Suspended/drop ceiling questions

Hello,

I am planning to install a drop / suspended ceiling in my basement. I have a few question I could use some assistance on. I received some mixed answers from the guys in my neighborhood who are weekend warriors like myself so I’d like to get some feedback here to ensure I have the right answers.

The room is 15’ 5 ½ ” x 22’ 5/8” with a header (load bearing partition) dropping down to cause a break in the layout of the ceiling. I am looking to installed recess lighting (4” cans / height 5 ¼ ”) and have boxed in in the AC vents which are also dropping down into the room as well. Room height is 7’.
Questions:

1) In the planning out of the grid and in finding the center of the room, do I design for two rooms given the header causes a break in the layout and is where I’ll be installing the wall track?

2) How far do I need to come down off the ceiling? I would have thought the height of the cans determines this however 5 1/4” seems like a lot. I am thinking some portion of the height of the can will need to sit between the joists in the ceiling while sitting on the grid system. But will this make it difficult to center the light on a 2 X2 ceiling tile?

3) Do the runners in the grid need to run parallel to the ceiling joist? Again I received mixed answers on this one. Not sure if it matters.

Thanks in advance for the help

 

Lay out the grid as two separate rooms.

You will need at least 3 inches between the grid and the bottom edge of the ceiling joists to allow room to install the tile.

Run the main tees perpendicular (at right angles) to the ceiling joists.

Is this after suspended ceiling is installed or is it the distance from the floor to the bottom of the ceiling joists?

 

7 ' is the height from the floor to the bottom of the ceiling joist. The floor is unfinished (raw concrete). Not sure if I will go tile or pergo at the moment to finish it.