Drop ceiling installation question...?

Question

How close to the original ceiling can I hang a drop ceiling? I know you need a certain amount of space between the original ceiling and the gridwork of the drop ceiling so you can get the tiles in... I am remodeling my basement and it only has 8' ceilings now, so I want to retain as much headroom as possible. Thank you...

Answer 1

you might want to look into other options, like perhaps shaped tin or something on the ceiling.  You need to drop it at least a foot I believe and you aren't going to like a 7 foot ceiling in a basement.  It is going to make it feel like a cave.

Look into other solutions, you will be happier for it.

Like put wood siding up there, tin, anything to cover it.

Answer 2

If I remember correctly, you can do it in 3 inches, or maybe slightly less.I had a 7 foot ceiling to work with and in a few spots because of pipes we did it almost flush.You can slide the tiles in before you put up another line of grid, then pop them in.