So I want to install a drop ceiling in my basement, but I have these TJI/ I-beam type engineered wood floor joists and I know that you should almost never nail or screw into them on their bottom flange. So, How does someone install a suspended ceiling with these type of joists then?
Ceiling – Eye Lag Screws in TJI type joist for suspended ceiling
ceiling
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I would assume it's because you have plaster ceilings that use metal lath.
Sounds travels through vibration; one molecule bumping into another. It travels through the air, but it also travels well through relatively thin solid material (ie, wood). What you need to do is block those vibrations.
As you mentioned in your post already, the easiest ways to help your situation would be sound dampening insulation in between the floor joists, and/or sound dampening ceiling tiles. Another useful step would be to decouple the frame of your drop ceiling from the floor above, by placing rubber grommets/mat between the drop ceiling hangers and the floor joists.
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Best Answer
Suspended ceilings are lightweight enough that you can attach to the bottom rails. Just don't use fasteners so large that they're splitting things, and come in from below or pre-drill from the side.
If you're using particularly heavy tiles, feel free to run your anchors into the upper rail. That completely eliminates any concern of damage.