DIY ceiling tiles for cheap. A SECRET the big tile companies DON'T what you to know about.

[@GymBrad]

I install drop ceilings for a living, there’s nothing wrong with using drywall tiles except for the fact that they’re heavy so make sure your ceiling is built to hold that much. Ps cut drywall down to 23’’ 6/8 for best fitment

[@warrenhardy]

thanks for the feedback, I did use main tees and 2' cross tees

[@sstag83]

Any tips on covering a popcorn ceiling texture?

[@swagnificent1215]

@@sstag83 scrap it off

[@wordswritteninred7171]

@@sstag83 make tile from Dollar tree foam board. Glue up, just like the tiles sold at Lowe's.

[@ywilliams1967]

Can you tell what to use over a shower I want to add in a basement bathroom that has tiles

[@chereejohnson2400]

Nothing hotter than a man sharing money saving knowledge!🤗🤗🤗

[@chadschold2526]

That's not the cheapest tile they sell at Home Depot. The cheapest tile Is around $.50 or $.60 per square foot and it's called Basic radar. You were standing right next to it in your video. Basic radar is only $.20 to $.30 cents more per sqft than drywall and its all ready cut and painted. You just set them into your grid as fast as you can take them out of the carton.You would actually spend more time and money using drywall and trying to paint it.

[@mvcapp]

Absolutely correct

[@nicolascruz4009]

Amen...!!!

[@aaronsmith1365]

Some people do not count their time in monetary value. I think we’re all guilty of it, but I agree with you, here’s the diy ceiling tile process. 1. Transport 4x8 sheets from store, for acoustical purposes I would choose 5/8” fire rated. 2. Unload and put in the area to cut them into 23.75” squares. 3. Cut tiles. 4. Remove rough edges. 5. Apply (1) coat of primer to each individual tile. 6. Wait four hours before applying first coat of paint. $35 dollars per gallon. 7. Apply one coat of flat white ceiling paint $35 dollars per gallon.. 8. Wait four hours to dry. 9. Set tiles in grid, ensure that grid supports will hold the additional weight of 5/8 drywall.

[@the_OCD_Garage]

But then he can’t make this video lol

[@chrome3720]

Lol right all that work to save a few dollars good lord lol

[@DoniaDesautels]

Brilliant! I have those heavy-duty wire shelving units for my pantry, but couldn't use them properly due to the spaces, so...I used the thinnest drywall I had, cut them to fit on each shelf, then covered them in contact paper, voila, problem solved, and I can put small things on the shelves without them falling through. I appreciate anyone who finds multiple uses for things, kudos to you!

[@davidgarzon-limberg2043]

This looks like a great idea, but what about the weight? would the typical drop ceiling structure (plastic/thin metal) support tiles made of drywall or do I require any type of reinforcement?

[@warrenhardy]

Yes, it would be heavier than those foam tiles or whatever material they made from. But I just made sure that I had extra wire hangers. it’s been several years and there’s still no sagging. Everything looks just as when I installed it.

[@journeywithnichole]

Thank you so much! You have no idea how much you helped me!

[@warrenhardy]

Great to hear, it’s been a few years since I did this, but our ceiling still looks fantastic, no sagging

[@Choppa_Ya]

Thanks for sharing, trying to get ideas for a basement remodel of a home i’m about to purchase.

[@district5198]

Great idea, for our bathroom we chose pvc, for obvious reasons. What would you recommend for moisture areas?

[@rickrdosanjos]

Drywall is not a little heavier... it is a LOT heavier than acoustic tiles and they break easily. I'd be worried they would fall on people. Plus acoustic tiles do a much better job with soundproofing than plain drywall do. Not sure if MDF or bristol boards would pass building inspection anywhere in the US.

[@realalbertan]

I plan to use 1x4s instead of the purpose build drop frames

[@JuanSanchez-rb4qu]

That's a cool hack Warren but what about humidity and stuff? because some new tiles don't even need a vapor barrier unlike drywall, got a workaround for that?

[@warrenhardy]

I have not had issue, and it’s in my basement. My walls are drywall and now my ceiling is drywall actually other parts of the basement. I just drywall the ceiling where I didn’t need access to anything.

[@rocaroga]

How did you secured them in place so if get bumped don’t falls on someone’s head?

[@MrSteeDoo]

How many times are you bumping the ceiling?

[@HowardGoldman]

I tried a few pieces of 5/8 24x48 and for fun threw some plaster on them and burnished it. I experimented with some iron oxide tints, and bowling alley wax. Got some beautiful, warm, and washable results.

[@darthmal]

I used Dollar store 20" by 30" foam tiles and lightly (every 10 inches) glued them to the joists for easy access. Also, Walmart has them for 88 cents each.

[@ChromeLuxx]

Good luck with that 😙

[@helenachase5627]

Thank you

[@gplus46]

My first alternative thought. How are they holding up?

[@darthmal]

@@gplus46 none has fallen yet. Over a year now.

[@logicalmisery3737]

Not fire rated, might as well go even cheaper and cut up free usps boxes lol

[@joannep7854]

Hey Warren, love this and thank you! Do you have any suggestions for a substitution for a metallic/chrome glue-up tile? I love the Fasade tile line that Home Depot and Lowes carry but they are incredibly expensive. Thank you!

[@daviddrayton8312]

Inspired completely by this video, I'm currently neck-deep in a project to update my basement's drop ceiling to drywall. It saves me over $1,500. Although I must admit, the logistics of this project are kind of overwhelming at times. The huge 8-foot drywall sheets (in my case 24 of them) are very heavy, even at 1/4 inch thickness. And transporting them, moving them around, finding space to paint and dry them, cutting them all to custom shapes and sizes, cleaning the grid of all the crap that was in them from the old tiles and possibly mice, it is a tremendous amount of work! I have been working on this project for over a month now and I'm still not done. I have pulled multiple all-nighters. If you don't have the time for this, it may actually be worth buying regular tiles. But I sure have learned a lot going this route, and there's no turning back for me now. I think I'm going to be extremely happy with the results. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@warrenhardy]

yes it does take time and some work for sure, my room was not to large so it only took a day or so to cut the drywall down to size and paint, then let them dry.

[@gangstaBJK]

Is it really that common to have mice there? And whats the solution? I had them in my attic and i think they went down from there to my basement which has drop ceiling :(

[@johnnyluck8102]

A lot heavier though. But can use the 1/4” Sheetrock too. Or luan. Thanks for the video.

[@geekybasket]

Does drywall have the same soundproof/acoustic value that the tiles do?

[@HashBandicoot356]

What about buying larger sheets of the material the real tiles are made out of? Is that an option?

[@ryanbender5573]

What about the tapered edge? Loose about a half foot each side??

[@davesnothere3425]

Unless you use the backside. It's painted either way

[@MrWhitetrashbob]

Brilliant. Cheaper and looks better....thank you.

[@klintk]

I love everything about this video. nice!

[@FortheBudgies]

why not cut white smooth wall panel into tiles instead of drywall?

[@carsonday9779]

I've been in the drywall/acoustic ceiling business for 25 years. Drywall is too heavy and will eventually start sagging. Also I'm not sure what tile you was looking at but a standard fissured tile from Home Depot is about .80 cents per sf.

[@NelsonSteffens]

the drywall finish looks better than the ceiling tile finishes! Great tip!

[@warrenhardy]

Thx bro

[@JNatella]

Love the idea, but what if one of those falls and hits someone in the head??

[@bgeorgic]

I did this in my basement 10 years ago. They are good, but the corners start to break up when removing and reinstalling. It's sick what they charge for the flimsy plastic ones

[@warrenhardy]

so far I have not had to remove any, but that is one of the reasons I did a drop ceiling, just incase I need access. beats cutting holes in the drywall

[@innov8tive1]

Couple of things. You can't use the 2-3 inches on each side of a drywall sheet because it's tapered, unless, of course, you don't care about it looking funny. And you could paint the entire sheet before cutting to save the tedious work of painting each tile individually. But that's just my $0.02...........and the already mentioned weight which might be an issue although some ceiling tiles ain't exactly light either. Certainly not a terrible idea though.

[@hfrt29]

Isn't drywall too heavy?

[@warrenhardy]

heavier then foam tiles yes, but when I put up my drop ceiling I made sure my wire supports were every 2 feet. I have not had any issues and have put this up in my whole basement over 3 years ago.

[@kailikk1117]

Is it easy to nail into wood? It'd just be for the basement

[@JB-xtreme]

I doubt the manufacturer of your drop ceiling grid system would approve of this. It is designed for light weight acoustic tiles. 1/2” drywall adds a considerable amount of weight. While it may hold the drywall in the air for a few years it’s only a matter of time before it fails. Codes and engineering design are important considerations for any project. I’m curious to know if extra supports to the grid system were added to account for the additional weight.

[@granthendricks5988]

My bathroom, which is a wet environment, not suitable for regular drywall, as the paint fell off. I bought individual 1 ft X 1 ft $1.70 / tile, not $2.50 at Homedepot. I am doubling the thickness of my ceiling by covering the old drywall as well, insulating and replacing the old exhaust fan with a new 100 CFM $90. If not a rental, I would use the $250 Panasonic fan, as its easy to install, all steel and much quieter. For me drop ceilings are never an option.

[@joebellmer3621]

Great idea! A little more work but well worth it! Looks great. Thank you!

[@leotuner2638]

Thanks man for the idea

[@wordswritteninred7171]

Dollar tree foam. Cut into 20x20. Use remainder of board, to make a design on your "tile". Tiled ceiling, no heavy work! Yw

[@lesliejohnson8738]

What kind of adhesive would you suggest?

[@witchred9333]

Fire hazard

[@wordswritteninred7171]

@@witchred9333 No it isn’t. The stuff doesn’t burn. It melts. It won’t flame at all. Get a board, and TRY TO BURN IT. It won’t burn. It will melt where you try to put the flame to it. When you remove the flame from it, it will smolder for a couple seconds, melting, not flaming, and then go out. Besides all this, it’s the SAME EXACT MATERIAL that they make foam ceiling tiles out of. But they have YOU FOOLED into thinking it’s a fire hazard, so you must pay fifty times the price, for a package that says “ceiling tile” on it. I work for 3A Composites. We make these boards. Just like wool, will prevent you from burning alive, because it too, will not flame, but instead, melts, these too will hinder the spread of fire. Because they don’t flame. They melt. Slowly smolder. And burn out, when the flame is removed. Stop buying into the lies, and research. Just like a vet will tell you not to feed your dog table scraps. What do you think dog food is made of???? FOOD! Just ground up, and put in a bag labeled “dog food”. THINK!

[@wordswritteninred7171]

@@lesliejohnson8738 I did not see your question before. I just now saw it. You may not get a notice that I responded, but I will try anyway. Really, there are a million different adhesives you can use. They are so light weight, that it doesn’t need to be that strong, nor do you need to use that much. Just look on the glue, and see if it sticks to foam. There are many floor adhesives that will work. And wall paper adhesives. Many different kinds. I would price them, and catch something on sale. And it just takes a little bit. Cause they don’t weight nothing. A sq ft board weights like 50grams. And it’s not like anything is going to be touching them. So just enough to hold them in place, is all you need.

[@CHANNELCHECKER381]

I thought about doing this but was worried about the drywall being to heavy.

[@deluxewaterless7229]

Great tip. As the whole planet knows, these stores are a complete and utter rip off. Dry wall is an excellent idea.

[@warrenhardy]

The cost of building supplies is ridicules, save money anywhere you can.

[@warrenhardy]

The savings are exponential, i'm doing another room that is 12x24, this time the savings is over $620. It does take a bit of time to cut and paint the tiles, but that is time I would just be sitting on the couch drinking a beer watching the game, only difference is that I'm making these tiles while drinking beer and watching the game in the background.

[@davidpaape8786]

Waste of time I can put a 12x24 ceiling in complete in 3 hours time and your not saving that much unless you getting free paint.

[@DoniaDesautels]

@@davidpaape8786 I mean, why crap on someone's decent idea?

[@davidpaape8786]

@@DoniaDesautels because when you are giving false information to home owners making then think that there is no other option that is wrong. If you don't have the full knowledge about a subject you shouldn't be teaching it. Facts are ceiling tiles may be a bit more expensive than your drywall tiles but they don't absorb any sound especially once you paint them they absorb none which means yes you save a buck in dollar amount but you will have echoes in your basement and you won't be happy. I commented because he informed viewers of false information in order to get his idea across in order to get views in his page for financial gain on his end. And that is wrong that's why I crapped on him and the only reason I did. If it was just an idea sure nothing wrong with ideas I come here all the time for them but to mislead viewers with lies that crosses the line.

[@GodZji]

You forgot about the fact that you can clean that expensive ceiling tiles. Those tiles are ideally for the restaurant kitchen.

[@oreganizer]

Use the right paint and that drywall can be cleaned too. On that note, buddy should have included the paint and maybe his time for comparison.

[@philipcoulson3111]

I know its only been 9 months but have you noticed any sagging? I was told not to do this because it will sag but in my room itd cost ~$48 to do the room in 1/2 drywall so if it saggs in like 5 years that's acceptable to me compared to$1,000 for tile i dont like lol

[@warrenhardy]

no sag at all, they are only 2' x 2' so not much room to sag anyways, maybe if they got wet, from a overflowing bathtub or something., but they are same as the day I installed

[@denisemmleight6827]

Great idea! Great job!!

[@hotshothomeimprovement]

This guy is a true craftsman… he definitely knows why different materials exist

[@manolotech1110]

Great freaking tip! Awesome 👍.

[@brussoni]

Love it great video

[@warrenhardy]

thanks, I did this in my laundry room, but I plan to do the rest of my basement the same way

[@Baumeister40]

Thanks dude for a great idea. I like to think about the 272 savings like this. You've essentially found a cheaper way to do the job and paid yourself $272 to cut and paint! Now if you think it's going to take you two and a half hours to do that then you've paid yourself $100 an hour! It just keeps getting better doesn't it? The trick is to get your significant other to approve the cost of the ceiling tiles. You make off with a huge profit by cutting corners so to speak! You're in business for yourself. Go buy some better tools with your profits or at least some better fishing gear. Thanks for the video

[@warrenhardy]

Im all about the fishing gear!

[@jamesanderson2438]

Well it can of course be used to cover the plenum.. but it is quite evident at the end the amount of reverberation in the space.. gypsum is designed to block sound where acoustical panels are porous and designed to absorb sound so speech intelligibility improves. You should offer fair warning that this may not be applicable to everyone. Also, you most likely would want to put hanger wires at 24 or 36 inches on center instead of 48 inches.. or use a heavy duty grid to support the weight.. It’s probably north of 2.5 pounds per sf which gets it into more of a wood ceiling application. And I would speculate that retail isn’t where the “big tile” companies make cash.. it’s going to be in commercial spaces not a basement…

[@Brooklynraised68]

Great idea 💡

[@sydneywilson-asiedu1107]

GENIUS

[@bearclaw5115]

Wow, what a genius! Drywall is cheaper than ceiling tile! Who'd of thunk it!

[@Casmige]

I never wore a mask. I simply said no - loudly.

[@SyntheticStuntMan]

yes...masks are stupid and useless for a virus...bacteria are much larger and a mask wont stop bacteria either.

[@joerotorhead]

Depends on what your time is worth...... cheaper yes.... but WAY longer to install .... plus $$ for paint....

[@watchman9198]

Drywall is wayyyyyyy heavier though!

[@karencleveland7622]

White duct tape for the foam boards.

[@brownsrvlifecampground9322]

You made a cool video

[@abbycharlton6135]

Why not just drywall the ceiling?

[@paulcacamese6023]

A few reasons. No need to tape and spackle any joints. More importantly now he would still be able to access anything like a gas, water or electrical wire etc.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Access. It's important to be able to run wires, do repairs from below, etc. I have a finished popcorn ceiling in the basement and it's hideous and impossible to run my home theatre cables and new lighting wire. A huge PITA. Suspended ceilings are great for future-proofing.

[@desmondehoppie4758]

Clever

[@tankimus]

what if you dont want it ugly? like say designs? Plus the weight would be hugely different.

[@PhanoftheShow]

my time is worth more than $272 😂

[@mariad4183]

...and look how perfect! You are awesome - thank you for your generosity! I've even heard of using styrofoam plates or bristol board instead of those ridiculously priced tiles... if one wanted a design - add a stencil with drywall putty and paint

[@gailandrus7667]

I had never heard of bristol board....So I looked it up! Thank you for the idea. Now I have to figure out how to stencil it with putty.

[@mariad4183]

@@gailandrus7667 ...you're welcome! Putty is super easy - youtube has tons of ideas 'stencil with drywall putty'

[@cullencox515]

Anyone know the NRC of drywall? No? Its 0. Don’t do this if you’re looking for acoustic benefits

[@minipham6524]

look good but have becareful because it’s very heavy ..

[@KevinsHeaven]

Even 3/8” drywall would work better than those cheap tiles.

[@asgrides4499]

Dry wall when cut breaks and chalks everywhere.

[@jasonjohnson3424]

U ever see a ceiling tile disintegrate from handling or water damage? 😆

[@danielz722]

Or just purchase .25" MDF and cut it to size.

[@davidpaape8786]

Don't listen to this guy. First of all cheapest tule at home depot is about 68cents a sq foot. He actually chose one of the most expensive in the genesis product which happens to be a pvc product suitable for food grade facilities and washable. Not to mention the fact is there is no accoutical rating to a pvc tile like there would be on the usg radar flat tile. Also his plan of drywall tiles also no acoustical rating the sound in your home will bounce right off and echo like crazy. If you want a cheap effective ceiling install the grid and run a 2x4 radar tile from home depot and do the job right.

[@scottywayne3601]

thats what i would have done lol

[@jerbsherb4391]

So basically, you don't add the labor you use to cut those dry wall pieces at all? What is going on here?

[@josephcampbell830]

the plastic tiles are much better, they are flimsy but do you really need something so stiff? id much rather put up the plastic tiles, if they get wet they will not get ruined you will never need to paint them, they will not chip, easy to wash

[@NightThings99]

I rather pay the extra for tiles. Drywall is junk. Hate the stuff with a passion.

[@gambleaway8252]

I work at USG. Keep buying our product!

[@warrenhardy]

Haha. Nice. lol

[@jamesgrose4819]

You also have tapered edges on the drywall sheets where mud and tape seams end up. Ghetto!

[@SyntheticStuntMan]

this is for a suspended ceiling...wont show.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Good tip, thanks. This ceiling is going to be for my home theater room so they need to be painted matte black anyway, but I'm not sure about sound reflection issues so I'll have to do a bit more research.

[@robertlandry5143]

You are forgetting the cost to mud it,sand it,prime it and paint it! Add those up and see your real cost!

[@josepha.1315]

Shouldn’t need any mud and tape just prime and paint

[@ronswoodshack3855]

Gonna have reinforce the frames. That’s freakin heavy!!

[@danervin2530]

Not necessarily true. As long as they’re tied off and supported properly when installed. My basement had ceiling grid installed that was dated 1991, with commercial vinyl coated gypsum tiles. 24x48 and they were heavy as heck. But the frames showed no signs of bringing, twisting, or bowing when I pulled it all out.

[@timothyblack6972]

It's going to be more than $48, cus you have to tape and mud it and paint it.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Huh? Are you paying attention? This is a suspended ceiling, not a finished drywall ceiling. He's cutting the drywall into 2' squares and dropping them into a track.

[@Bane_of_the_Moonsea]

This is just stupid. They're going to fall and hurt someone.

[@chrismartinez6562]

Thats not good....

[@LordDreggar]

Well this video was a joke

[@mootpoint7053]

Bro this is stupid. Drywall is messy and hard to work with. There's a reason why people like myself prefer tiles. Also tiles are much more decorative and eye catching.

[@icevariable9600]

Thanks for wearing a mask.

[@sirjudge5055]

Lost me with your anti-mask crap!

[@SyntheticStuntMan]

only idiots think masks stop viruses.

[@mangos2888]

We can understand you just fine with the mask so quick complaining.