Advise me on hanging a Suspended Ceiling

In My Humble Opinion
1

OK, I’m ready to throw myself into the task of hanging a suspended ceiling in my basement.
Give me your stream-of-consciousness hints and tips regarding your own experiences in this adventure.

I don’t want to limit anyone’s creativity, but I do have a few specific queries:
Does everything need to be the same brand? For instance, can I buy USG parts to assemble the grid, and then use Armstrong panels?
Is 18 gauge wire adequate, or do I need to go with the 12 gauge?
Do I really need to rivit the grid to the wall angle?
How do I deal with the 6-inch gap that will occur around the stairwell?

2

Panels are interchangeable; 4x4 or 2x2 is universal.

I would go with heavier wire, particularly if you are hanging lights in the grid. The heavier guage will also help prevent sagging.

Riveting is unnecessary, IMO. Once you start putting the panels in the grid, the whole system will become rigid.

Can’t help you with the gap, as I can’t visualize the problem.

Make sure your wall angle is level (duh). A good way to level up the rest of the grid while hanging it is to use a water level. Simple and effective.

3

A caveat: I have not hung a suspended ceiling. Having said that, I have done a fair amount of research into this, since we, too, are in the process of finishing our basement.

It isn’t necessary to use the same manufacturer for all the parts. There appear to be three standards for panels: 2x2, 2x4 and 4x4. As long as your grid is configured for the panels you have, you wouldn’t need to have panels from the same company that made the grid.

I’d always go with the heavier-gauge wire, just to be safe. That will lessen the possibility of sagging over time.

Dunno about riveting.

I think, on your last point, you’re saying that there will be a six-inch difference from the end of the last full panel and where the stairwell starts. If that’s the case, you’ll need to cut a panel to fit the space and form the grid accordingly. This is fairly easy to do.

And on preview, I see that Chefguy already said most of what I did. Crap.

One other point: A laser level is a very effective tool for this type of job. Makes it extremely simple to ensure your grid is level.

4

Check the room for square before you start. It probably isn’t square. This means that you will have some trapezoidal shaped pieces along the edge. Make sure the small pieces are the same on both sides of the room. In other words in a 14’ wide room the layout should be
1-4-4-4-1
Not
4-4-4-2

Next and this is VERY IMPORTANT
[Robot voice]
Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Danger!
[/RV]
If you are placing florescent light fixtures into the grid beware. The grid is not a sound structure until the panels are installed. So there I was placing the 4 light fixtures into the grid work over my kitchen. I got one fixture almost into position. All I had to do was move it about 1” to the left and ½” away from me. I reached under the fixture picked it up slightly, and the grid spread and let go. The falling fixture cut my one index finger almost to the bone, severing nerves, and on my other hand the ring and the pinkie also got severely sliced. Sheet metal is SHARP. Place all the panels into the grid and lift the light fixtures in last. Once the light fixture is in place, then remove the adjoining panels as necessary and wire the bad boy up.

Mix and matching brands should be no problem.
Living in earthquake country, I used the heaviest wire available, and used about twice as many as the suggested number.
I don’t recall riveting the grid to the side rail. Once the panels are in place, where could it go?

5

You mentioned you were installing 2X2 or 2X4 ceiling tiles in your basement.

FYI: There’s a fairly new PVC grid system out there (I can look up the manufacturer when I get home if necessary) where the main runners are screwed to the floor joists (hence it’s not a conventional suspended ceiling).

Benefit: You gain 3-4" more headroom
Drawback: It only works if your plumbing, electrical, etc are between the joists and subflooring

6

Chefguy and Sauron - thanks for the info
Rich - OUCH! I’m gonna remember that story.
JohnBckWLD - I’ve looked at those but I have existing copper pipes and conduit that aren’t going away.

Let me try to explain further…

As I walk down the stairwell, I see a wall in front of me and on the sides, until my eyes are at the same level as the bottom of the joists. At this point I am then able to see the entire basement.

Since I plan to hang the grid 6 inches below the ceiling joists, there will be a 6-inch gap between the joists and the panels which will be visible as I descend the stairs. (By looking into the gap you will be able to see the hangers, conduit, etc, that exist between the joists and panels).
I guess my current plan is to somehow build something with lumber and drywall to close the gap, but I was wondering if there is a simple clever solution.

7

I think that they make outside corner grid pieces that would allow you to cover the 6" gap with cut panels.

It seems to me that 2’X4’ panels always seem to sag after a few years. I’d think that 2’X2’ panels would stay flat longer.