suspended ceilings

[Dave]

Just got off the phone talking to our son and he wants to remove a suspended ceiling and put up a replacement one that will accommodate the spotlights that he wants to fit. To do this, he is proposing to secure a piece of wood to the wall and then fasten pieces of wood at 90 degrees to them, to create a new framework to fasten plasterboard to. How big should the cross pieces be?

He reckons that when he removes his old suspended ceiling, he will encounter artex on the original ceiling. Now I know nothing about suspended ceilings, other than you can hide lights behind them. What are his options?

Dave

[Phil L]

What's holding the existing suspended ceiling up now?

If it's metal struts and fibre tiles, he can paint the struts and purchase new tiles, or if he wants a new ceiling altogether, he can use 3X2 scant, both for the wall plates and for the joists, depending on the size of the ceiling....if it's over 7ft, he may need 4X2's to prevent sagging, although he may get away with the former if he puts stays near the middle (pieces of timber affixed to the upper ceiling and affixed to the new joists, to prevent sag.) He can use joisthangers along each edge to make things simpler.

[George]

Screw plasterboard over existing ceiling ie the Artex one.

[Dave]

Trouble is, he wants to have spotlight in the ceiling and this will result in the room above having to have the flooring ripped up (it's laminate). I know, who in their right mind would put that in a bedroom, but he is modernizing the house room by room and the kitchen will be the first, as it will also be the longest and hardest.

Regards

Dave

[Dave]

I forgot to thank the other poster that answered my question, your comments were cut and pasted into an e mail for him.

Dave

[George]

No he doesn't have to rip up the flooring. Cut channels/holes in the artexed ceiling and position and pin the wiring in the places where the spots will be,then plasterboard over the ceiling

[Pete Verdon]

Hey, I have laminate in my bedroom :-)

It was put in by the previous owners and there's a bit of a niggle about difficulties if I ever need to get at pipework etc, but as a surface to live with I quite like it. Big furry rugs are the key :-)

Pete