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basement - getting rid of drop ceiling

Hi all - i'm looking to re-do the basement in my recently purchased house. right now it has a drop ceiling and some old wood paneling. i'm looking to get rid of the drop ceiling (and the paneling, but thats another story). anyone have any ideas on what to do? i have heard of some people painting the basement ceiling, wires and all... any other ideas?

Exposed and painted trusses and beams are pretty popular. Lots of store and restaurants go that route.

that's what im' leaning toward.

Glunt - did you have to do anything with pipes / electrical etc. or did you just have the hole thing sprayed? did you have to seal anything first etc?

thanks

I did drywall. Built some interior walls to isolate the furnace and water heater and some storage area from the rest of the basement as well as making the laundry room where the water softener and well pressure tank are a separate room. Made the ceiling about 7 feet 3-4 inches, but still tall enough. I put in those recessed canned lights. Then I did wainscoting using some left over tongue and groove cedar siding on the walls. I sanded the cedar on the smooth side and sealed it with a clear coat. Looks great. I used 3.5" oak baseboard and door trim to make everything look bigger and beefier and nocked out part of the wall on the stairs to open the stair case up. Built some shelves out of oak that fills the gap where the wall used to be on the stairs. Indoor/outdoor carpeting on the floor, but if I had to do over may have done tile...Came out looking pretty good...I insulated the ceiling and walls, even the interior walls. More for sound deadening than anything, but I'm sure it helps to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter...

Good Luck!!!

Pic isn't mine. My basement is currently unfinished...a fact my wife keeps reminding me of :^)

When I finished my basement I moved all pipes and vents up into the ceiling joist area and, then I sheet rocked it.

Nice thread...been considering a number of ways to finish my basement ceiling and have considered painting it all black. Considered sheet rock, but wanted easy access to wiring for future planned projects.

When we rebuilt after the house fire, I had the basement raised a foot and all the mechanicals moved to the far end. I couldn't move the well pressure tank, so it was left.

Reason:wanted an indoor archery range.

I built a small wall to protect the pressure tank from any errant shots out of left over flooring (right side)and had an extra door. My son, Smith, came up with the idea of making a moving wall so we could close off the far end of the basement. The far end is a workshop and storage area. Wife likes it as half the basement is finished as "the lodge"...more space for her collection of art.

https://goo.gl/photos/MAFiCumgMVBqnH3i6

The moveable wall is on rollers and when using the range, swings away. I have a 15 yard range, which has been fun in winter months when friends come over. Our basement is a walk out and all finished other than the ceiling.

https://goo.gl/photos/nVfE9UHGkX1Y8mVW7

"Considered sheet rock, but wanted easy access to wiring for future planned projects."

Very big consideration!!! If you drywall the ceiling, you are locking up all your wiring and plumbing which will greatly limit your change/expansion possibilities in the future. One of the great advantages of a basement!

Plus any water leaks will likely destroy your ceiling and require a major repair.

I highly recommend against the drywall ceiling. There are several types of ceiling tile and even those can be painted if you want.

Painting the joists and plumbing, etc. is neat looking, but that will also depend on how neat a job was done on the installation of your wiring and plumbing..... On older homes this stuff can get really messy and unorganized.

All depends where your water lines run with regard to sheet rocking the ceiling. All my water lines are in the unfinished storage areas. Only electrical wires to worry about are the wires that connect my can lights. I did cover some ductwork, but doubt I will ever be changing any of that...

Glunt,

I finished my basement in my last home. I did a drop ceiling. Did not consider leaving everything exposed and painted, mainly because my work pre-dated the trend. I do like that look though!

Looking back I would still go with a drop ceiling. We built that home as well as the one we are in now. I insulated all of the internal walls, and it makes a huge difference. Since our basement had a entertainment room like the one you posted, I put R-19 insulation between the joists so we could really get loud without bothering anyone upstairs. (had a pub as well, where most of the noise came from:))

Since it was insulated well, I wired in a couple 220 heaters which really kept the house even more comfortable than the upper levels. (around 1400sf)They are much more efficient to use.

Anyway, best wishes in whatever you decide. It sure is a fun project, or at least it was at that time.

Exposed ceiling and painted has that modern look to it, but all that stuff turns into a big dust collector.

Sheetrock finished ceiling, if you have a toilet upstairs, and it overflows, and it will at some point, you may have to replace the drywall anyway.

Regarding sheetrocking-in a ceiling and sealing off future possible electrical or plumbing expansions- When we built our house, we ran 1" steel conduit into every room and had it dead-end in a 4x4 electrical box, then ran 2" conduit from basement to attic, just in case. So, if I want to run cable or phone lines or whatever, there it is. If you're redoing plumbing, you're probably tearing everything out anyway.

We also insulated all inside walls, upstairs and down.

As for drop ceiling or not- if you leave it exposed it will be noisier, whereas a drop ceiling does help with noise abatement to some extent.

"On older homes this stuff can get really messy and unorganized."

that's what I'm dealing with - the house was built in the 1920s, and has had 2 small additions put on. the pipes and wiring are a real rats nest.

drop ceiling may be the best option, but i just feel like it is tough to make a drop look sharp. they just always wind up looking kinda cheap in my mind.

In regards to your wood paneling, wipe it down with TSP (knock the sheen off) spackle the groves, prime then texture and paint.

Then there are the cobwebs

"they just always wind up looking kinda cheap in my mind."

Total understand!!! There are many different types and styles now days. Definitely worth taking a look on the internet. Its not just the ole flat 4'x2' panels anymore!

I would recommend sticking with the 2'x2' panels though. They won't start to droop over time like the ole 4'x2' ones did.

how about a combo of both, put in a drop ceiling and shoot it flat black, it will be clean and cool looking and allow access to the rat nests

instead of standard 'troffer' type lights, use some modern little LEDs here and there

good luck either way

Since its an election year, you should go with the "Trump Look". :^)

As Joey would say...

Greg...thought of that, but I'm lazy and that just seemed like too much work ;o)

I was out and about today and had to pick up some stuff and asked if they made black ceiling tiles. Apparently not...

I did find some rolls of underlayment (for wood floors) that was black. Thinking that it could be easily stapled to the joists to cover all. Easy access by cutting through and replacing a piece. Could do the basement with a couple of rolls and only need stapler and step ladder.

Price was less than $50 a roll.

Jack, as a friend, I will say hell no to any of that

drop ceiling is not complicated, at all (kinda)

perimater frame, main Ts, and fillers...then drop in tiles, then spray with flat black cheap ass interior latex

man, wish I had a basement, always have

I helped with the drop ceiling at my wife's church when they bought a new building. It was fairly easy so, after practicing there, I re-did my downstairs bathroom and it looks pretty nice. The more angles and strange cuts you have to do, the worse it looks though. If you can find a perfectly square room that is an exact multiple of the 2x2 tiles, it could look fantastic. Most of my basement has sheetrock on the ceiling which I will have to tear out someday to work on some water pipes and heat vents that weren't done correctly the first time. When I do that, I will follow one-eye's lead with the conduit. That will allow for most upgrades in the future.

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