'73 Viking Doublewide - Odd Ceiling Panels Hard to Remove
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 1:05 am
Hi Greg and Forum,
I tried to remove one of my ceiling panels in my kitchen..1973 Doublewide made by Viking. I thought OK, this will be just as easy as cutting out sheetrock. I cut away at a small section in my kitchen to test how easy it would be to rip out...it wasn't! Come to find out the faux sheetrock/paper centered-panel can be cut like butter w/my Fein Multimaster, but when it came to pushing all the way thru to complete the short 1ft long cut, it didn't budge. Come to realize after putting my hand up where the old Vent Hood flue opening was, that there is a Masonite-type backing on the ceiling tiles. My ceiling tiles don't have 'plastic splines' rather they are 12 ft long by 1 ft wide and nest into each other on the long 12 seam side.
Question, how do I cut out to remove these beasts? Hate to use a sawzall as there is rickety 2x2 inch roof framing materials up there and Romex just tossed everwhere. A real hodgepodge. How the heck did they frame this mobile home and install the ceilings...did they put the celings on the 2 trailers FIRST and then build the roof?
Lastly, the reason I want to cut out the tiles in spots, I have noticeable ceiling tile bowing in the middle of the living room and from what I have read on the forum, it could be due to my roof weight...2 layers of asphalt shingles with a slight depression in the same exact area that I have the bowing in my living room. I fear broken or bent chords! Or worse, drywood termite damage. I want to open up the ceiling to check out the condition of the rafters/chords before I call a roofer out to do the exterior assessment and bid.
Thanks all, 73Viking
I tried to remove one of my ceiling panels in my kitchen..1973 Doublewide made by Viking. I thought OK, this will be just as easy as cutting out sheetrock. I cut away at a small section in my kitchen to test how easy it would be to rip out...it wasn't! Come to find out the faux sheetrock/paper centered-panel can be cut like butter w/my Fein Multimaster, but when it came to pushing all the way thru to complete the short 1ft long cut, it didn't budge. Come to realize after putting my hand up where the old Vent Hood flue opening was, that there is a Masonite-type backing on the ceiling tiles. My ceiling tiles don't have 'plastic splines' rather they are 12 ft long by 1 ft wide and nest into each other on the long 12 seam side.
Question, how do I cut out to remove these beasts? Hate to use a sawzall as there is rickety 2x2 inch roof framing materials up there and Romex just tossed everwhere. A real hodgepodge. How the heck did they frame this mobile home and install the ceilings...did they put the celings on the 2 trailers FIRST and then build the roof?
Lastly, the reason I want to cut out the tiles in spots, I have noticeable ceiling tile bowing in the middle of the living room and from what I have read on the forum, it could be due to my roof weight...2 layers of asphalt shingles with a slight depression in the same exact area that I have the bowing in my living room. I fear broken or bent chords! Or worse, drywood termite damage. I want to open up the ceiling to check out the condition of the rafters/chords before I call a roofer out to do the exterior assessment and bid.
Thanks all, 73Viking