OT: The mystery of the falling ceiling panels

[Maple Leafs]

So my basement ceiling is mostly made up of those inch-thick foamy panels that most basements have. You know the kind... just enough to give you something that looks like a roof over your head, while still having access to all the pipes and ducts that run around in your basement ceiling.

So a few days ago I come home to find one of the panels on the floor. Kind of odd, but not a big deal. Today I come home and there's three of the damn things on the floor. Huh?

These things aren't exactly jammed in there, but they're set tightly enough that they shouldn't just fall out. You need to either angle them out, or give them a solid push to take them out on purpose. There's no signs of leaky pipes (so it's not that they're getting heavy from being water logged). There's no signs of any sorts of animals or other creatures in the ceiling area. And nobody else has been home when it's happening.

Solve this mystery for me. What's could be causing the panels to come out?

[Cuckoo]

Earthquakes?

[Cuckoo]

Has anyone really fat visited your house recently and skipped through the rooms?

[klayman]

Sorry. It was the only thing your wife and I could think of to distract you while I sneaked out of the house ;)

[JeeberD]

You and Draft Dodger need to get together and talk about ghosts...

[Maple Leafs]

Sorry. It was the only thing your wife and I could think of to distract you while I sneaked out of the house ;)Yeah, fine, but that still doesn't explain all the used condoms, size extra-small, that I found scattered around the...

Oh, wait. OK, it all makes sense now.

[klayman]

Yeah, fine, but that still doesn't explain all the used condoms, size extra-small, that I found scattered around the...

Oh, wait. OK, it all makes sense now.
I can't believe your wife is cheating on you and me. Is there no honor in relationships anymore.

[timmynausea]

It happens in my parent's basement, and I can't say for sure what it is every time, but I've been in the room when the cat and tile tumble down together. Do you have any pets? Our cats climb up on the back of the couch and jump up on the little landing area by a window that's pretty close to the ceiling. The area along the window is the edge of the celing tiles so the cat climbs up "in" the ceiling there, and then wander around until they step on the foam and plummet rapidly down to the floor.

[Maple Leafs]

It happens in my parent's basement, and I can't say for sure what it is every time, but I've been in the room when the cat and tile tumble down together. Do you have any pets? Our cats climb up on the back of the couch and jump up on the little landing area by a window that's pretty close to the ceiling. The area along the window is the edge of the celing tiles so the cat climbs up "in" the ceiling there, and then wander around until they step on the foam and plummet rapidly down to the floor.We do have a cat, and that's my leading hypothesis right now. However, two things make me wonder:

1. The cat would need to get up on top of the basement fridge, hop over a vent, and climb across a wood beam to get there. Not impossible, but pretty tricky.

2. Today there were three panels out. That means that cat either took them all out with one shot, or is actually doing this on purpose as some sort of kitty entertainment.

[Draft Dodger]

You and Draft Dodger need to get together and talk about ghosts...

exactly what I was thinking

[Swaggs]

Is your washer and dryer nearby? Maybe it is vibrating them out of place?

[JonInMiddleGA]

-- Heavy truck traffic in the neighborhood recently?
(I had that crack a mirror once)

-- Squirrels? (or other non-traditional indoor critters)

[Maple Leafs]

-- Heavy truck traffic in the neighborhood recently?
(I had that crack a mirror once)
-- Squirrels? (or other non-traditional indoor critters)
Nothing out of the ordinary traffic wise. Plus if there was something causing tremors, it would probably set off the alarm as well.

Squirrels are possible, but I don't see any other signs of them around, and the spot where the tiles are falling is a decent distance from any outside walls.

Is your washer and dryer nearby? Maybe it is vibrating them out of place?They're nearby, but not in use at the time. This has only happened so far while the wife and I were out.

[bbor]

Typical hockey fan....fearing the sky is falling because there is no CBA:)

[klayman]

Typical hockey fan....fearing the sky is falling because there is no CBA:)
I'm surprised he hasn't tried to blame it on Kerry Fraser yet :D

[kcchief19]

Having similar experience with what I believe are similar said tiles, I think the odd thing is not that they are falling out now but that they did NOT fall out regularly before. Once one falls out, they are a bitch to get back in so that they stay in there. I don't know why, other than that they seem to have been created by engineers who watch Wily E. Coyote for design inspiration.

On the other hand, maybe it's a metric problem. :D

[gstelmack]

We do have a cat, and that's my leading hypothesis right now. However, two things make me wonder:

1. The cat would need to get up on top of the basement fridge, hop over a vent, and climb across a wood beam to get there. Not impossible, but pretty tricky.

2. Today there were three panels out. That means that cat either took them all out with one shot, or is actually doing this on purpose as some sort of kitty entertainment.
You don't know cats very well :D All of this is very possible if not probable.

[Noop]

Rats?

[AZSpeechCoach]

Are your kids trying to hide from you?

[cthomer5000]

My first thought was someone having sex on the floor above. Time to closely monitor the wife's activities.

[Maple Leafs]

Are your kids trying to hide from you?
No kids.
My first thought was someone having sex on the floor above. Time to closely monitor the wife's activities.
That would be the kitchen... (note to self, don't eat breakfast at kitchen table again)

[bbor]

I'm surprised he hasn't tried to blame it on Kerry Fraser yet :D

ROTFLMFAO

Fraser tries to give the ceiling tiles 2 minutes for diving :D