Like most older homes in my area, the garage was not insulated, had no drywall covering or ceiling. It was basically left as a shell. This allowed homeowners to finish the garage as they saw fit.
This summer, my garage will finally have a ceiling. Once in place, insulation will quickly follow.
The ceiling I’ve chosen is a simple acoustical tiles. They are inexpensive and easy to install. If, of course, you like working upside down. I have a feeling this is one of the jobs that I’ll feel wonderful about when it’s finished.
Ceiling tiles can finish a bare room, basement or hide a damaged plaster ceiling. That’s another common use in this area.
Be sure to follow the steps in order, so you wind up with a ceiling that looks terrific.
You will need:
• Shims
• Drill and drywall screws, 15/8″ long (or 1 ¾” long if not available)
• Utility knife
• Heavy gloves
• Safety goggles
• Stepladder
• Chalk line
• Tape measure
• Hammer
• Drill, bits
• Heavy- duty stapler
• Ceiling tiles
• 1-by-3 boards the length of the room
• Finishing nails
• Molding
• Keyhole or coping saw
• A four foot long level
• Straightedge
Step One:
Measure the square footage of the room, and record in a notebook. Most ceiling tiles are twelve inches square.
The 1-by-3’s will run across (perpendicular to) the joists, not parallel.
Figure how many boards you will need for your room. Allow enough boards for the tiles and at least two extra boards on the sides of the walls. Extra won’t hurt here.
Go to the DIY store. Buy about ten percent more tiles than your square footage to allow for breakage, trimming and cutting tiles.
Stack everything in the room for up to a week to allow the materials to acclimate to the room’s conditions. You’ll have no problem with warping then.
Step Two:
To ensure the ceiling tiles fit right, prep work is everything.
On all four walls, just below the ceiling, mark the center. Make a mark ½” to the right of the mark, to the left on the opposite wall. Each tile has a tab, called a tongue. This is where the staples will be placed.
Using the chalk line, snap a line from one wall to the other, keeping the line centered between the two marks. The line will mark the joists across the room. If you’ve never used a chalk line before, it’s easy.
Drive a screw or nail between the marks at the very top of the wall. Carefully let the string out as you walk across the room. Climb the stepladder, and stretch the line tight, keeping it between the two marks on the wall. Holding the line tight with one hand, pull the line like a banjo string and let it snap. It will deposit colored chalk to the joists across the room in a straight line.
Mark the center of a 1-by-3, and match the center to the snapped line. Screw the board in place using the drywall screws. It is important that the center of the mark and the center of the board match. All the other measurements and lines depend on it. No pressure, right?
Step Three:
Mark the center of each 1-by-3 and screw into the joists at twelve- inch intervals. This is where the tongues will be stapled. Also, attach a 1-by-3 up against the wall itself, even though it may be close to the other boards.
Notice the ends of the 1-by-3’s are just hanging loose. In a regular room, this may be okay. You’ll finish the ceiling with molding; that will hold the ends in place.
In a basement or garage, you may want to add blocking behind the ends of the 1-by-3’s. Use a four- inch long scrap of board and attach it to the wall just above the 1-by-3. Drive a screw through the end boards into the block board. This keeps the end of the wall from sagging in what could be a humid environment.
Step Four:
Grab the level. Lay it across the joists on top of the 1-by-3’s. If there is a gap, mark the board. Using the drill, back the screw out little by little and see if that fixes it. If not, measure the distance between the level and the board. Take out the screw, and place shims behind the 1-by-3. Replace the screw and check again.
This is the part that’s boring and frustrating, but if it’s not done, the ceiling will look bowed and crappy.
Step Five:
Once everything’s nice and level, take a break. You’ve earned it. You’re about to get to the quicker part of the job.
Get the measuring tape and the chalk line again. Remember the two marks on the wall that run parallel to the joists? Now, you’ll use them to snap a chalk line across the 1-by-3’s. Center your line between the marks as before. This is the center of the ceiling tiles.
Measuring carefully, snap chalk lines every twelve inches across each side of the room.
Step Six:
Open the boxes of ceiling tiles. You’re about to begin the “quick” part of the job. Unlike floor tiles, you’ll begin with the outside and then do the inside.
Beginning with the center of one wall, measure the distance between the nearest line and the wall.
Measure the tiles and cut them so there is a ¼” gap between the side of the tile and the wall. If your wall is bowed, you can cut individual tiles to fit. Only cut one side of the tile- don’t cut all the tongues off.
Staple the border tiles in place, making sure the staples go through the tongue of the tile. For those tiles, which will be against the wall with no furring strip to staple the side tongues into, that’s okay. Molding will hold them in place.
Step Seven:
Once the borders are in place, you can attach the full-sized tiles. Carefully make any necessary cutouts in a tile for electrical outlets or ceiling fixtures. The keyhole saw cuts through the tiles quickly and easily. I’ve also found coping saws go a little slower, but I have more control over the cut.
Step Nine:
Attach the molding to the walls. In a garage, sanded and/or painted furring strips make an interesting molding. The edges don’t have to be coped- simple miters do the trick.
Acoustical tiles may also be used on walls. There are tiles available that attach to walls using adhesive strips. In entertainment rooms, or older houses without much insulation, they can provide privacy and a measure of insulation.
You’ve finished the job. It was a big one. But look up- the ceiling is nice, level and even. All the lines are straight. All that prep work was worth it. Now your friends and family want you to do their ceilings- you’re now the expert, after all. That’s okay. You can go over, sit down and supervise.
Source: Jeff Day (2003). “Home Improvement 1-2-3,” Des Moines, IA, Meredith Publishing Group
