style tiling.' And the house has boiler heat, so there is a drop around the outside of the foundatation about 2" below the floor joists to accommodate for the copper piping.
    I'm going to put in some drywall on the outside walls overtime. This article has convinced me a drop ceiling is the way to go though. This means I can fix some things over time - like grounded electrical to the refrigerator - speaker wires to the surround sound - cat6e plenum to reduce my tenancy for wireless - and copper piping for an icemaker in the fridge.

    It might cost a bit more to do the drop ceiling. I'll gain it back in access as I work on these other minor issues over time. I have a ton of electrical capacity - so I may end up reworking some of the circuits over time.

    Thanks for the article. I'm going to start planning this in a few days!

    Brandon

    Reply
  14. Dianna says

    February 9, 2017 at 11:14 am

    I have a home built in 1906, the area I live in has constantly shifting foundation. The ceiling is high and has no insulation. I want to drop my ceiling and add insulation at the same time. Currently it has a cardboard type ceil that was hung in panels. I have paneling on the walls as well as furring strips about 14 inches below the ceiling. Do you still recommend the dropped ceiling you discuss in the video? This house is not mine, it is an apartment off my Mom's house so I can't fix the foundation first. My apartment is 600sf of a 3000+ sqft home. The ceiling appears buckled now so what do you suggest?

    Reply
  15. Oscar says

    February 20, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    What was the big mistake?......

    Reply
  16. joe says

    February 24, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    is it ok to screw the
    L chanel on drywall without a backing

    Reply
  17. joe says

    February 24, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    icf or fox block doesent have backing

    Reply
  18. Marcel says

    March 7, 2017 at 6:39 am

    I have a ceiling finished in drywall that is water damaged so I want to rip it out and install a drop ceiling. How do I best cut out the existing ceiling to produce less dust and do I cut the ceiling right at the wall corner? Any help would be appreciated.

    Reply
  19. Tom says

    April 9, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    Everyone should remember that building codes prohibit electric junction boxes that are buried (not accessible) behind a Sheetrock wall. Main reason for a drop ceiling in the basement is to maintain access to the household mechanical systems. Great article.

    Reply
  20. Shawn says

    July 26, 2017 at 9:59 pm

    My house is 200 years old and the floor joices above have sagged over time. The far corner of the room is much lower than the side I added two 80" doors. So I need to basically have two levels of drop ceiling so the doors open obviously. How is the best way to turn up to a new elevation

    Reply
  21. Rich says

    October 8, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    Do you use rivets? Great video.

    Reply
  22. Charlie says

    December 20, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    I do have all of the above with a small amount of the wall is straight. How do you line up the big t tracks when the walls do not start at the same place?

    Reply
  23. Dave Halinka says

    December 27, 2017 at 9:50 am

    How do you build a drop for duct work?

    Reply
  24. Jim says

    December 31, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    Wish me luck I do not want to drop below basement windows on full side but two sides need to drop to cover plumbing on two walls :(

    Reply
  25. Jim says

    March 9, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    I have a landing up to a door that is higher than the intended ceiling. Can I install panels vertically (2') up to the level I need?

    Reply
  26. Leo campbell says

    April 30, 2018 at 4:58 pm

    How do you join the main tees my room is over 12 feet long do they snap together? Is there a specific end to join them together?

    Reply
  27. Bob says

    July 6, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    Room is 12' wide x 32' long. Floor joists run in direction of the width so my main tracks will need to be 32'. I want 2' x 4' panels. Should I go with 2 mains and 4' crosses or 5 mains and 2' crosses (and why)?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      July 8, 2018 at 11:39 pm

      Hey Bob- I would go 5&2. Aesthetically, I think the 4' panels would look better parallel to the 32'.

      -Jason

      Reply
  28. Bob says

    July 6, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    They snap together. No additional hardware required.

    Reply
  29. Austin Hawley says

    August 14, 2018 at 10:28 am

    Does the ceiling have to be strapped? Should I remove the strapping that is there?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      August 19, 2018 at 10:40 pm

      Hey Austin - Not sure what you mean by strapping. If you have strapping running perpendicular to the joists, then i'd leave it. It'll act as bridging. As far as the drop ceiling, no need need.

      -Jason

      Reply
  30. Jason says

    September 19, 2018 at 10:56 pm

    Hey Christoper - Its about $2.00 a square foot for materials. Here's a cool calculator if you want to change the variables.

    -Jason

    Reply
  31. Palmer says

    December 12, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    I was told to buy rivets, are they necessary?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      December 26, 2018 at 9:34 pm

      Hey Palmer - Not a necessity but certainly an option for securing them together.

      -Jason

      Reply
  32. Susan E says

    February 6, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    I have electrical wires (from main electric box)that need to go thru the drop ceiling. Should I attach the wires to the drywall, cut the L strip to the wire, then attach another piece of the L strip on the other side of the wire and continue or should I make cuts in the ceiling tile for the wire to go thru?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      February 9, 2019 at 11:51 am

      Hey Susan - Best practice would be to run the wire inside the wall instead of through the ceiling or L-channel. But, if you don't want to do that then I'd just run it through the ceiling because it'd be easiest.

      - Jason

      Reply
  33. Bill Jordan says

    March 4, 2019 at 11:32 am

    installing a drop ceiling. one wall will be tiled other 2 plastered. should i run the tile all the way up the drywall then install ceiling or install ceiling and tile up to track?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      March 17, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      Hey Bill - I'd install the drywall first, then the track, followed by the tile up to the track. I think that's the easiest process and cleanest finish.

      -Jason

      Reply
  34. Chris Tedford says

    April 3, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    Can you use 4’ mini T’s joined together to make a main T?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      April 8, 2019 at 9:13 pm

      I suppose you could, but you'll have more labor in making it work.

      - Jason

      Reply
  35. Cori says

    April 15, 2019 at 8:13 am

    I'm wondering if/how you attached a handrail for your stairs with the drop ceiling?

    Reply
  36. Kevin says

    June 13, 2019 at 6:50 pm

    Installing a drop ceiling in basement. Bought 12 foot "T" bars for main lines through the room. BUT the T bars begin with a 3" space from the end, which conflicts with putting cross bars at 24" or 48" spacings from the wall. ??? What do I do to get started with the proper spacing of 2 or 4 feet from the wall???

    Reply
    • Jason says

      July 7, 2019 at 4:58 pm

      Hey Kevin - It's hard to visualize your dilemma. If you have enough material, just nip off the 3" inch space and start flush.

      - Jason

      Reply
  37. Andrew says

    November 14, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    Hey Jason, I want to install a drop ceiling in my basement but the dimensions are weird. So the T-channels are 12’ but my basement is about 24’-4”. How would I make it so there’s no gap?
    Would I have to buy another 12’ T-Channel and cut it down to 4”? Seems like a waste.

    Reply
  38. Wesley M Shewchuk says

    January 8, 2020 at 2:04 am

    very helpful good job

    Reply
  39. Kevin says

    April 5, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I’m having trouble clicking together the 2 ft tees where they go through the 4 ft tee, what am I’m not doing correctly . Found 7.6 x 12.6 area first next room 11.6 x 25.6

    Reply
  40. james Hawkins says

    April 14, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    where ca i buy the materials

    Reply
  41. Vida says

    June 9, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    I have an existing drop ceiling in our three season Florida room. It had a leaking roof which has been repaired. The leaking caused the framing to rust, so I want to replace the whole ceiling. Because it is an enclosed former aluminum patio, that I what the suspended ceiling is suspended from. Part of it is angled to be higher in the back. What are the best sort of tiles to handle a variety of temperatures?

    Reply
  42. JOHN says

    June 29, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    How far from bottom of pipe do I hang track

    Reply
  43. Jerry says

    August 30, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    Thanks Adam for your tips on dropped ceilings. I agree with your theory on dropped ceilings are preferable over drywall in a basement. Even though a drywall ceiling would be nice it is not practical in a basement. With all the plumbing and electrical under the main floor it wouldn’t make sense to block it off if you didn’t have too.
    For your information Adam your #1 video for dropped ceilings install will not open. Wrong address. Thanks Jerry.

    Reply
  44. murungu says

    September 1, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    I made my BIG mistake. Our room is 12' wide. I assumed the t-piece slots would be 2' in from the ends. Not so. 8 scrap beams and a trip to Lowes!!!

    Reply
    • Todd Gervais says

      August 22, 2021 at 3:20 am

      They could. You cut your main right thru the slot doesn't matter which one since they are every 6 inches. then connect the piece you cut off to the other end and you have a 12' piece with 2' spacing starting your first tee 2' off your wall.

      Reply
  45. Larry Fostano says

    September 10, 2020 at 9:55 am

    Thanks for the video, pretty much knew what I needed to do but did get a few tips. Looking for your grid room design layout to see if it agrees with my design next.

    Reply
  46. Ralph Leitner says

    October 10, 2020 at 11:34 pm

    Hi - Thank you for all this good info. Question on cutting and "splicing" MAIN-T's...
    If I understand correctly, one end of the MAIN-T is carefully measured and cut, and butted against wall #1. That cut must be made to ensure correct distance for the 'edge' CROSS-T slot. The other end of that MAIN-T now has the tab / slot for splicing more MAIN-T length. But how do you measure and cut that splice piece of MAIN-T so that the far end also ends up with CROSS-T slot at the correct distance, so the grid is centered properly?

    Reply
  47. Joe says

    November 18, 2020 at 10:33 pm

    When cutie the perimeter Pisces, how or were do you determine the dimension from the end of the dove tail to the wall or where to where

    Reply
  48. Stephen Lankford says

    December 6, 2020 at 5:32 am

    Would i be able to introduce a drop roof in the storm cellar where the dividers are not wrapped up? There is no dry divider, simply the painted establishment divider. Much obliged.

    Reply
  49. Rita Peyton says

    January 2, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    How do you fasten L- channel to concrete block wall?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      January 11, 2021 at 12:02 am

      I would use Tapcon screws with a hex head.

      Reply
  50. Michael says

    January 17, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    Can I hang drop ceiling grid from bottom cord of HY joists ?
    I plan on using 2x2 tiles of 1/2” drywall. This is for a workshop.

    Reply
  51. Christian says

    February 1, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    Great video. Getting ready to start install in a day or two or maybe even three. One question though. One of my walls has a bow in it. I saw in the video that you were able to correct about a 3/8" gap with a small wedge and later apply caulk. My one wall has an inch or so gap in it The gap gradually gets bigger from about 4' out from the end of the L bracket to the wall. Basically a 4' wedge with 0" to about 1"at the end. Any suggestions? Thanks for your input!

    Reply
  52. Robert Tucker says

    February 18, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    Great video, the details are awesome. The instructions w/ angle trim, & cross trim, to form the placement squares for the panels was very helpful. The way it was explained in a slow detailed manner was perfect..??

    Reply
  53. site says

    July 11, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    Great content! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  54. Ceiling Pros says

    July 11, 2021 at 9:23 pm

    Thank you for the detailed explanation!

    Reply
  55. Drop Ceiling says

    August 1, 2021 at 11:37 pm

    Great site layout! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  56. Todd Gervais says

    August 22, 2021 at 3:31 am

    They could. You cut your main right thru the slot doesn't matter which one since they are every 6 inches. then connect the piece you cut off to the other end and you have a 12' piece with 2' spacing starting your first tee 2' off your wall.

    Reply
  57. Robert says

    September 25, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    Thanks for a great guide. Do you have any tips on how to achieve a perfectly straight line when sawing drywall?

    Reply
    • Jason says

      December 26, 2021 at 10:39 am

      Hey Robert - Get a drywall square for cross section cuts with your utility knife. The square rests on the side of the drywall and ensures a perfectly straight 90 degree, or perpendicular line. For horizontal cuts, I like to use my tape measure as a guide for my utility knife (hook the end to the side and slide it on the desired width the full 8' or 12' length of the drywall.

      - Jason

      Reply
  58. Steven says

    March 25, 2022 at 6:57 am

    How do you extend the L rail? With a butt joint, overlap, or is there a joining piece?

    Reply

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