DIY Acoustic Suspended Ceiling

Extend the measuring tape along the walls where you want to hang the suspended ceiling to determine the length and width of the room. Multiply the two measurements to determine its area. Suspended ceilings are typically hung 6 inches below the ceiling joists.

Mark the walls with a straight pencil line at the height where you want the dropped ceiling to hang. Use a level when forming the horizontal lines to ensure they are straight. These lines form the guidelines that keep the ceiling level.

Position the molding brackets against the wall and secure these in place using nails. Ensure the top of the brackets rests on the horizontal pencil lines. These trim pieces hold the acoustic tiles in place. Mark the locations of studs on the wall using a stud finder beforehand, so you affix the brackets to these supports. For longer walls, butt the ends of two strips of molding brackets to cover the span.

Screw an eyebolt into every third ceiling joist, 4 feet apart to support the runners. Run a length of wire through each eyebolt approximately 12 inches longer than the planned drop for the ceiling. Turn the end of the wire up level with the brackets.

Install the main runners into the lips of the molding brackets, perpendicular to the ceiling joists above. Space the runners 4 feet apart. The vertical sections of these runners that point toward the ceiling have holes to secure the suspension wires.

Thread a the metal wire through each eyebolt and tie its other end to the hole in the main runner. The wire must be tied off so the bottom of the main runner is level with the wall bracket, use the bend made in Step 4 as an indicator. This ensures the weight of the suspended ceiling remains off the brackets.

Insert cross tees or runners every 2 feet between the main runners. Insert the hook at each end of the cross tee into the holes in the main runners.

Slide an acoustic tile between the ceiling and suspended frame before inserting it onto the tee runners. Repeat this process to insert the remaining tiles in the frame.