ceiling for finished room in basement
 

I have a room in the basement that the previous owner had finished. Walls are real wood v pines boards and the ceiling is 2' x 4' drop ceiling panels. To say the least whoever installed the ceiling was either drunk or running from the law it looks awful :mad: They did a terrible job in joining the ceiling grids and I just don't like it. Plus the proportion of the 2x4 panels does not compliment the room size. I do like the ability of removing a tile/s if I ever have to get to wiring/plumbing/HVAC. But there isn't that much installed over this part of the basement. So if I replace what is there I could go with 2' x 2' drop ceiling or conventional drywall which would be much cheaper. Because of the wood walls and the wood style laminate floor we have picked I don't want to put wood on the ceiling. Any other ideas for ceiling material that is not too expensive ? The room is aprox. 12' x 20'.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1353244911.jpg

This is a basement ceiling in one of my previous houses. It used 2'x2' tiles with 4 6 inch square pattern. It may be a good compromise for your situation.

There are lots of options in different ceiling tile in lots of materials and styles, both in a suspended ceiling and tiles that attach directly to the floor joists above. If you have no reason for suspended I would just drywall it, it maximizes the ceiling height vs suspended and I assume matches the rest of your house. When I finished mine I did two small rooms in suspended due to plumbing and A/C lines and the rest in drywall.

There are a ot of drop ceiling tile options these days as Shadetree930 has shown. Far more than the standard panels in most drop ceilings. Some look like stamped tin from the old days to a fiberglass recessed panels that look similar to a coffered ceiling.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1353249168.jpg


Having wood floors and walls a nice compliment would be a smooth finish white drywall ceiling with similated box beam ceiling with recessed lighting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1353249218.jpg

You have a lot going on already with the v groove walls and wood floors, so I would stay away from anything fancy on the ceiling. I used Sheetrock on my entire basement ceiling. There are several spots where I have hose bib shutoff valves, etc where a flush panel was installed to easily access as required.

There are a lot of choices out there. I loved the old pressed tin ceilings I saw when traveling thru the southwest.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1353255668.jpg

I did a drywall ceiling replacing a dropped perforated tile on in a downstairs room, wish now that I had put in some sound absorbing material when i did it.
Built in some recessed light boxes trimmed with bamboo and plastic ricepaper like material. It goes with our tropical location.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1353256038.jpg

Cheers Richard

If you go drywall, use 5/8" to keep it flat and sag free. Break it up with some small bulkheads if you have the ceiling height. They only need to be a few inches deep to create a nice look. Then if you ever have to cut into the ceilng for repairs above, you only have to patch and paint a small area instead of the whole ceiling. One large flat ceiling is also had to make perfect when taping and painting.

Sheetrock for max ceiling height in a basement. If you prefer 2x2 drop ceiling, you can add cross bars and either cut your tile or use a 2x2 tile.

With the tile out, I painted my grid for a different look.

If you need some small access panels for shutoffs, etc, I usually use heat grills instead of panels, people expect grills and they don't draw attention.

take a good look above the dropped ceiling. Make sure that they did not use this install due to pipes or ducts that hang below the floor joists for the floor above. This is reason most folks opt for a lay in clg in a basement. If you have pipes/ducts and they are concentrated in one area, they you can furr down to enclose.

In putting up any clg make sure that you look for needed access points to critical items from above (drain clean outs, duct filters, etc). If you need access and install a drywall ceiling or other type that does not allow for easy access, you will need to plan for that.

Done many designs and have run into these problems repeatedly.

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 :mad: 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.

Fiberglass 4x8 insulation panels glued directly to the block. If the 2x4 studs are against the block then cut strips to fill in between. Easy and effective.

I am finishing my basement right now and having just drywalled, taped, mudded and sanded the walls and bulkheads I am looking forward to installing this ceiling product called 'snapclik' I found at HD last week....not sure if its available in the US?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7apTQz_FI-Y

Benefit: very easy to install, accessibility, great 'coffered' look with minimum height loss

Cons: price, much more expensive than sheetrock

Armstrong makes 'ceilingmax' which is also a maximum height product, similar in price.

Good luck!

When you say 4 x 8 panels I assume you mean foam ? Foam is very expensive vs. fiberglass batt.

Yes, 4x8 foam panels are super easy to glue to cement or block walls. I think I did my basement with 1" foam, but it's been a while.

Yes, drape plastic vapor barrier against foundation wall.

What about using Drylok on the walls?

Are the 2x's treated per code in contact with masonry/concrete? If not, use the plastic.

Drywall it and be done with it. It look best unless you want the coffer ceiling look. How often do plumbing or electrical go bad, almost never? Check and make sure everything is in good working order and drywall it up. Should you need to get in there for repairs, it is easy to cut patch. By then, you might need to repaint anyway. JUst my two cents.