suspended ceiling and ceramic tile floor links please

[bent]

can anyone point me to good sites to about these (2) topics. I have to start the ceiling next in the order of my own personal basement reno. I am willing to go to heroic measures. Probly need to. I can already think of some specific questions such as:

Joists and ceiling tiles: CGC pamphlet recommend 3" clearance above all obstructions such as pipes and ducts (1-1/2" with flexible panels such as fibreglass): How serious is this. I defineletely don't want to do this. I've got a 1/2" Cu pipe line (styro tube insulated) that runs 15'. but theres another 2" above it. If it were up to me I'd set up my grid to put the panels within 1/2' of these and continue. Whats up? If there IS such a big difference between std. panels and flexible, there is only one flex option at my local BORGs (ugly if you ask me), white plastic paper over yellow fibre avail. Are there more than one option for this type if I look around elsewhere? The EXTRA 1-1/2" is, IS, a need I have.

Concrete floor and ceramic tiles: on my orig bare concrete basement pour there are some areas less than perfectly contiguous wrt obtaining an even thickness for thinset. How do I know if I need a leveller (what the heck is that), or if I need to mix up some concrete first to level, or how thick I can fill in these areas with the thinset I will use to stick the tiles down. Is there a problem, or better choice, to walking in with the interntion of buying the 79/99 cent/sf tile wrt the above or other consideration?

[Mike Berger]

[bf]

Do a google on "John Bridge Forums" for Tile info.

[bent]

what gives. Are you giving me the business?

[Prometheus]

I don't know, I just put them as close as they'll easily go. If the pipe below springs a leak, it might wreck a panel or two, but they're easy to replace. Just leave enough room to get them in and out, and buy some extras to keep in the shed.

It's going to be cold. Really cold. It's cheaper to put them right on the cement and lay them in a bed of mortar, but for the sake of your feet (even if you're always wearing shoes) it's worth the investment to put dri-core (chipboard with a molded plastic sheet on the bottom) down first. It's easy to lay, and makes the whole thing a lot more pleasant.

Don't expect the mastic or thinset to fill in anything at all. If you do, you're going to find out you've got a lot of cracked tiles very quickly. It's worth your while to make the floor flat first.

[bent]

So in a room thats 6'6" barely up to the joists I SHOULD go with first impressions. That is, to lay out so that the panel will just slide in under the pipe insul, allowing for the T-bar, and little else. The issue is confused further by their statement of not only 3" clearance, but that there is a a finite1-1/2" if I did use the flexible fibreglass panels. Maybe the phamphlet is not giving minimum requirements, but general helpful advice?

What does that flooring stuff cost wrt the cost of the cheap tiles themselves? Is it gonna lose me 3/4". It has never been anything but dirty concrete floor in the past. Is 79/99 cent tile more likely to break, or scuff than tiles that are a little more expensive?

[Prometheus]

I doubt it'll take 3/4". I've used the cheap tiles, and they're fine- it's just that any 12" tile will break if it isn't fully supported by the subfloor. Seeing how little room you have to work with, have you considered using the vinyl composition tiles? They're not as pretty as the ceramic, but they're not as touchy, thinner, and less expensive (17-40 cents apiece.) Or you could wash it good and paint it with that epoxy garage paint. All depends on what you're doing with it, but a basement usually doesn't need anything too fancy.