Say Goodbye to Messy Popcorn Ceilings: DIY Guide to Covering with Glue-Up Ceiling Tiles

now this is a popcorn ceiling very popular from the 1950s onward not so much today now if you've got one of these you really have two choices you can take it off really a messy job or cover it up and how are we going to cover it up by using these decorative ceiling tiles made of polystyrene they're very thin and extremely lightweight i began this project by going online to decorative ceiling tile there i found it easy to browse a wide range of styles patterns and colors after a fair amount of looking i settled on this pattern which is classic yet simple then placed my order a few days later the ceiling tiles arrived ready to be installed before beginning though it's necessary to remove a couple of things from the ceiling starting with this lamp fixture i'll do that by shutting off the power of the circuit breaker removing the canopy disconnecting the wiring and detaching the mounting bracket i'll also need to take down the ceiling vent register for this installation we'll be starting at the center of the room and working outward toward the walls in order to find that center starting point we first measure the length of each wall then find and mark the center point next drive in a small nail at those center points loop the end of a chalk line over the nail stretch it to the opposite wall wrap it around the nail there and snap the chalk line repeat this process on the remaining two walls the point where these two lines intersect is the center of the ceiling this is the beginning point for the ceiling layout we'll be using this instant grab adhesive to mount the tiles to the ceiling begin by cutting off the end of the cartridge screw on the dispensing nozzle and cut off the tip load the cartridge into a standard caulking gun and squeeze the trigger until the adhesive begins to flow from the end apply the adhesive to the back of the tile in quarter-sized dollops spaced about six inches apart popcorn ceilings typically have a rough texture when the tile is pressed in place the adhesive dollops will flatten filling the surface irregularities and providing a secure bond press the tile upward keeping your hands as flat as possible to avoid denting the tile with your fingertips the corner of the first tile should be on top of the cross mark and the edges aligned with the chalk lines while it is possible to do this project alone i prefer to do it with two people one applying the adhesive and the other setting the tiles in place for one thing this eliminates a lot of climbing up and down the ladder the adhesive grabs and holds the tile immediately however it also allows the tile to be slid sideways for precise positioning i find that a two-person team also makes it possible to develop a sort of rhythm allowing the job to go smoothly and faster place ceiling tiles right on top of light boxes then use a utility knife with a fresh blade to cut the opening the edge of the box will act as a template the same holds true when cutting openings for ceiling vents place the tile first then cut using the edge of the opening as a guide as soon as we finish putting up the full tiles it'll be time to take care of the border the space between the edge of the last full tile and the wall this means we'll be cutting tiles for this i like to use a cushioned cutting surface like this piece of fiberboard the utility knife will cut into this softer material keeping the blade sharper much longer for the edge or border tiles measure the distance from the last full tile to the wall measure in two places there could be a slight difference transfer those measurements to a full tile and mark both locations using a sharp utility knife place a straight edge on the marks and cut through the tile using a long even stroke apply adhesive to the back using the same size dollops and spacing as with the full tiles when placing the border tiles in position make sure the cut edge is against the wall with all of the ceiling tiles up it's time to caulk the joints the seams should already be close fitting the idea here is to conceal any minor gaps or misalignments for this we'll use a water-based latex painter's caulk cut about one half inch off the end of the tapered nozzle this should leave an eighth inch opening at the nozzle end swing out the piercing tool on the caulk gun insert it in the opening and pierce the seal at the base of the nozzle load the cartridge and pull the trigger a few times the eighth inch opening will make a rather narrow bead just wide enough to bridge the joint without putting down excess caulk that would need to be cleaned up apply the material in about two foot sections then smooth the bead using your finger any excess can be removed with a damp cloth now i could let the ceiling tile go right up to the wall and finish there that would give me a nice clean look but instead i'm going to add another detail by using this crown molding to go in something like this a power miter saw is the quickest way to cut the miters on the ends of the molding set the saw angle at 45 degrees and put the crown molding onto the bed upside down at the same angle it will be when positioned against the wall and ceiling then make the cut apply adhesive to the back of the molding putting a bead near the top and bottom edge also apply adhesive to the cut end set the molding in position join the mitered ends and smooth off any adhesive that squeezes out of the joint if you don't have access to a miter saw you can purchase these pre-cut corners apply adhesive to the back and mitered ends then press the two sections into place now any straight piece of molding can be connected with a butt joint straight cuts can easily be made using a sharp utility knife and a square with the ceiling and molding finished all that's left is to reinstall the light fixture and replace the vent grill because of their coarse texture and gravelly surface popcorn ceilings can be challenging to deal with decorative ceiling tiles like these not only conceal an outmoded look they also add a whole new dimension what a difference from a dated popcorn ceiling to a dramatic improvement that would enhance any room

Channel: Decorative Ceiling Tiles. Inc

Views: 1,939,085

Keywords: cover popcorn ceiling, styrofoam ceiling tiles, Popcorn Removal Alternative, Cover Popcorn Ceilings, Glue-Up Ceiling Tiles, DIY Ceiling Transformation, Easy Home Improvement, Stylish Ceiling Upgrade, Popcorn Ceiling Makeover, Ceiling Tile Installation

Id: A12bymg1w_k

Length: 7min 57sec (477 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 10 2020