Support air ducts with string or wire to prevent them from falling during ceiling grid removal. 6 Beadboard panels are an efficient, economical way to get that popular tongue-and-groove, porchy look to cover up an unattractive ceiling. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We have no plans at the moment though to take it back up to the original height. Justin and Brad removed this in sections, first remove the bolts from the ceiling and then using his Sawzall to cut through the nails attaching it to each wall. Whats people lookup in this blog: How To Remove Drop Ceiling Light Panels The living room had green and white laminate tile, (you can read all about that here) and laminate and traditional wood throughout the entire rest of the house. x 47.75 in. Pull the flex off the vent collar. Luckily Justin and Brad had both had experienced before drilling the holes for can lights so Brad brought the hole saw drill bits that we would need. Now I am not going to get too technical on the electrical instruction because well for one it’s complicated and you should definitely hire an electrician for the wiring part and two I just don’t understand it all myself. How we went about removing a kitchen drop ceiling: We started by popping out all of the kitchen drop ceiling tiles, which unleashed decades of dust and debris. Justin cut the drywall loose with his Milwaukee multi-tool which made removing the drywall and frame a little easier with less mess. It was definitely helpful to have two of us to help take down these metal light covers as they were very heavy. So at one point the kitchen ceiling was taller and was “dropped” not once but twice! One of our favorite ideas for this material is covering popcorn ceiling with beadboard. Which brings me to today’s post. How we demo’d our drop ceiling in the kitchen and removed the fluorescent lights. If you intend to reuse these tiles, store them flat to avoid breakage. x 23-3/4 in. Remove plastic panels and light bulbs from fixtures and store them in a secure place. Detach fixtures from the ceiling grid and any support wiring. Whether installing a new drop ceiling or mounting the recessed lights in an existing ceiling, you need to address the electrical requirements of the lights and the additional support that each recessed light … Twist the strap head clockwise until it snaps. The 6″ hole saw drill bit was used for the can light and the 4″ was used for the lights over the island and the sink. We are sharing this DIY project with you because we found it to be an easy and beautiful solution to an existing (and ugly) drop ceiling. Step 2 Return the panel to the opening in the ceiling then remove the next panel over from the one with the hole. We did stumble upon some “interesting” electrical work during our removal of the light that was over the sink. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Whats people lookup in this blog: How To Remove Drop Ceiling Light Panels This was a project we knew we wanted to tackle from the beginning but we knew it would be time-consuming and lots of electrical would need to be done. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Grab the head of a strap holding the inner flex liner to the vent collar with a pair of lineman's pliers. I am not sure what it was about the 80s, I mean don’t get me wrong, it was a great decade (I’m an 80’s baby!) A Simple, Quick and Easy Summer DIY Wreath, Disclosures, Disclaimers and Privacy Policy. This meant that we just needed to remove the drop frame that was built and the fluorescent lights. Remove the drop ceiling. Removal of dropped ceilings is not a difficult task, although it should be approached with the same caution as any construction project. The sections are connected by short tabs that will pull free when pushed up. Remove the old fluorescent light panel from the light housing by pushing it up and then tilting it out. Remove ceiling tiles by pushing them up from the grid, then twisting them to slide them through the opening. By far the worst part of our basement was the old, crumbling, and yellowed drop ceiling and its accompanying brown frame. But times have changed! Repair any damaged trusses. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We used work lights that plugged in to keep a light in our work space. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Get free shipping on qualified 2 x 4 Ceiling Light Panels or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Building Materials Department. Disassemble the grid by unsnapping the short sections from the longer sections. After all the drywall was removed we were left with the wood frame that had been bolted to the ceiling and nailed into each wall. If uncertain about electrical disconnection procedures, contact a licensed electrician. 2X4 FT LED Drop Ceiling Light 4000K Neutral White 50W Equl 250W, 2'x4' LED Flat Light Panel for Suspended Ceiling - 24x48 Inch LED Troffer Light Fixture 0-10V Dimmable, 100-277V, 5500LM, ETL, 4 Pack $269.99 $ 269 . Push up from the bottom side of the tile until it moves away from the grid. Pull the flex off the vent collar. Remove the ceiling tiles from the drop ceiling grid. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. $20.00 coupon applied at checkout Save $20.00 with coupon. Climb up the ladder until you can see over the drop ceiling. I was recently talking to my bestie, Ashley about this and she mentioned that her hubby had experience installing recessed lights and she offered their help to tackle this project. Lighting in a drop ceiling is often supplied by fluorescent light fixtures mounted to the rafters. We were only able to completely finish two of the lights with bulbs this day because we ended up grabbing the wrong lights for the other cans. I recommend these two products because they really cut grease. lol! See my full disclosure and privacy policy for more information. Remove the tile from drop ceiling, at the spot where the chandelier will be located. The lights were covered by plastic sheets inserted on a metal frame. Read More. Be wary of rats, squirrels or other small animals that may have taken up residence in the ceiling insulation. 98. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Grab the head of a strap holding the inner flex liner to the vent collar with a pair of lineman's pliers. Led drop ceiling lights have a lifespan of over 50,000 hours which is significant greater than fluorescent tubes. Hi! This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Looking good! When electrical lighting is part of the ceiling, additional caution and planning should be included. There were actually fluorescent lights throughout most of the house. Twist the strap head clockwise until it snaps. How to Extend Ceiling Fan Downrod Wiring for a Longer Drop, Ace Hardware: Installing Suspended Ceilings, House Improvements: How to Install a Suspended Ceiling, How to Replace New Construction Recessed Lighting With IC Rated Lighting, How to Replace a Fluorescent Light Fixture Above a Kitchen Sink, How to Disassemble a Suspended Ceiling Grid. His images and words have been featured by websites and publications such as CNN, Creative Loafing and Tampa Bay Times. Cut ceiling grid support wires. These cookies do not store any personal information. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Clear acrylic The OPTIX 47-3/4 in. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws securing the support wires to the ceiling joists. The Outdated Drop Ceiling. Turn off all circuit breakers supplying power to the ceiling light fixtures. So above is the finished look of the kitchen that night after I had cleaned and mopped. Removing Drop Ceiling Lights Shelly Lighting June 29, 2018 Remove your drop ceiling and expose diy drop ceiling replacement the home removing drywall plaster kitchen drop ceiling lighting We were lucky enough to have our friend who is an electrician guide Justin and Brad through the process. TIP: Place a large disposable tarp on the floor to catch all of the debris for an easy clean-up. The house I grew up in had green shag carpet, orange countertops and carpet in the kitchen! Cut a 1-inch round hole in the panel with a utility knife. Moveable Drop Ceiling LED Light Panels: Change flush-mount LED fixtures into repositionable, plug-in ceiling tiles.I came up with this design after replacing a t-12 florescent troffer in my kitchen with an LED fixture. Had similar lights in here, 400W of ceiling lighting with an accompanying chimney effect to let all the heat in the room out. Jeff O'Kelley is a professional photographer and writer, currently based in the Tampa, Florida area. We discovered their ceiling products and reached out to them to work together on a project. Detach the wall support track by removing screws or utilizing the pry bar to pull out nails. 99 ($72.50/Count) Install A Plank Ceiling Accessing drop ceiling neon lights you how to replace drop ceiling u shaped fluorescent office lights diy drop ceiling replacement the blog panel filter installation parabolic you. The nice thing about this drop ceiling was that originally the entire kitchen was covered in drywall and this drop ceiling was added onto that. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1. Drop a plumb bob down from the nearest ceiling joist. This is where Ashley and I came in and started to help clean up the space as best as possible so they could start working on electrical. Clear acrylic light panel offers a commercial-grade clear replacement ceiling panel that is easy to install and resists yellowing. LEONLITE 1x4 ft LED Flush Mount Panel Light, Dimmable Drop Ceiling Light, 40W Flat Surface Mount Light Fixture, 5000K Daylight for Kitchen Garage Lights, Ultra Slim Edge-lit, Pack of 2. Of course, you can tell this was before we took our trip to Home Depot. They were an affordable lighting solution back in the day. Use a sturdy step ladder to reach the fluorescent light panels. They agreed to partner with us – providing ceiling tiles and grid covers in exchange for a blog post. The nice thing about this is that this “drop” was added after the rest of the ceiling so there would be minimal drywall repair at the end. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Pull the tabs on the frame of the light panel down to unlock it. Be prepared for a lot of dust! Discard the wire. Acoustical ceiling tiles can retain odors from cigarette smoke, mold or food. Compare wood and vinyl options and choose the one that best suits your budget and DIY aspirations. These 2x2 led drop ceiling lights are very durable and UL, DLC, CE, and ROHS approved. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. How To Remove Dated Drop Ceiling Tiles 03.07.2018 It’s fairly often that I have an idea for a blog post—usually something to do with a project that we’re working on around the house or some kind of organization hack—that I think could be of interest to you guys, but then I worry that the photos won’t be “pretty” enough. Your email address will not be published. After the lights were removed the next step was to remove the frame that created the drop ceiling. The kitchen ceiling was over 10″ lower than the rest of the first floor and the drop ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights were making me sad. I will be sharing in another post all the finishing details of the new lights installed over the island and sink and show the updated space with drywall patched, textured and painted! Our first step was to remove the lighting. And in the kitchen a drop ceiling with fluorescent lights. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Slide the light into place over … We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Installing recessed lights has become a popular lighting option for rooms with a drop ceiling. It was plugged into an outlet that was near the ceiling, we never used this light so it wasn’t a big deal to us but the electrical was definitely a little skeptical. Projects such as finishing a basement, enclosing a garage or converting an attic are typical projects that use dropped ceilings. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. I am still finding dust in spots even though I wiped down and mopped! Similar problem with our kitchen, drop ceiling added for lighting and we so need to remove it. 99 Remove the Drop Ceiling Lift up a tile and tilt it slightly to lower it from the drop ceiling grid. Learn how your comment data is processed. nice work! It is so interesting what you find when tearing things out! That's useful in a basement remodeling job, where you may want access to wiring or plumbing above the ceiling. Fill the bathtub with warm water until it is completely covering them and then add a generous amount of Original Dawn Dish Soap or Dr Bronners Sal Suds. This is where Ashley and I came in and started to help clean up the space as best as possible so they could start working on electrical. 23.75 in. but the home decor and design ideas from that decade were interesting, to say the least. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Secure the supply lines out of the way. Let it soak for a minimum of 5-10 minutes. Old tiles may break apart as you are taking them down. Video of the Day Measure the distance of the plumb bob line from the panels on either side of the removed panel. Take a scrub brush to each individual panel. Thanks Tania! Wearing a mask, work gloves and safety glasses, use pry bar to remove drop ceiling tiles. 2x4 LED Drop Ceiling Light Fixture Dimmable 3000K-4000K-5000K 3 Colors Selectable - 50W 24x48 Inch LED Backlit Flat Panel Light - 2x4 Foot LED Lay in Light, Super Bright 5500LM,100-277V, 4 Pack $289.99 $ 289 . They are favored because they are … Now our farmhouse hasn’t been updated since the 80s. Easiest way to deal with it, if you have any kind of crawl space in the ceiling, is to go up there, pull back the two spring-loaded flaps, and let them drop … Twist the tile at an angle to the side of the grid and slide it down out of the grid. We went back to Home Depot the next day to get the correct ones. These LED ceiling panels have state-of-the-art and adjustable LED … Disconnect fixtures from the main power supply and cap exposed supply lines with wire nuts. x 23-3/4 in. so down those came. The panels slip out by pushing up on one end of a panel and grabbing the side to remove it through the grid. Old panels are brittle and may be sharp on the edges, so take care when handling them. It has a prismatic surface that helps diffuse the light from fluorescent bulbs. So we set the date and got to work. Clear Acrylic Prismatic Light Panels (20-Piece Per Case) The OPTIX 47-3/4 in. $189.98 $ 189. O'Kelley holds associate degrees in telecommunications and website design from St. Petersburg College. Remove them to a storage area. Another interesting fact about this house is that the kitchen ceiling is actually about 18″ below the attic space. These odors can follow the tiles if reused. How to Remove a Ceiling Tile. I'm Amy, a wife, mom, and simple country girl who enjoys DIY, crafting, gardening and thrifting and teaching others how to DIY decor on a budget! Carefully brush the opening lightly with a cloth to remove any loose particles. Drop ceilings are relatively easy to install and allow access to the rafters above. Renovations, DIY Decor and the Simple Country Life. My house is a 1960’s ranch and I found some interesting things in my kitchen when I was replacing the light fixtures! I installed the new fixture in the same location as the florescents (i… Oh my! While we were adding the can lights to the kitchen we decided to add lights in the hall that leads to the garage as it is always very dark. Most importantly make sure  your breaker is shut off. Although dropped ceilings are more commonly found in commercial spaces, they are sometimes used in residential construction or remodeling. Beadboard Panels. The lights came next. Install A Plank Ceiling Accessing drop ceiling neon lights you how to replace drop ceiling u shaped fluorescent office lights diy drop ceiling replacement the blog panel filter installation parabolic you. Transfer the dimensions onto the removed panel. And it was very helpful to close off all the other spaces so that that dust and debris stayed in one place. Suspended ceilings, often called "drop ceilings," are a very common ceiling finish in basements and office spaces. Use a drill with a screwdriver bit to remove the screws holding the metal grid in place. Fluorescent light fixtures can be extremely dangerous and should be handled with caution. Enter the Aria Suspended Grid Panel Ceiling Tile to replace our old, outdated drop ceiling. Cut out the hole using a utility knife or a keyhole saw. It’s always interesting what you find as far as electrical in an old house! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, this means that if you click on a link and end up making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I feel like I live in that place sometimes, anyone else!!?? LED Panel Light,2x4 FT,4 Pack,0-10V Dimmable,7800 Lumens,5000K Daylight White Color, Drop Ceiling Flat LED Light Panel,Recessed Edge-Lit Troffer Fixture 4.2 out of 5 stars 130 $299.99 $ 299 . Confirm with a noncontact circuit tester. Justin and Brad removed this in sections, first remove the bolts from the ceiling and then using his Sawzall to cut through the nails attaching it to each wall. Gloves will help prevent discomfort associated with handling fiberglass insulation. 99