I unfortunately have a celotex ceiling in my living room. I’m not currently prepared to rip it down, so I need some suggestions on fixing it. A seam in the middle, about 6 feet long is sagging. It feels like the furring is still attached to the ceiling. The only thing I can think of is to nail brads on diagonals to hold it up.
Any one try to repair celotex or have any suggestions?
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Replies
Celotex is a Trade Marked Brand Name of a company which sells building materials. Is this as acoustical grid ceiling system, or just Celotex drywall?
If it is acoustical panels(tiles) only, are they glued or stapled to the ceiling?
Need more info. to be able to help.-- Commercial Interior Finish Out-Dallas,Tx.
Since he said " furring strips felt like they were still firmly attached to the ceiling", my guess would be accoustical tile. A lot depends on the age of the ceiling. Late 60s to early 70s they could be glued. Mid 70s on they are most likely stapled. In either case make a press board and lift both side of the cracked area back up to the furring strips, and fasten with staples through the face of the tile. Not pretty but you can hide the staples with spackling, and touch up with an appropriate paint. I have seen a lot of similar failures because the ceiling got several coats of paint applied to them over the years, The stuff is like a spung, it will soak up gallons of paint, and weigh three or four times its installation weight. To much for the old glue or staples to hold.
Dave
Based on past experience in my home, I would say the acoustical tiles are stapled up. The tiles look like they are 12"x12", about 1/2" thick. It looks like they have at 3 layers of paint. I would need really long staples for a hand stapler like originally used or are you suggesting a pneumatic stapler?
Edited 11/21/2002 7:18:24 AM ET by Rich
Seeing as how it is already painted and weighs alot, I would just go ahead and use drywall screws to tighten it up. Use aprox. 1-1/4 sharp point medium thread screws or their aprox. I would put them in about every 6" or so.
I don't know how far down your tiles hang, so you may need some type of a stiff back to push them up without breaking or cracking. Start on the outside edge of the line or joint your going to tighten up and then suck them up a little at a time so you don't pull through the tile with the head of the screw. When you're done the ceiling should be smoothed out with the screwheads countersunk about 3/16". Then use lightweight spackel to cover the screwholes. This lightweight spackle works great for fixing and detailing acoustical tile.
As part of my job doing commercail interior finish out I sometimes spend weeks detailing acoustical ceilings, so I have a bit of a feel for it. This should work, but I can't see your ceiling so I ain't quarinteeing nothing partner. Go for it ! It aught to work.
repair celtex tiles (long strips) what kind of staples?
Tiles are long 5 t0 6 in wide. We couldn't get the longest staples that Lowes had to go through to the wood.