 | Mike Goebel
has been involved in the construction and home improvement industry for more than 40 years and is currently the Senior Vice President of the Home Center Division at Star Lumber & Supply Co. Inc. You may contact Mike by e-mail at mgoebel@starlumber.com or by phone at (316) 942-2221. |
Home Improvement
2003-03-01 14:09:00
How about a suspended ceiling?
: We want to finish our basement. Our present ceiling is open joists. Is a suspended ceiling the best solution? How expensive is it?
ANSWER: A suspended ceiling offers some real advantages over the permanent variety. First, it conceals obstructions attached to the underside of the joists, yet allows easy access for fixing pipes or adding wiring later on. Suspended ceilings are also better sound barriers than drywall ceilings and since you level the ceiling as you install it, the existing joists need not be level or even straight. With a suspended system you can add insulation and install ceiling lights by simply removing an acoustical panel and replacing it with a special drop-in fluorescent fixture. You can even add a drop-in that has a built-in heating element. If noise is a big problem, there are special acoustical panels that work well. The face finish on panels extends from a soft flat decorative look to a hard plastic finish that can be washed using strong degreasing and cleaning solutions. Some people even apply faux sky and cloud finishes to ceiling panels giving an otherwise boring basement a whole new outdoors look and feel. The possibilities are endless. It isn't that difficult to do either. You can figure that labor for an average room is approximately 2 days and materials will run $300 - $400 depending on the cost of ceiling tile. You'll need two special tools for this job - aviation snips and a water level. Aviation snips easily cut the light-gauge metals used to support acoustical ceilings. They're designed for maximum leverage and have a spring action that opens the tool after a cut's been made. A water level works on a simple premise - water always seeks its own level, so water contained in clear plastic tubing can be used to locate points around the room that are exactly at the same level. Another option for leveling your ceiling is a laser level, a high tech easy to use device that can be set up in one spot and used all over the room. A red line shows up at the same level and aids the installer in setting the wall angle and every hanger wire in the room. Laser levels have come down in price (well below $100). While that may be a little pricey for one project, they can be used for other projects from hanging pictures to setting fence posts. If you have access to one, I'd highly recommend using it to assure that every point in your new ceiling is dead level.One advantage of a drywall ceiling is that it uses only ½" of ceiling height. This can be the deciding factor in many low ceiling situations. If done correctly a drywall ceiling can look very professional and has the advantage of not showing the 2' by 4' grid system. Usually that means a professional did the job. Drywall installation and finishing are usually tough for a do-it-yourselfer.
