Do-it-yourself Armstrong suspended ceiling installation

Recommendation points

• Profile and slabs used to mount Armstrong suspended ceiling
• Choice of tool and material
• Ceiling preparation and marking
• Installation of hangers and suspension profiles Armstrong
• Laying tiles and fixtures on the structure

After reading this article, you will learn about the existing types of Armstrong suspended ceiling profiles. You will be able to independently carry out the installation of the ceiling of this system and the laying of tiles. Also familiarize yourself with some of the nuances inherent in this type of ceiling, such as precise marking of the ceiling and hanging profiles on hanging hooks..

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• Profile and slabs used to mount Armstrong suspended ceiling
• Choice of tool and material
• Ceiling preparation and marking
• Installation of hangers and suspension profiles Armstrong
• Laying tiles and fixtures on the structure

Profile and slabs used to mount Armstrong suspended ceiling

Suspended ceilings of the Armstrong system are usually used in retail and office premises. Because they are less laborious to install than drywall and plastic.

Armstrong Cross, Guide and Angle Profile

And in the future, during the operation of the ceiling, you can install additional communications (electrical wiring, security and fire systems) without much effort. They do not carry a high load on the ceiling structure. There are several types of Armstrong ceiling profiles: load-bearing ones, 3600 mm long, which in turn are divided into types T15 and T24. Transverse, length 600 mm and 1200 mm, which are also divided into types T15 and T24. And the last profile view – corner wall profile 19/24.

When installing the Armstrong ceiling, laying tiles are used, their standard size is 595×595 mm. There are also tiles of non-standard size 1190×595 mm, they are less popular, but depending on the ceiling design or customer requirements, they can be used. When installing the Armstrong suspended ceiling, special raster lamps of standard sizes 590×590 mm are used.

Choice of tool and material

When choosing a material for the Armstrong ceiling, it is necessary to calculate the structure of the ceiling itself and take into account the height of its lowering. The height of the lowering of the ceiling is taken into account from the calculation of the laid communications. So that in the future there is a distance of at least 150 mm from the ceiling to the air outlet. This is necessary to simplify the installation (installation) of raster lamps on the ceiling. Suspended spokes on springs are used as suspensions on the Armstrong ceiling..

Assembled and disassembled hanging knitting needles

On the one hand, the suspension has an ear-shaped spoke, and on the other – in the form of a hook, which are interconnected by a butterfly spring. It also adjusts the height of the ceiling and the installation of profiles in the plane. The T24 profile is considered the most common of the load-bearing and transverse profiles. The number of supporting and transverse profiles is calculated after the schematic marking of the ceiling. Based on which 10 m₂ ? required support profiles L3600 – 2.3 pcs., Cross sections L1200 – 14.3 pcs. and transverse profiles L600 – 15.7 pcs.

Also, when choosing a tile, you will need to take into account the pattern on the tile itself. It is important to take tiles of one pattern. There is also a colored tile that can be used at the request of the client or for design purposes. You will need hammer dowels 6×40 or 6×60 mm in size.

When choosing luminaires, you need to take into account the required degree of illumination in the room in order to select the required number of lamps.

As for the tool, when installing the ceiling, you will need a perforator, a grinder, a hammer, metal scissors, a tracer, pliers, a laser level or a hydro level, an aluminum level 2.5 m in size, a tape measure, a pencil.

Ceiling preparation and marking

First of all, when installing the Armstrong suspended ceiling, it is necessary to note the horizontal level of the room. For this, you can use a hydro level or a laser level. In small rooms, you can use an aluminum level of 2-2.5 m in size. In order to mark the horizontal level of the room, you need to put marks with a pencil (small lines) in all the outer and inner corners of the room. Then the distance from the ceiling to these marks in each corner is measured. The corresponding distance is marked next to each of them. This is done in order to determine the lowest point on the ceiling, from which we will start when the ceiling is lowered.

The suspended ceiling of the Armstrong system must be lowered at a distance of at least 15 cm from the lowest point. This is necessary for the convenience of mounting raster lights on the ceiling. Based on this, the height to which the ceiling must be lowered is calculated. In each corner, the obtained difference from the designated points of the horizontal level of the room to the ceiling, measured with a tape measure, is marked. Further, all the obtained points are horizontally and sequentially connected to each other by a tracer. Having a marked height, to which the suspended ceiling will fall, a 19/24 wall corner is nailed to the wall along the entire perimeter of the line. The larger side of the corner should rest on the wall. Internal and external corners at an angle of 45 degrees are cut with metal scissors.

Mounting the trim on the inner and outer corners

Before proceeding with the installation of the ceiling, it is desirable that all communications (air ducts, electrical wiring) have already been laid, since after installation it will be more difficult to lay them. When installing an Armstrong suspended ceiling, an important criterion is its layout. In order for the ceiling to look symmetrical from all sides, you need to find its center. To do this, you need to measure the sides of the ceiling and mark their middle. Opposite midpoints must be connected with a tracer. The intersection of the two lines obtained will be the center of our ceiling. The smaller of these two lines is considered to be the center rail for attaching the T24 track profiles. From this guide to the left and right sides on the ceiling, it is necessary to mark lines parallel to it with a distance of 120 cm from each other. The central point of the ceiling is a conditional place for mounting the suspension. From this center point, points are marked on parallel lines of the guide profiles with a distance of 90 cm, which will be the place of attachment of the hangers of the guide profiles.

Installation of hangers and suspension profiles Armstrong

During installation, the hangers should not be lower than the 19/24 nailed trim. If the spoke exceeds the required length, it is cut off with a grinder and chamfered to be inserted into the butterfly spring. For the convenience of attaching the guide profiles, all lower hooks on the hangers must be turned in one direction. Ceiling hangers are attached with hammer-in dowels.

Installation of suspensions on the ceiling

Having all the suspensions on the ceiling, you can start assembling the Armstrong suspended ceiling frame itself. First, the profile guides are mounted, which are suspended on the already nailed hangers. The guides of the L3600 profile and the L1200 cross-section have key slots and holes for attaching hangers.

Lock, key slots and holes for attaching hangers

When hanging the guide profile, in the event of a shortage of its length from the already suspended profile, the missing section is measured and cut off with metal scissors. Then, thanks to the existing locks at the ends of the profiles, they are interconnected. The edges of the guide profiles must lie on the wall corner. After that, the profile with the help of springs “butterflies” on the suspensions is set horizontally.

Aligning the profile in level with a butterfly spring

After two or three guides are assembled, they can be connected to each other with the L1200 transverse profile. The transverse profiles are connected to the guide profile with locks and key slots. The lock is inserted into the left side of the slot, after which it is easily fixed in it.

Installing the lock into the key slot

The next cross-section is mounted at a distance of 60 cm from the previous one. Having the assembled structure of parallel-assembled cross-sections L1200, we connect them together with the cross-section L600 in the same way. In places where the luminaires are suspended on the L1200 transverse profiles, it is necessary to strengthen the frame by installing an additional suspension.

Suspended profile

Now, along the entire perimeter of the frame, where the transverse profile does not reach the wall, its missing segment is measured and cut off using metal scissors. If the profile guides are set horizontally, then all cross-sections will also be level. After assembling all the profiles, the finished frame will look like a lattice with a mesh size of 600×600 mm.

Laying tiles and fixtures on the structure

The frame is assembled and ready for laying ceiling tiles and lamps, this type of work must be done when the relative humidity in the room does not exceed 70%. First, raster lamps are installed, in the places where they are installed, the frame must be additionally reinforced with suspensions.

Raster lights

Since the tile itself is easily soiled, it is laid on the frame with clean gloves. Gloves are used so that there is no direct contact of the skin of the hands with the tiles, because the tiles contain mineral fibers that can irritate the surface of the skin. If the tile contains a pattern, then when laying it, you must monitor its implementation on the ceiling.

Ceiling tiles

Tiles are not laid in places where raster lights are installed. As a rule, the cells are smaller around the perimeter of the frame, so the tiles of the required size must be cut with a knife and placed in their cell. In the event of a necessary replacement of any tile, it can be changed easily, without breaking the structure. In order not to have to look for the necessary tiles in shops, 5-6 tiles are laid under the ceiling, which can be removed from there at any time. Suspended ceiling of Armstrong system ready.