Basement Finishing

Hockeyman

Hey I wondering. I am working on finishing my basement and now i have to start working on the ceiling and I dont know what to use a drywall or a drop ceiling. Could someone tell me the best way to do a ceiling in a basement or what you have you used in the past.

Shingle Monkey

Take a paint sprayer and paint evrything black and call it done....

If that doesnt suit you drywall it, framing all the duct work out.

MinConst

I would do a drop ceiling in a basement. You wont loose access to things like pipes, wiring etc. Some people don't like them but in m opinion they are well worth it in a basement.

__________________
Paul
Minichillo's Construction
Website
I will never leave you hanging!

Mike Finley

Things may be a little different out here. I've never seen a "finished" basement with a drop ceiling. Drywall only. That's why the Lord invented sofits.

ron schenker

Mike... How do you troubleshoot a plumbing or electrical problem in the basement ceiling?

Mike Finley

...Cut a hole in it...

Like I said, things might be different out here. But if you go down in your finished basement and your ceiling is a drop ceiling, your basement was either finished in 1971 or your basement actually resides in a commercial building.

Hockeyman

Mike Thanks for the help. But what do you mean by a sofit and could i put a drywall ceiling because i'm gonna have acess to pipes in the storage rooms. one at each end of the basement. I just think drywall will be easy for me to do by myself.

Mike Finley

Sorry, spelled it wrong. Soffit.

A soffit done the really hard way around the beam and that pipe.


Soffits after being drywalled and finished.


Storage rooms you could leave the ceilings unfinished. Any access you need in a finished room can be done with store bought access panels that will just about disappear, they are designed to have about a 1/8 reveal and can be textured and painted, they are held in place by a spring loaded system, or you can go the more DIYer look and just build one anyway that is acceptable to you, it could just be some casing molding with a piece of drywall in it.

Mike Finley

I think that is a young Captain Lou Albano pre Moon Dogs and rubber bands in the face.

Eric K

Mike,
How do you frame those ceiling radius's like that. Very nice work BTW.

Mike Finley

No applause please, not my work, just a stolen image from using google image search to help out Hockey Man. But to do those I have done them a couple of ways, the low tech way is with some ply wood cut for the top and bottom plates and just 2x4s for the studs set on the radius, then 1/4 drywall for the front curve, one of the appropriate Trimtex arched corner profiles for the corner bead.

Paul Nee

I just finished a 900 sq.ft. basement. I installed the drop ceiling in two days(I had to wait for Electrician to do his stuff.) otherwise I would have been done in one day. By far easier to do a drop vs drywall. once it's up theres no mudding ,sanding, painting. It's up it's done. And you have all the access you want for trouble shooting problems. Just my opinion! I like the look of drywall but, I'd much rather place 4 ceiling tiles(2x4) into position than hold up a sheet of drywall by myself and try and screw it in. The crap is heavy up over your head!

Double-A

Thanks for posting on ContractorTalk.com. The Moderators of this forum would prefer if you post Do It Yourself related topics on our sister site www.DIYChatroom.com

ContractorTalk.com is designed for professional contractor's to discuss issues and topics related to the construction and remodeling industries. Many of our professional contractors are also members at DIYChatroom.com and are looking forward to assist you with your needs.

Please take a moment to post your question at www.DIYChatroom.com If your not already a member of DIYChatroom.com you can sign up for a free account by going to http://www.diychatroom.com/register.php/

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. This thread has been closed.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006