Questions and Answers for Ceilume Stratford Feather-Light White 2 ft. x 4 ft. Lay-in Ceiling Panel (Case of 10)

A:  Ceilume Stratford Ceiling Panels have an NRC of .25 and an STC of 10 (STC or Sound Transmission Class refers to isolating sound to prevent it from travelling to different rooms/floors) Using Ceilume's Soniguard Drop Ceiling insulation on top of the Stratford ceiling panel raises the NRC to .50 and the STC to 13.

A:  They are not effective for noise.

A:  You are correct, they are very thin. As far as noise it won’t really make a difference. These are fantastic in areas like a finished basement or decked out garage or even if you just want something nice looking and very easy to install. I love mine and I bought more to do other areas. They are EXTREMELY easy to install and clean.

A:  Not good for noise reduction. Really a bad product overall

A:  Yes probably will not help reduce noise reduction 

A:  Ceilume’s Stratford Lay-in ceiling panels are meant to be installed in a standard 1” or 15/16” suspended ceiling grid.

A:  Yes they do fit into that grid and it is very easy to install

A:  It is very easy but it is extremely light plastic and will not hold any weight

A:  Hi Maklek, the Stratford 2x4 lay-in ceiling tile is made to work with any standard 1" or 15/16" ceiling grid. The installation is as simple as removing the old tiles and placing the new tiles in the grid. At the perimeter of your room where the ceiling meets the wall, you'll most likely need to cut the tiles to fit those smaller spaces. You can use your old tile as a template and cut the Stratford tiles with a good pair of scissors. Because the Stratford tiles are made from a thin rigid vinyl, they are flexible enough to fit into tight spots and yet durable enough to last for years and years once installed.

A:  I have the same from the 70’s, very simple to install standard size grid, cutting is a little tricky for when you get outside of the full sheets.

A:  The tiles should fit perfectly into your drop ceiling grid - I have the same and it worked just fine. Aside from working over your head and cutting a few to fit odd spaces, it couldn't be easier.

A:  I used these as drop in ceiling tiles. They are very thin. I don't they would be appropriate for use by a wood stove.

A:  The Stratford carries the following warning on he manufacture’s website: Warning: Not recommended for installation where ceiling temperatures exceed 120°F. The temperature above a wood stove would likely exceed 120°F so we would not recommend the Stratford for your installation.

A:  I used these in my old 2' x 4' grid and it worked perfectly.

A:  Without taking them down to measure perfectly, the tiles do appear to be 2x4 or just slightly under. In any case, I was able to take down my old drop ceiling tiles and pop these in without a problem. They are, however, pretty flimsy. I put in recessed LEDs and they sag a bit due to the weight of the lighting. I suppose it would be possible to double them up to limit that.

A:  Hi Sharon, Thanks for reading our information closely and finding a typo I’ve overlooked for almost 3 years! The Stratford 2x4 ceiling tiles are made to sit in a standard 24” x 48” ceiling grid and their nominal measurements are 24”x 48”. Thanks for finding my error.

A:  Ceilume's Stratford ceiling tiles can only be installed in a 1" or 15/16" suspended ceiling grid. They can not be glued directly to a ceiling.

A:  No Very lightweight plastic

A:  Maybe - the tiles are very thin. I replaced very old drop ceiling tiles, they worked very well with the exception of areas where there was pipes, for some reason they seem to sag in those areas.

A:  These panels are designed for tracks and look great when installed, I did my entire basement by myself easy to install. They are thin plastic sheets so I don't think brad nails or adhesive would hold up over time and you would end up tearing out what you put in and it would not look good Since these pannels are not cheap you would likley end up wasting alot of money and time not using a track.If you have the ceiling height highly recommend installing a track system.

A:  Ceilume's Stratford ceiling tiles can only be installed in a 1" or 15/16" suspended ceiling grid. They can not be glued or nailed directly to a ceiling.

A:  You could but the edge is designed to be covered with the t bar. You would have to use some kind of trim strips between panels. And they are really thin so the popcorn would have to be pretty flat. I wouldn’t do it. 

A:  Yes they are thin plastic and will handle moisture 

A:  Ceilume's Stratford ceiling panels are made from a thin rigid vinyl that is impervious to moisture and doesn't harbor mold or mildew which makes them ideal for damp or humid environments.

A:  Yes, as long as you have the metal framework in place to hang them. These tiles require the 2' x 4' metal frame.

A:  I have not done or tried this, but I have installed these in my basement drop ceiling, removing completely the mineral fiber tiles that were previously in there. These Ceilume tiles are very thin and quite flexible, and I do think it could possibly work to have the acoustic tiles sitting above/on top of the Ceilume. What I did though was installed sound proof insulation batt in the floor joists above.

A:  I don’t think so. These are very light weight. I believe they may fall out from the weight of the existing tiles

A:  Yes, I think so. It may be somewhat tricky but it would work

A:  Ceilume's Stratford 2x4 Lay-In ceiling panels are made from a thin rigid vinyl that is about 1/64" thick (about the thickness of a good business card). The "square within a square" pattern projects upward; if you place a mineral fiber tile on top of the Stratford the weight will be concentrated on that upward projecting pattern which may cause the tile to bow downwards slightly. We have seen installations done in this manner that look great but we do not recommend this installation type.

A:  Not sure, if you do use for installation make sure your tracks are reinforced.

A:  These panels are thin- they are not like traditional ceiling tiles. Think paper plate thin. They are very pretty and easy to install, but there is nothing in them that would support the weight of a light. We used a panel light for the room that fit inside the grid. If you want to use canless lighting, I would use a traditional panel so you could cut holes to add the lights

A:  I've used these tiles to replace old acoustic in two homes. In both, I installed 4" LED "puck" style lighting. The light itself weighs only about 2 oz. with the control/power unit attached to the rafter above. No deformation of the tile whatsoever.

A:  Yes but they need a support backing. They are paper thin so they will need something to support the lights. We cut out a small piece of our existing ceiling tile for support 

A:  The International Building Code requires that all lights, HVAC grilles, speakers, etc must be supported by the ceiling grid or structure above. The Stratford tiles are only .013" thick (about the thickness of a nice business card) and while they sit great in a ceiling grid without sagging, they are not designed to carry the weight of any light fixture. There are several companies that make LED light brackets to help with installation of "canless lights". Ask the Lighting Pros at your local Home Depot store for a recommendation.

A:  Nope. Too flimsy.

A:  Yes use any lighting with this product. Since panel is so thin I do all my light panels first.  This gives me a chance to support them from a rafter. You can use bailing wire, zip ties etc. I’ve used these panels 6 times.  There great to work with light easy to bend. They look great when complete.  The first time you’ll question the durability but the thicker ones are more money and you still need to support them.