How to Repair a Drop Ceiling
Drop ceilings consist of suspended rails that hold up ceiling tiles to create a lower ceiling. Drop ceilings can be useful for a number of reasons. There may be water pipes located above them, or the height of the room may be causing heating bills to skyrocket.
A drop ceiling keeps the warm air closer to the living space, while offering easy access to plumbing and/or electrical junction boxes. The only downsize is that a it can begin to droop over time or, in some serious cases, even collapse. Repairing a drop ceiling is a breeze.
Things You Will Need
- Drill with screwdriver bit
- Drop ceiling wire
- Ceiling tiles
- Level
- Wood screws
- Cutting pliers
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Remove all of the remaining ceiling tiles from the affected area. Check the rails that run along the walls to make sure they are not bent, loose or damaged. Use the level to make sure they are still straight and aligned.
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Find the area or areas of the drop ceiling where the wire hangers failed. Fish hanging wire through an available hole on the rail. Twist the end of the wire up and around the wire that will be keeping it suspended.
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Screw a wood screw into the wooden joist directly above where you have the hanger wire. Do not screw it all the way into the joist.
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Pull up on the wire and wrap the hanger wire around the screw so that the rail begins to lift. Cut away the excess wire. Perform Steps 4 through 6 at every weak point.
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Check the rails with the level once you have the ceiling lifted. Make any necessary adjustments so the ceiling will be level.
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Install the ceiling tiles or replace them if they were damaged.
The Drip Cap
- Drop ceilings consist of suspended rails that hold up ceiling tiles to create a lower ceiling.
- There may be water pipes located above them, or the height of the room may be causing heating bills to skyrocket.
- Check the rails that run along the walls to make sure they are not bent, loose or damaged.
- Screw a wood screw into the wooden joist directly above where you have the hanger wire.
Writer Bio
Based in Atco, NJ, Dave Donovan has been a full-time writer for over five years. His articles are featured on hundreds of websites, and have landed him in two nationally published books "If I Had a Hammer: More Than 100 Easy Fixes and Weekend Projects" by Andrea Ridout and "How to Cheat at Home Repair" by Jeff Brendenberg.
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