Can you Glue Up BRUTAL Drop Ceiling Tiles or attach them to a wall?

Yes! Sometimes it is necessary to glue up our BRUTAL tiles.  This is feasible only with Europa, Globen and SoBe (pic below) as these will sit flat on a surface.  All of the other designs (Blox, Brasilia and Bilbao) have features above and below the grid plane.  

What kind of adhesive works best for gluing PVC ceiling tiles?

We recommend trowel on latex adhesives for adhering BRUTAL Ceiling tiles. Any non-flammable, non-solvent based, high initial grab adhesives suitable for PVC are acceptable. We recommend a trowel able latex adhesive such as Loctite Power Grab.  It has an adequate initial grab to hold in place while allowing plenty of time to adjust to the perfect spot. It also wipes off easily before it dries as there will always be some adjusting until a tile is laying perfect. Select an adhesive that is a close color match to the tile, so you don't have to do a paint touch up later.  If done in an outdoor setting, it is advisable to paint the tiles as depending in sun exposure, they may darken somewhat over time.  Exposed adhesive should be pained over as it tends to attract dirt more readily than paint does.

Where To Install?

The attachment surface must be flat and smooth and clean of anything that may reduce adhesion.    Since our tiles are made of thin plastic, they should be out of reach of anyone that may touch them.  If someone dents them, use a piece of tape to pop the dent back out.  This should be done as soon as possible to avoid having a permanent distortion where the dent used to be.  This material can creep over time.  Although this image shows an exterior installation, BRUTAL tiles are intended for interior use.

How do I install glue-up tiles?

1. Surfaces must be perfectly flat and free of dust, grease and anything that may result in poor adhesion or lumpy seams.

2. Whereas a ceiling grid is a 24” grid, when doing a glue up, the grid is now on 23 1/2” spacing due to the 1/2” overlap at the edges. Carefully plan the layout accordingly so that a minimal border results around the field. This happens either when a seam is on the center line or when the midpoint of the tile is on the center line. Try both. One will result in a border of less than half a tile width. Snap a chalk line grid.

3. The cleanest looking installation is a result of having the seams oriented away from the typical room entry door. Start in the far corner and work your way across that wall. Lay subsequent passes in the same direction.

4. Apply a continuous adhesive bead to either ceiling or tile and attach tile. Apply pressure until the tile is firmly attached, carefully aligning it to the chalk lines. Apply subsequent tiles with the 1/2” edge overlap. A narrow roller is useful for sticking down the overlap seams and leveling any lumps from uneven adhesive application. A 2' long straight edge can also be used to make a perfectly flat overlap.  Some experimentation may be necessary.  Carefully wipe away any adhesive that oozes out of the overlap seams.  This is easy while still wet.
   

5. If your ceiling needs places for recessed lighting, plan to have those placed in a position on the tile that is aesthetically pleasing and well supported by the ceiling structure. Brutal tiles will not support any weight from light fixtures.  Pre-cut holes through the tiles to match the light locations. With all of our designs, lighting will require some experimentation to maximize the impact of the installation.