Interlocking ceiling tiles
Sonny
this type of ceiling and don't have a clue as to what is involved ?
Tia
--
Sonny Davis
Certified Wire & Cabling
Lizard Blizzard
> Anyone dealt with interlocking ceiling tiles. I have to cable an office with
> this type of ceiling and don't have a clue as to what is involved ?
> Tia
Most of the interlocking ceiling tiles that I've seen are the ones that
are held on with mastic, and both tile and mastic have asbestos in them.
Charlie Capstick
> Anyone dealt with interlocking ceiling tiles. I have to cable an office
with
> this type of ceiling and don't have a clue as to what is involved ?
This sounds like the old 12" X 12" acoustic tiles
that were tongue and groove interlocked.
They were usually glued to a drywall ceiling.
I doubt that this would be easy, unless you can
cut holes in the drywall to fish a string across
the ceiling.
Charlie
Jim Rojas
but with white tabs on the side of them. Also look at the edge tiles. They
usually lift up pretty easily for replacement and general access. Look
inside closets for access hatches.
Jim Rojas
"Lizard Blizzard" <nos...@rsccd.org> wrote in message
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The Old Bear
Sonny:
What you're probably encountering is a "concealed grid ceiling" which is
held together by a metal tee which fits into a groove in the edge of the
tiles on one side and a metal spline (thin metal strip slightly shorter
than the edge of a single tile) between tiles.
I am assuming that this is a suspended ceiling with an accessible plenum
above and not a ceiling consisting of tile glued onto drywall or glued to
the structural concrete slab of the floor above.
The concealed grid ceiling is put together something like those little
toy grid puzzles where you have to slide the pieces around to get the nine
squares to make a pattern. When they are intalled, the installer starts
at one end and moves along with each tile being supported in part by the
grid and in part by the spline (or, less commonly, by a tongue-and-groove
arrangement) into the adjacent tile.
The following two articles from the trade journal "Cabling Installation
and Maintenance" will give you some feel for how you can approach this.
Once you become adept enough to get a tile free without breaking it, you
will find that it's not too difficult.
In replacing tiles, you have to hold them in place with pins, paperclips,
or small finishing nails pushed in on the diagonal to "toe-nail" them to
the adjacent tile. Electricians frequently leave one or more of these
pins or nails protruding slightly so that others can find these access
points in the future. Some folks put a bead of silicon adhesive on the
edge of the replaced tile to make sure it can't work free and fall out
in the future.
If there is a building engineer or maintenance person on premises, ask
for advice. He probably knows how the specific system fits together
and also where tiles were previously removed for easier access.
-------------------------- begin included text --------------------------
Cabling Installation & Maintenance
August 1997
Gaining access above a lock-tile ceiling
----------------------------------------
Michael Kabala,
LTS Inc.
Problem
Installing communications cabling above lock-tile ceilings can lead to
the problem of gaining access to the area above the ceiling and then
replacing the ceiling tile. In some cases, the ceiling has been
painted, making it difficult to remove the original access panels.
Also, the position of the spline rail can limit access to the wall
backing the termination field or the end-user device.
Solution
To remove the tiles neatly and replace them securely, first determine
that there is a cable pathway above the ceiling and that the tiles are
not glued in place. Gain access by carefully removing the ceiling
tiles, using these common handtools: utility knife, slotted screwdriver,
diagonal cutters, and three jumbo, non-skid paper clips.
Procedure
Removing the tile
1) Locate the tiles you intend to remove using these criteria:
convenient pulling points, location of termination fields, and
positions of end-user devices. Score the edges of the tiles on
all four sides with a utility knife.
2) Determine the side that locks into the rail and leave it in
place.
3) Insert a long, slotted screwdriver into the score lines along
the three other sides.
4) Carefully break the seal of the access tile and pry it down,
using the screwdriver as a lever every two to four inches on all
three unlocked sides. The tile should now drop out.
Replacing the tile
5) Straighten and cut in half three jumbo, non-skid paper clips.
6) Insert the access tile with the intact slot fitting into the
spline rail, pushing it up into place.
7) Insert the pieces of paper clip at a 5-degree to 10-degree angle
from the ceiling's horizontal plane and into the three adjoining
tiles at two- to four-inch intervals. The paper clips will hold
better if inserted at an angle. This is accomplished by taking one
end of the paper clip with needle-nosed pliers and pushing it
through the edge of the cut access tile and into the surrounding
tiles at the specified increment. The paper clip will now function
as a peg, supporting the static load of the tile.
Mark these specially prepared access panels for future entry by
surrounding the access tile with colored thumbtacks or another form of
identification. Be careful not to damage the tiles and rails
surrounding the access tile. Also, make sure to inform the building
owner of this procedure and the locations of all access tiles.
When establishing the penetration points for the paper clips, be sure
that the side of the access tile that locks into the spline rail
remains in place. When inserting the paper clips, hold them with
needle-nosed pliers while pushing them through the edges of the access
tile and into the adjoining tiles. Inserted at a 5-degree to 10-degree
angle, the paper clips serve as pegs, which secure and support the
access tile in place.
----
Michael Kabala is the account manager for LTS Inc. (North Chelmsford, MA).
Cabling Installation & Maintenance
March 1999
Silicone and clips help secure final ceiling tile
-------------------------------------------------
Drue R. Best III,
Matrix Integration llc
Problem
Some older buildings still have 1-square-foot acoustic ceiling tiles
that are held in place with a flat metal spline between adjoining
tiles. It is fairly easy to remove a group of these tiles every 15 to
20 feet to gain access to the ceiling space above to route cabling.
The challenge comes, how-ever, in replacing the last tile in a group.
You can easily replace all the other tiles in the group with the metal
spline, but the last one is always difficult.
Solution
Once you have secured all other tiles with the flat spline, you can
secure the last one or two using a tube of silicone and either paper
clips or straight pins.
Procedure
1) When you're ready to replace the ceiling tiles, make sure you have
with you a tube of white or clear silicone and either some small metal
paper clips or straight pins, such as those used in sewing and
alterations of clothing.
2) Replace as many of the tiles as you can using the metal spline.
3) Carefully place a 1/4-inch bead of silicone around the edges of the
remaining tile(s).
4) Lift the tile into place, ensuring it is flush with the adjacent
tiles. The bead of silicone should contact all edges of the adjoining
tiles.
5) Secure the tile with small paper clips or straight pins. You
probably won't need any more than four. After straightening the paper
clips, carefully push them through the edges of the last tile into the
edges of the adjoining tiles.
6) Check to ensure that the weight of the tile does not cause it to
sag. If it does, adjust the clips or pins and install additional clips
or pins for support, if necessary.
7) If you use straight pins, push them into the tile until they are
flush with the tile surface and leave them permanently in place. If you
use paper clips, remove them once the silicone has cured.
Take care to ensure you do not apply too much silicone to the tile's
edges. If using straight pins, push them all the way into the tile
until they are flush with its surface.
----
Drue R. Best III, registered communications distribution designer (rcdd),
is a consultant for the structured cabling division of Matrix Integration
llc (Jasper, IN), a full-service telecommunications and network-integration
firm.
Austin Meadows
usually at least one or two that are the last tiles installed. These do not
have all the tongue and groove on them and not secured in like the others. If
that can not be found take a razor knife and score on the joint of the tile
until it is removable. Here in Eastern PA most of those style ceiling tiles
were attached to a 2x4 frames with staples.
Its do-able, but a pain in the dupa (as the Pennsylvania Dutch say).
Austin
jsk...@hotmail.com
doors for next time...
"The Old Bear" <old...@arctos.com> wrote in message
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Robert L Bass
lap joints with a very sharp "Exacto" knife. After fishing the wires across,
you can usually get the tiles back very nicely with carpenter's glue and a
few carefully placed wire brads.
Tack the brads in place at a 45º angle so they hold the tile in place while
the glue dries. To get the brads flush with the tile surface without marring
the tile, hold the flat side of a large screwdriver against the head of the
brad and tap the shank with your hammer.
Another possibility which may avoid removing the tiles entirely is to remove
the trim molding from the top of the wall. Sometimes you can drill just
enough of a hole to fish a snake in the narrow space that the trim will
cover.
Regards,
Robert L Bass
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