Shiplap Over Ceiling Tile
Do you have a room with dated 12" ceiling tiles? Is it time for a update? Here's a project that can transform that ugly ceiling with a classic look with a little work.
The good news here is that if the ceiling tiles are securely in place and flat, there's no need to take them down. The tiles can provide a good base for the shiplap and add an extra layer of insulation under your new ceiling. Besides, removing the tiles can be very messy and time consuming. This project can save you time, money, and a big mess if you take a little effort to understand how to re-use the ceiling and underlying strapping that is already in place.
There's a wide variety of shiplap available. There's different widths, colors, and textures to choose from. Here's a pre-painted smooth finish plank that is 1" x 6" x 8'.
Steps To Install Shiplap Over Ceiling Tile
STEP 1 Remove Ceiling Moldings
To start, the first thing you'll have to do is remove any molding that might be installed around the perimeter of the ceiling. If it’s in good shape and you like it's style, carefully remove the trim and it could be reused after the shiplap is installed.
STEP 2 Locate Strapping
Ceiling tiles are typically attached to strapping or furring strips that are spaced the width of one ceiling tile. The strapping is attached to ceiling joists.
Strapping and Ceiling Joists (Viewed from Top)
Since you'll want to re-use the strapping, you'll need to find out where it is. The ceiling tile is attached to the strapping along the joints where the tiles meet. With your hand, press on the ceiling tile joints and feel the strapping. It should run either front-to-back in the room or side-to-side.
If you can't find any strapping, it's possible you don't have any. This might be because the ceiling tiles are attached directly to ceiling drywall for example. In either case, you'll need to find the centers of the ceiling joists in the next step.
STEP 3 Locate the Centers of the Ceiling Joists
If you found strapping in the last step, the ceiling joists will be perpendicular to the strapping. If you don't have strapping, you'll need to do some detective work to find the direction of the joists. If there's an attic above, you can look there. You could also try a stud detector or try pounding with your fist on the ceiling and listen and "feel" for the joists.
Once the direction of the ceiling joists is known, you'll need to find the center of each joist. The sure-fire way to do this is by probing with a drill. What do I mean? Basically you're going to use your power drill to drill a bunch of holes in your ceiling to find the joists. Use about a 1/4" bit but make sure you can drill to a depth of at least 2-3 inches. You could also do this using a 3" nail and a hammer but I've found the drill method is easier. Yes, you are going to drill holes in your ceiling, but they will be covered with the new shiplap.
Drill Holes to Find Ceiling Joists (Viewed from Top)
You can start in any random location in your ceiling but about 6 inches from the wall. Drill a test hole at least 2-3" deep in the center of a ceiling tile. If the drill bit goes all the way in without much resistance, there's probably no joist there. Try another test hole about one inch over (either direction). Eventually, you'll drill into a joist. You'll know this because you'll have a harder time drilling and you'll probably see some wood chips coming out of your test hole. Great! Now you want to find the center of the joist which is usually 1 1/2" wide. Drill some more test holes until you are confident you have located the joist and now know where the center is located. Mark the center location!
If you did not know the direction of your ceiling joists beforehand, you can drill test holes in both room directions until you figure out the joist pattern. More work, but not impossible.
You'll need use this process to find the other joists. Knowing that the joists are typically spaced 16 or 24 inches should speed things up. Once you have the joists marked along one wall side, repeat the process on the other side of the room again about 6 inches out from the wall. Next connect the marks across the room using a chalk line like this one:
The goal is to have a line on the ceiling from wall to wall that represents each ceiling joist in the room.
STEP 4 Secure the Strapping
If you don't have strapping, skip to the next step. If you are re-using the existing ceiling tile strapping boards it must first be secured properly. The strapping is located where the 12" tiles meet and run perpendicular to the ceiling joists. The strapping is already attached, but you are about to add extra weight onto the strapping. You don't want to rely on the existing fasteners. The strapping is typically 1x2" board.
Using your joist marking lines you made earlier, add a new screw at each location where the strapping crosses the joists. Depending on the type of shiplap to be installed, a 3" screw can be used. Select the screw size to ensure the strapping will support the weight of the added shiplap. You might have to pre-drill the strapping to make sure it doesn't split. Make sure to drive the screw through the ceiling tile all the way down to the face of the strapping.
Secure Strapping to Ceiling Joists (Viewed from Side)
STEP 5 Prepare Shiplap for Installation
Some shiplap comes pre-primed or even pre-painted. For bare wood material, you should at least prime all sides of the boards before installing. If you decide to paint the shiplap before installing, make sure the paint does not interfere with the boards connecting together.
STEP 6 Install the Shiplap
The shiplap needs to be installed perpendicular to the strapping (or ceiling joists if there is no strapping). Leave 1/4" to 1/2" (or the manufactures recommendations) around the perimeter of the room. This allows for expansion of the boards. Plan ahead and make sure you don't have a tiny sliver of a shiplap when to come to the finished end of the room. You can rip the starting shiplab board to make it narrower if this adjustment is needed. This is a two-person job at this point. Nail the first board in place keeping the proper gap to the walls. A nail gun is highly recommend but not absolutely required. Follow the manufactures directions for nailing. Face nailing or hidden edge nailing might be possible. Just make sure enough nails are used to secure the boards.
Shiplap Installed Over Ceiling Tiles and Strapping (Viewed from Top)
Shiplap Installed (Viewed from Side)
STEP 7 Fill Nail Hole & Sand
If you used pre-painted shiplap and used hidden edge nailing, you can skip this step and the next. Otherwise, fill nail holes and sand as needed.
STEP 8 Paint the Shiplap
Time to paint. A spray gun can make short work of the job and makes it a whole lot easier to paint the gaps. If you don't have one, just use a brush and take your time.
STEP 9 Install Ceiling Molding
You'll need to add molding around the ceiling perimeter to cover the expansion gap. If you removed and saved molding, go ahead and re-install. Otherwise select a crown or cove molding that complements your shiplap and install.