Hi all, I'm new.

I have vermiculite ceilings throughout my 60s flat, and rather than patching a bare section revealed by the removal of kitchen cabinets, I thought I'd have a bash at installing a false ceiling and bulkhead. If I manage OK with this job, I might go ahead and do the rest of the flat too.

I have read what seems every post in this forum, as well as read an watched the videos on Rod's fantastic site (hope the hand is OK!) and the Rondo site and just want to make sure I understand everything correctly.

My ceiling is at about 2470, so space is at a premium. I would attach the clips (rondo pt no 237) directly to the concrete ceiling after scraping away some of the popcorn, and use 16mm furring channel.

I would space the clips/furring channels at 600 mm, with the first being about 50mm from the wall.

The bulkhead is really just a run of board between two walls with no corners except where it meets the ceiling, walls and the bottom sheet.

The walls are plaster skimmed on concrete rendered solid brick and the room is 3m x 3m, give or take.

My questions are:

Do I need to use furring channel tracks on the walls if attaching with clips directly to the ceiling?

Do I need to use expanding or locking bolts/screws when attaching the ceiling board to the battens? Basically, what type of screw do I use?

Does the edge of each board need to be drilled to a furring channel, or is it OK to have a butt join between the battens; ie: the butt join is unsupported and about 300mm from the nearest batten?

I'll have the sparky leave the wires for the overhead long, is it then just a matter of cutting a hole at the appropriate point on the board, threading the wires through and calling the sparky again?

Should I install the bulkhead first, and what kind of metal track do I use to attach the board to? Do I use the same furring channel, or is there another part of the Rondo system I have missed?

As wall cabinets will be installed below the bulkhead, it there still a need to finish with a bottom sheet, or can I just join it to the cabinets and run a timber edging strip to cover the join (which you won't see anyway)? Obviously I will still use a trimmer or two to keep the board straight - the run is about 2400mm, and bulkhead will be about 350mm from the wall.

Finally, am I insane for attempting this?! I'll have heap, of course, but I'm a very enthusiastic newbie.

Hope all this is clear, and I have provided enough info. Sorry about the long rambling post and many questions, and thanks in advance for any advice.


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