Ceiling Installation Armstrong: Do It Yourself or Hire Professionals?

Figure 1 — Armstrong Ceiling Installation Diagram

Step-by-Step Armstrong Ceiling Installation: Installation Instructions

A Brief Armstrong Suspension Mineral Ceiling Installation Scheme Consists of Seven Steps.

Installing the Wall Angle

The wall angle or, as it's also called, the ceiling system corner profile should be installed on the walls around the entire perimeter of the room in the horizontal plane.

The horizontal reference line is usually set using a level or a laser construction level.

Fixing the element to the walls is done with expansion anchors, bolts or screws at intervals not exceeding 0.5 meters.

Photo 1 — Installation Process of a Suspension Ceiling

Installing Load-Bearing Rails, 3.7 Meters Long

Load-bearing rails that are 3.7 meters long must be installed at intervals of 1.2 meters. Installation is done parallel to one of the walls. Rails are mounted at an angle only when installing a diagonal ceiling.

IMPORTANT! If the length of the load-bearing rails is insufficient, each rail can easily be connected to another using special connectors.

Installing Spring Hangers

Spring hangers must be installed together with the load-bearing rails.

The fixing is done as follows: the hanger with a hook is attached to the ceiling slab using expansion anchors, bolts or screws, and the hanger with a hook is attached through a special hole in the material to the load-bearing rail of the structure.

Due to the spring clip, there is flexibility in adjusting the distance between the ceiling slab and the suspended system. This clip securely holds both hangers together.

Spring hangers must be installed at intervals not exceeding 1.2 meters from each other, with a maximum distance of 0.6 meters from the wall.

Figure 2 — Selecting and Installing Fastening Components

Installing Rails, 1.2 Meters Long

Rails that are 1.2 meters long must be installed perpendicular to the load-bearing rails of the structure, which are 3.6 meters long. The spacing for fixing the frame elements is 0.6 meters from one of the walls and also 0.6 meters between each other.

Installing Rails, 0.6 Meters Long

Rails that are 0.6 meters long must be installed perpendicular to the 1.2-meter rails. Thus, the 0.6-meter rails will be mounted parallel to the load-bearing rails of the structure that are 3.6 meters long. The spacing between elements is 1.2 meters.

Figure 3 — Hooks and Hangers for Suspension Ceiling Installation

Installing Grid Light Fixtures

Recessed light fixtures are an optional element of a suspended ceiling. Armstrong ceiling lights are fluorescent recessed fixtures that provide soft, natural daylight-like light. Ceiling lights for office Armstrong ceilings may be equipped with emergency power units (EPU) and emergency power supply blocks.

If the project and ceiling design specify the installation of grid light fixtures measuring 600x600 mm each, then mounting the lighting panels should begin after installing the 0.6-meter rails, right after completing the assembly of the mineral suspended ceiling framework.

Installing Ceiling Panels

Ceiling panels are installed last. The standard size of the panels is 600x600 mm each.

If you're unsure about the ceiling installation process or find it unlikely that you can build a framework for a suspended ceiling on your own, it's better to seek help from professionals.

Below, we will review the cost of Armstrong ceiling installation, the price of light fixture installation, and just in case, how much it costs to remove such a ceiling system.

Figure 4 — Installing Impala TBS160 Light Fixtures in Different Types of Ceilings: A – In a system with an open T-profile; B, C – In a gypsum ceiling; D, E – In a Clip-In ceiling system

$ Armstrong Ceiling: Cost of Professional Work

On average, the cost of installing a suspended ceiling is approximately $9.3 per square meter (price per m²), and the removal of an Armstrong ceiling costs about $4.7 per square meter.

The cost of installing lights in an Armstrong ceiling is about $10.9 per unit, and the removal of lights costs approximately $3.5 per unit.

If we look at the material costs for ceiling installation, when installing a suspended system with plates up to 8 mm thick, you will pay approximately $12.5 per square meter. When installing plates up to 12 mm thick, the cost increases to approximately $13.7 per square meter (excluding the installation of recessed lights).

You can calculate the cost of work including the installation of lighting fixtures by knowing the price of these fixtures.

Armstrong ceiling light fixture prices:

LED lights cost about $81 per unit (measuring 600x600 mm).

Mirror grid lights cost four times less, at $21.7 per unit.

The price of recessed lights for Armstrong ceilings, LV0-OPL/R 418 HF 4x18 W G13 with EPU and opal diffuser, is approximately $157 per unit.

So, how much does a package of «materials for ceiling and lighting + installation of ceiling and lighting» cost?

If we take into account that the labor cost for installing lamps is $10.9, and the average price of a light fixture is $81, then for 12 square meters of Armstrong ceiling with four lights, the cost will be approximately $280.

You can buy Armstrong ceiling in any major building supply store or from official trading companies that represent the brand.

Armstrong ceiling installation cost:

• In Moscow from 230 to 350 rubles per square meter;
• In Kyiv from 50 to 80 hryvnia per square meter.