Cutting Ceiling Tile For Recessed Lighting

Insert the keyhole saw by applying pressure into the ceiling tile and moving the saw from side to side.

Cutting ceiling tile for recessed lighting.

Carefully brush the opening. Place your knife at the side of the tile at the bottom of the cut you just made halfway through the tile. For each ceiling tile where a light will be located remove the tile and place it on a work surface. A hole saw or an adjustable ceiling hole cutter with its hood to catch dust makes short work of the job.

Cutting holes in ceiling tiles for recessed lighting. Now it was time to actually make those lights look pretty in the ceiling. Cut out the hole using a utility knife or a keyhole saw. Cut the side of the tile to finish making the shadow line.

Lightly move the keyhole saw back and forth with light pressure to cut the hole. First he took a ceiling tile and drew an x on the back of it using a yard stick to keep things straight. Run your hand around the cut to remove loose particles from the tile. Transfer those measurements to a recessed ceiling tile.

Ken created a template to make cutting process easier. Recessed lighting fixtures are among the most decorative looks for drop ceiling tiles. Cut the first hole out using a keyhole saw or utility knife. Support the tile while you make the cut to reduce the chances that the tile will break.

Place your free hand flat on the tile s surface for support. After that increase the length of your blade by another notch and then hold the knife on the ground sideways and then cut along the side of the tile cutting out your recessed. That is the way i do it and get perfect results. Pull the knife down along the side to remove the edge of the tile and create a shadow line.

Do this in the exact center of the tile and double check that the opening is sized according to your light s installation instructions. Measure the size of the grid square or rectangle. Because drop ceilings are not designed to hold a significant amount of weight people have concerns about whether or not the tiles can support the weight of the recessed lighting fixtures. Measure the location of holes required in the tiles such as those for lighting or air vents.

See how fast and easy it is to cut holes in ceiling panels for sprinklers and recessed lighting fixtures from armstrong ceiling solutions. On each ceiling tile where you re adding a recessed light trace the light s outline. 1 cover the area beneath proposed recessed lights with drop cloths to catch dust.