BOTA:77

I recently purchased an older house (80+ years old) and the sellers had added drop ceilings to some of the rooms to "update" it.

I have noticed that my drop ceiling in my bedroom "creaks" (for lack of better terms) when there is any wind outside or if I push on the walls within the room. Im guessing that the framework is shifting and moving the tiles. This can make for a difficult night of "sleep" on days/nights with any wind.

I have taken a few of the tiles off and have not noticed any drafts coming in through the existing ceiling above the drop ceiling. This room also happens to be on a corner of the house if that is of any help.

As silly as it may sound I am to the point where I want to take some silicon caulk and go over all of the joints within the framework to try and "stiffen" them up.

Is there anything that can be done other then putting up new sheetrock? Or could this possibly be a structural issue within the house?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-Mike

Square Eye

Check the ends of the grid rails. If they are cut too short, the problem may be there. Try cutting small blocks to jam the ends to the walls.

Also, there are clips available to keep the tiles tight to the grid. Very often the tiles will float upward a bit when the doors are opened or the HVAC kicks on.

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glennjanie

Welcome BOTA:
Another thing that will help stabilize the tiles and save your heat and A/C at the same time is to use 2' X 4' bats of insulation on top of them, just lay one on each tile and put it back in place. The insulation can be 3" or 6" thick and either one will make a difference in your energy bill.
Glenn