Find The Right Adhesives For Your Ceiling Tiles

This chart is for glue-up tile installations. The ceiling types listed assume new materials or clean, sealed surfaces without dust, loose paint, paper or plaster. If your ceiling has existing paint and coatings, unstable popcorn or is dusty, cracked, peeling, or in bad condition do not use adhesives to install tiles. For ceilings in these conditions, think about repairing cracks, scraping loose material, cleaning and preferably sealing the surface first - or go with furring strips or a drop-in ceiling grid if the room height permits. Good tile adhesion depends on starting with a clean, dry, solid surface.

1 - New plywood should be sealed prior to applying adhesives other than contact cement for the most secure bond. Sealing the wood makes it less porous and more dimensionally stable, less affected by humidity.

2 - A Sealer/Primer should be used on raw cement or masonry before using adhesives.

3 - Contact Cement gives the most secure bond but if you are not experienced in using it, try an alternative. The odor, cleanup and positioning are not DIY friendly. The bond can 'grab' instantly with no repositioning possible once a tile is placed.

4 - Metal and Urethane Ceilings are normally mounted with screws or nails though urethane tiles work well with Loctite Power Grab. The adhesives suggested are for use on wall, panel or backsplash installations. VOC Adhesives work well but we hesitate to recommend their use for metal ceilings because many VOC adhesives can interact with metal finishes and discolor the tiles over the long term.

5 - The polystyrene or styrofoam tiles are very lightweight so a large bead of adhesive can slow curing without creating the perfect bond. Use a 1/8 inch bead if possible and use the bead of one tile to apply some to the tile edge of the next tile it will overlap. Always test with your adhesive before starting. Some waterborne adhesives are formulated with additives that can damage styrofoam. Recommended: Loctite Power Grab or AkFix 310.

Examine the ceiling surface up close because adhesives simply do not stay stuck to surfaces that have a layer of dust or dirt. This can mean that your work will need to be re-done when the dirt lets go of the adhesive you have applied. Removing dirty adhesive from your tiles will make you wish you had spent a day cleaning the ceiling before starting, believe me. It is an exciting idea to get those new tiles up there as soon as you have them, but it is smarter to test out your adhesive on the actual ceiling with a scrap of your actual tiles before you go to town putting up tiles. If you have ordered any sample tiles (another smart thing to do) you can do this while you are waiting for your full order to arrive.

Before beginning any installation method, be sure you have already measured your ceiling needs and completed the ceiling tile layout that you want. Layout determines the number of tiles and filler panels and the size of the border tiles if needed. Ceiling layout ensures that your job will look professional when it is complete and gives you a ceiling that you'll be proud of and happy to live with for years to come.