Ceiling tiles- interlocking

[ForestGump]

Has anyone had any experience with the old 12"x12" interlocking ceiling tiles? I have asked a few techs, but have always come up short. I have struggled with tiles many a time, but have always screwed them up when reinstalling them. Would like to know how to properly disassemble and reassemble the tiles without making a career out of it
Thanks

 

[LkEErie]

Expect a career and find a space where someone else has been

Spline ceilings are a PITA, and the only way to approach them is with a very long and sharp razor knife. The trick is to cut the spine in a hidden place and clip it back. That works about 25% of the time and you end up with a sagging tile. Just take a took at every spline ceiling you see that has been re-entered and you'll get the picture.

Fortunately, I remember my last one where the architect specified "like and kind" and the general actually ordered the same ceiling in 1990!

LkEErie

 

[Lundah]

Stop by a craft or sewing supply store, and buy a box of stick pins. Bust out a tile in the least visible area of the room, and start disassembling from there. When done, put them all back, and use the pins to piece together the tile you broke to get started. If you look closely, you may find one that was previously sacrificed the last time someone had to dig around in the ceiling.

Oh, and pray the tiles don't contain asbestos.

 

[worldwidedialtone]

one way to cheat is using a shap utility knife to open one or two tiles. At this point you can remove and replace rest as needed. 26" X 14" luan type plywood and some liguid nail for the 2 you cut out then once dry lay them back in place as the luan is your spacer/lip of tile.

MIKE

 

[wires]

I have only had to get into one of those one time to access an old style telephone fuse block. It was visible from the unfinished part of the basement but was about 15' away and was unreachable. I poked a coat hangerup through the holes in the tiles until I located the tile that had to come out. Four cuts with a utility knife and some careful prying with some credit cards and the tile came out.

There was no drywall so I reached in and bypassed the old fuses since there was a new style demarc on the exterior of the house.

To put the tile back I put two pieces of 1x4 that were longer than the tile on top of the remaining tiles and secured the one I removed with 4 screws.

 

[IanPatrick]

This brings back memories!

I used to hate gaining access into these types of ceilings.

Usually there will be a key tile somewhere, but typically not where you need it, so you end up sliding and moving tiles around like one of those childrens games!

The key tiles have two small sliders (which are quite difficult to spot), and allows you to get into the ceiling. Once in, if you're lucky and can reach! you can cut the top edges from three sides of a tile you need to remove. This tile can then be dropped out. Having one side is still intact makes it easier to replace when you're finished with a couple of small self tapping screws, and you haven't destroyed the face of the tile.



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