* Begin your installation project by checking the framing—and adding blocking, if necessary—and planning the layout of the panels. Minor flaws in the framing can be hidden by the drywall and joint compound, but a severely bowed or twisted stud or crowned or sagging joists will result in an uneven finished surface. Check the framing using your eye, a straight board, or a string. Bad studs or joists can be planed down, furred out, or replaced, but for serious ceiling problems it's sometimes easiest to add a grid of furring strips or install a steel channel ceiling system
Tools & Materials
* Work gloves
* Eye protection
* Hammer
* Tape measure
* Framing square
* Handsaw
* Plane
* Screwgun or drill
* 2× framing lumber
* 10d framing nails
* Wood shims
* Drywall screws
* Metal protector plates
* Foam insulation
* Furring strips
* Cardboard strips
* Stapler
