Ceiling Fan and Chandelier Mounting in Drop Ceiling

I'm finishing my basement and will have to put in a drop ceiling - the one with metal strips and drop in tiles - to allow for the heating ductwork and plumbing above it.

I need to know how to mount a chandelier and ceiling fans so that they don't damage the ceiling. I would think that if I mount directly to the floor joists, any movement, particularly from the fans, would damage the tile that it passes through.

Later, Mike (substitute strickland in the obvious location to reply directly)

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Reply to
Michael Strickland
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Jeez....that's some basement! How high is the ceiling??? Or, are you trying to decapitate the family and start a new life?

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Reply to
Doug Kanter

There are brackets made for suspending fans in the middle of tiles. Caddy comes to mind. The bracket attaches to the grid and is attached to a support members.

Fans are usually not hung below 7'6" including the lights.

Check the weight of the fixtures I remember that these brackets are only good for about 50 pounds.

Reply to
SQLit

Thanks, I'll look for them when I get to shopping for the ceiling. Still working on the walls at present, but wanted to gather info about the ceiling before I get to that point - never put a hung ceiling in before.

I think I'll be able to squeeze em in. Dunno exactly how much I'll have to drop as I haven't measured all points yet, but I figure that the ceiling will be 8 ft or a little higher.

Later, Mike (substitute strickland in the obvious location to reply directly)

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Reply to
Michael Strickland

I planned ahead when I built and have 10' between the bottom of the floor joists and the floor. I'm pretty sure I can get the ceiling to be a little over 8 ft (would like 8 1/2 so it isn't so different from the 9 ft ones upstairs), but haven't measured all points yet so I dunno exactly - I'm still working on the walls at present.

Later, Mike (substitute strickland in the obvious location to reply directly)

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Reply to
Michael Strickland

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Reply to
Doug Kanter

Imagine this idea. Instead of mounting the fan housing at the level of the ceiling tiles, mount it to a braced box (made for the purpose) at the level of the floor joists. Same kind of box you'd use in a normal installation. Try and choose the location so the center of the fan is where the center of a ceiling tile would be. But, there won't be a tile. You'll carve up some tiles to make a box - 4 tile walls going upward from the supporting track in which the tiles would normally lie flat. At the top of the box, you'll install a tile horizontally over the electrical box, just as if the tile were a normal ceiling. The "bell" of the fan housing will hold the tile in place. If the tiles have the same color on their edges as they do on their face, they should look good where the verticals sit in the tracks. If not, some painting effort should do the trick.

This plan would gain you a foot, or whatever is the distance between your joists and your tiles. And, if you're installing a GOOD ceiling fan, like a Casablanca, there'll be no shimmy in the unit to make the box shake noisily. And, the box won't look bad. Plenty of large meeting rooms mount tiles in a ripple effect for noise control, or to go around obstructions.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

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