# Ceiling Frame Design



## phogan2004 (Jan 23, 2009)

Hey guys,

The master bathroom in the house I'm renovating has an ugly drop tile ceiling that I want to replace with moisture-resistant drywall. The bathroom in question is directly underneath the second-floor bathroom, which apparently has been altered from its original set-up at some point. The second floor plumbing extends down below the floor joists, which means I can't screw my drywall directly into the joists. This is why the previous owner chose to install drop tiles.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to build a ceiling frame that will support the drywall ceiling in the first floor bathroom. Will a frame built from 2X4s and tied into the room's walls support the ceiling drywall?

Any help you can provide will be much appreciated!


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## travelover (Jan 23, 2009)

2x4s on 16" centers would be plenty strong. When I replaced my basement dropped ceiling with 3/8" drywall, I used 2x2 frames around the duct work and it has been great for 10 years, now. Take photos before you close it all up, though. In the future if you have any leaks from above, it will be nice to know where everything is located.


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## phogan2004 (Jan 26, 2009)

Thanks for the tip. The 2X4s worked out really well. I built a skirt around the exterior of the room and ran crossbeams across directly under the floor joists. Definitely strong enough to support drywall...


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