When it comes to aesthetic aspects of the home, not too many think first of ceilings. Yet, they come in many different shapes, styles and finishes. There are domed ceilings and oblong ones; painted ceilings and sprayed ones; lighted ceilings and dark ones; there are ceilings that are raised, tiled or boxed; there are textured ceilings, metal ceilings, acoustic ceilings and even ceilings that open to the sky. There probably are as many different ceiling applications as there are floor coverings.

Metal ceilings are interesting to look at, but don't do much for the acoustic balance in a room. On the other hand, acoustic tiles are not only decorative, but can improve sound quality as well.

If you have a basement or a garage that you want to convert and you are having difficulty deciding on how to hide the pipes and ducts, we have a suggestion a suspended ceiling. This type of ceiling, the topic for today, is what you see in most business establishments the kind with the panels framed by a metal grid.

The primary reason stores use suspended ceilings is because they are the easiest to alter. The aluminum support frame is made up of L-shaped perimeter material and T-shaped grid pieces consisting of long main channels and shorter cross pieces. The resultant grid is light in weight, strong and is easily assembled with snap-in-place connectors. There are holes in the frame material that are located at regular intervals, and are used for tying the wires that suspend the framework. In grid formations of 2x2-foot squares or 2x4-foot rectangles, the framework supports the acoustic panels, and they can be removed to allow one to work on the devices that they conceal. Hanging the ceiling on wires also ensures a flat, finished surface regardless of how irregular the roof is.

Installing a suspended ceiling is time-consuming, but it is not physically taxing as long as a solid platform is available to stand on during assembly. Working on a ladder can be disorienting and increases difficulty. A small rolling scaffolding is the answer. Check with your local tool rental store.

First, mark a level line at the entire perimeter of the room. Do not measure up from the floor or down from the ceiling. Typically, existing floors and ceilings are not straight. Use a level to make your mark. Next, nail the L-shaped perimeter frame in place. A hacksaw is the right tool for cutting frame materials. The T-shaped grid pieces are installed next by suspending each one with lengths of wire that hang from the overhead structure in screw-eyes (or hooks). Once the perimeter is in place, the pieces that make up the interior grid can be suspended. The main runners are first interlocked at each end to the perimeter track. Then, the lower ends of the wires that are connected to the supports above are tied through the holes in the runners. The wire is bent through the hole in the runner and twisted around itself. The track is raised or lowered to a level position by shortening or lengthening the individual hanging wires. Next, the cross pieces are installed.

Finally, the acoustic panels are installed by lifting each one up through the frame diagonally until it can be lowered flat into the frame. Some acoustic panels are available with a plastic coating. Such panels are prime candidates for use in laundries, kitchens and baths where water vapors can be a problem. Also, modular fluorescent lighting fixtures are made that fit right into the same framework.

Other installations are easy, too. To mount a ceiling speaker, simply remove a panel, mount the speaker into it, connect the wire and replace the panel. Installing the wire in the first place is easy. Remove the panels, install the wire and replace the panels.

We don't suggest that a suspended ceiling is the answer for everything, but believe it to be a viable alternative in a number of situations.