Hi all, I have installed many drop ceilings with standard tiles, but this week i am finishing a basement with recessed tiles. What kind of knife do I use for cutting the recess in the tiles and where can i find one.
I check HD and LOWs and noone had a clue what I was talking about. Has anyone ever used a duck board knife for this? I may be able to get one of those as a Hvac store
thanks, jason
Replies
Use a standard razor knife. On your perimeter cuts, cut them the same way you would a regular tile. Place it where it goes, score a light line with you razor knife and remove. cut along that line about half way through the tile,then cut along the edge to form a rabbet.
Wier/Barlow
"ditto"
you can buy a wood block with a utility knife blade set so it supposedly cuts the rabbit faster and more precise ... I have probably 3 of them somewhere in the back of the van ... but I always end up using my regular utility knife.
sometimes if a helper just can't seem to control his knife, I switch him to the block and go for slower but better results, but I can do it faster and more precise with the regular old blade.
btw ... both HD and Lowes sell the wood blocks ... and they may have a plastic version now ... they're back there by the tiles, come in a plastic bag with cardboard hanger/label. Fairly cheap.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I use one of the knives with a snap off blade. I find that a regular utility knife blade isn't always long enough. I also found that a nice, new, sharp blade keeps the face of the tiles from shredding, and showing the underneath. I just finished 10 boxes of tiles in a doctors office. Almost all the rooms were funny shapes, not a square or easy room in the place. I learned a lot about tiles.
I agree that the razor knife works best....but make sure you've got the Lennox super sharp & tough blades in it. Those tile are hard on knife blades.
I too have tried the guides with the blade it it, but it's much faster and just as easy to use the knife.
Do you score along the wall mold and then bring the tile down to clear out the drop down?
For a while now I've done the bottom of the rabbit scored freehand when I cut the tile to size. Lay the tile in and then use the grid as the guide to finish the rabbit. Lift up the tile a bit and clean off the debris, lay back down. No removal to finish the cut.
Commercial ceiling professional introduced me to the technique.
Anyone else have a preference over tile brand? I've had some crumbling problems with Armstrong-not so with USG. Might have been some conditioning of the tile-but the most recent Armstrong was a pain no matter the sharpness or gauge of the knife. Thinner too, 5/8's v. 3/4.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
I hate Armstrong tile for the reasons you describe. Actually, what I do is keep a junk, lightweight table saw just outside the door where I'm working.
I just take a quick measure across the grid to see what the drop down needs to be and mark it lightly with a pencil and drywall square. (I have an old one with a shortened leg for ceiling tile jobs.) Visually add about 5/8", mark, and take it out to trim it on the table saw. I usually trim 4 or 5 at a time.
Then I use the drywall square and knife to make the cut along the face about 5/16" deep and lay the knife on its side to make the side cut. Zip,Zip you're done.
Then I slather on some white primer to cover the cut edge and hold the cheesy tile material together like glue, and set aside for a minute to dry while I'm working on the others. Grab a bundle and pop them in....goes very fast once you get set up.
a bottle of White Out makes for a nice tile chip repair.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa