Today I tore out all of the drop ceiling. I'm happy to report that the only thing in the rafters is two HVAC ducts and they are flush to the bottom of the rafters. The only place I will need access is the one far end where the main water line comes into the house, there is a shut off valve in that line plus a pressure regulator. But as luck would have it that's the end of the room where the wife wants me to make a walk in closet. So in that closet I'll reuse the drop ceiling. For the rest of it I'm going to go with drywall I think it will be a nice neutral ceiling against the v groove panel walls and the laminate floor.
Now my new problem, I suspected the previous owner did not insulate the exterior walls. So I peeled back a couple of boards and sure enough no insulation
So two of the walls I'm removing the v groove boards to be reused. So I have a block wall which is dry, then 2 x 4's. I think I need to install plastic against the block then 3 1/2 ' fiberglass insulation does this sound right ? Once again a supposedly simple project has turned into a major job. But I want to do it right and make the finished room a little warmer.