How to Replace Old Drop Ceilings

Set up a ladder underneath the ceiling grid. Reach up and place both hands on a ceiling tile's surface. Push the tile off the grid and tilt it slightly. Lower the tile through the grid opening. Repeat with the remaining ceiling tiles. Measure the opening along the grid opening's edges and write this measurement down on a piece of paper for future reference.

Pull the short cross tees out of the main tees. Use pliers to untwist the hanger wire from around the main tees and hanger hooks. Leave the hooks in place. Slide the main tees off of the trim tees. Inspect the trim tees. Since these tees run around the room's perimeter, chances are they have sustained no damage over the years and you can reuse them. However, if they do appear damaged, insert a pry bar between the trim tee and the wall and pull it free.

Measure down at least 4 inches from the ceiling joists. Aim a laser level at this measurement mark so it sends out a level line around the room. Run a stud finder along this line to locate the studs on all four walls. Lift the trim tees up to the wall and line up their bottom edge with the laser line. Hammer nails through the tees and into the wall studs. Overlap the trim tees at inside corners and cut the trim tees ends to a 45-degree angle with a tin sips at outside corners.

Cut hanger wires approximately 6 inches longer than your suspended ceiling's drop. Insert 3 inches of a wire through a hanger hook's eye. Bend the wire down and twist it around itself three times. Repeat with the remaining wires and hanger hooks.

Aim a laser level across the room at the height at which the suspended ceiling will be. Measure the room's width and transfer this to a main tee. Cut the main tee with a tin snips. If the room's width is larger than the main tee, connect two main tees together with the tabs on their ends.

Lift the main tee up and rest its ends on the trim tee. Line it up underneath the hanger hooks. Insert each hanger wire through the main tee's circular holes near the top edge. Bend the wire where the laser level intersects it and wrap it around itself three times. Work your way across the room, installing one main tee under each row of hanger wires.

Insert cross tees between the main tees. The cross tees are placed either every 2 feet or every 4 feet, depending on the size of tile you are using. Push the cross tees' tabs into the main tees' slots. Around the room's perimeter, measure the space between the main tee and the trim tee's inner corner. Cut the cross tee to this length. Push the tab end into the main tee's slot and rest the cut end on the trim tee.

Tilt a ceiling tile and lift it above the ceiling grid, through the opening in which you are installing it. Straighten the tile out and lower it onto the grid. Repeat with the remaining full-size tiles.

Measure a perimeter grid opening and transfer this measurement to a ceiling tile. Hold a straightedge, such as an extra cross tee, over the tile where it will be cut. Cut through the tile, along the straightedge, with a utility knife. Lift the cut tile into the appropriate perimeter grid opening. Repeat with the remaining perimeter grid openings.