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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by miker on January 31, 2007, 8:42 am
I plan on finishing my basement in the next few months and for the ceiling
am not sure if I should use 4x8 drywall or go with a drop ceiling. The
problem is that that house is pretty small and if the ceiling was dropped
then anyone tall would hit their head.
advantage of drywall - no drop required and a more clean look
disadvantage - if I ever need to get at the hotwater pipes or home theater
wiring then I have to punch holes
What would the minimum drop be using a drop ceiling?
Has anyone found a perfect solution to a problem like mine?
miker
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Posted by on January 31, 2007, 8:56 am
> Has anyone found a perfect solution to a problem like mine?
Don't finish the ceiling.
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Posted by Larry Bud on January 31, 2007, 9:00 am
> I plan on finishing my basement in the next few months and for the ceiling
> am not sure if I should use 4x8 drywall or go with a drop ceiling. The
> problem is that that house is pretty small and if the ceiling was dropped
> then anyone tall would hit their head.
>
> advantage of drywall - no drop required and a more clean look
> disadvantage - if I ever need to get at the hotwater pipes or home theater
> wiring then I have to punch holes
>
> What would the minimum drop be using a drop ceiling?
>
> Has anyone found a perfect solution to a problem like mine?
I never understood the idea that you'd have to get at the hot water
pipes more often in the basement than in any other floor.
I'm personally going with a drop ceiling, but I do have more headroom
than you have. Running wires could be a concern, but except for
speaker wires, nearly everything else is wireless now. There's video
distribution, audio distribution, etc. system. If you might need to
run satellite coax, just do it now and have the cabling ready just in
case.
I think the mfg says 6" is a minimum drop, but depending on your
lighting, you just need enough room to be able to pop the tile up and
slide it over. I have trusses in my house, and I believe I could have
a 1" drop if I wanted, because there's plenty of room between the
trusses to fit a recessed light.
The reason I'm going with drop is that you have some really cool
options with the tiles now that would be difficult, if not impossible
to reproduce with drywall. And at that point, it's be too much time
to try to reproduce something you can buy.
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Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on January 31, 2007, 9:33 am
>I plan on finishing my basement in the next few months and for the ceiling
>am not sure if I should use 4x8 drywall or go with a drop ceiling. The
>problem is that that house is pretty small and if the ceiling was dropped
>then anyone tall would hit their head.
>
> advantage of drywall - no drop required and a more clean look
> disadvantage - if I ever need to get at the hotwater pipes or home theater
> wiring then I have to punch holes
>
> What would the minimum drop be using a drop ceiling?
>
> Has anyone found a perfect solution to a problem like mine?
>
> miker
How about painted plywood on the ceiling, in areas where you might want
access later? Install with screws...problem solved.
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Posted by Borrall Wonnell on January 31, 2007, 9:57 am
> >I plan on finishing my basement in the next few months and for the ceiling
> >am not sure if I should use 4x8 drywall or go with a drop ceiling. The
For headroom issues, there are a few solutions. If your basement
isn't finished, then build a reduced-height subfloor (DRICore and
similar systems seem to be good products). If you're not installing a
subfloor (i.e. you're putting carpet directly on slab), I would be
concerned about moisture.
As far as ceilings go, I have considered drywall, but access is a real
problem. I thought that suspended ceilings were out for me as well,
due to the 6"-8" loss in height. However, consider:
CeilingMax, a surface-mount grid/panel system
http://www.acpideas.com/index.cfm?XlinkID=13
CeilingLink, similar to CeilingMax:
http://www.ceilinglink.com/
Supposedly, CeilingLink is cheaper and a bit easier to level. Either
product should be easier/cleaner to install than drywall. Ceiling
panels aren't what they used to be either...these ceilings can be made
reasonably attractive. For example, Armstrong sells 2x2 decorative
panels: http://www.armstrong.com/resclgam/na/ceilings/en/us/browse.asp?
type=type&shapeId=1
One other option is to run thin strips of wood, maybe 1-2" wide
parallel to your joists, spaced 0.5" apart. It's not a "fully-
finished" look, but it can be an attractive ceiling, depending on
species/grain/staining. Access panels in this type of ceiling are
relatively easy to build, and can be hidden much easier than with
drywall. Not sure if this would violate building code or not...but I
have seen it done in some older homes.
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