Installing Ceilings: How do you install the battens?

[andreascarlsson]

Like so many others, I plan to lower the ceiling in one of the rooms, install spotlights, and achieve a nicer ceiling.

Question: If the ceiling is fairly straight today, should one attach 45x70 wooden battens directly to the existing ceiling and then mount the plasterboard onto that, or should one instead install a ceiling with steel studs attached to the wall?

The room in question is 4.4 x 4.4 meters. The house is made of wood and was built sometime in the mid-1900s.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Videonisse]

How much do you want/need to lower?

I have personally done both versions and today I would almost always choose steel studs over wooden studs. Either with regular primary & secondary studs or with the Norgips/Kauf Flex system.

http://www.norgips.se/flex

 

[hul]

Like so many others, I'm going to lower the ceiling in one of the rooms and install spotlights for a nicer ceiling.

Question: If the ceiling is fairly straight today, should one place 45x70 wood battens directly on the existing ceiling, and then mount the plasterboard on that, or should one instead install a ceiling with metal studs attached to the wall?

The room in question is 4.4 x 4.4 meters. The house is built of wood sometime in the mid-1900s.

Thanks in advance!

The easiest and cheapest way is to throw up an LP-50 and apply some primary and secondary, then a few perforated straps to stabilize them a bit.

Don't complicate it.

 

[andreascarlsson]

Thanks for the answers!

@Videonisse: I want the lowering to be as small as possible, but preferably no more than 70 mm. (I've read that the standard is 120 mm, but I figure there is hardly any heat generation with today's LED spots, so it should be safe with 70 mm.)

@hul: Primary framework on the walls, and secondary framework on these, that's what you mean, right?
But "LP-50", I'm not following.
The perforated straps are attached to the existing framework in the ceiling, I assume that's what you mean? So no load-bearing beam is needed?
And while we're on the subject of perforated straps; How the heck do you attach these properly? I fastened a ceiling many years ago with perforated straps but found it incredibly difficult to get the exact measurements. It feels like I did something wrong. Tips are appreciated!

Thanks again.

 

[epw]

I usually put up a 22*95 in the ceiling on approximately cc 60-100, which can be leveled with a laser or level if it deviates somewhere. Then you add another 22*95 in the other direction on cc30 and screw the gypsum board into this.

This gives you space to run new pipes for spotlights and room for the spotlights. It builds 56 mm depending on how much the ceiling slopes.