Dropped Ceilings: Adding Coziness To Your Remodeled Basement

by: Liz Roberts

The biggest challenge of any basement renovation is making the basement warm and cozy. A dropped ceiling can help with that. It hides unsightly ducts and pipes, giving your new den or home theater room a more comfortable “main floor” look. You can install it by yourself or hire a contractor. It is a relatively easy project and one with a worthwhile result.

Most homeowners usually do the car siding first , then the drywall, and finally the ceiling. This is probably the most logical way of refinishing. Remember to check all ducts and pipes before starting your project. A dropped or suspended ceiling will hide any electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems. You should chart how you want your ceiling, using graph paper (which can be bought at your local hardware or do it yourself store). Remember that this layout is similar to laying out a tile floor. Always draw the room to scale on graph paper first. Find the room’s center, then adjust the centerline so that there will be equal sized tiles on each side of the ceiling.

Snap a level chalk line as well or draw a level line around the perimeter of the room ¾” above where you want your dropped ceiling height to be. Install wall angles or wall grids on the level line. These will hold the ceiling tiles that rest against the wall. Cut these to length , using a hacksaw or tin snip ( extremely sharp shears made specifically for cutting metal). For inside corners cut at a 90 degree angle while for outside ones cut at a 45 degree angle. Install along the chalk line using self taping drywall screws into studs(use your stud sensor to locate these studs) Now snap another chalk line across the joists where the grids are going to be located. (the first snap should be along the adjusted measurement across the length of the room). Then measure about every two feet and snap more chalk lines. This is where your main tee beams will be installed. Install lag screws (large boltlike screws) or screw eyes at 2 inch intervals. Use a special lag bit that attaches to your drill for these. Now attach hanger wires (make sure that these have an 18 gauge.)Hang your main tees to the wires running across the ceiling joists. Pull each hanger wire through the round hanger hole in the tee. Check level. Bend hanger wire up and around, twisting the ends to secure. Tightly twist wires (3 ½ full turns). If the nearest hanger hole is not directly below the screw eye, then adjust the hanger accordingly. IMPORTENT: The holes in your main tee that hold the cross tees must stay in alignment otherwise you’ll wind up with a skewed looking ceiling.

Trim the main tee at the wall so that the slot lines up exactly with the first row of cross tees. Now insert your ceiling panels. Insert the corner first and then one row at a time. Install some ceiling panels and then alternate with cross tees (this makes for a much easier installation). Install cross tees. Now push them through until you hear a click.

Cut your ceiling tiles to measure using a utility knife. Measure and mark on them where they need to be cut to accommodate obstructions (such as any electrical wiring, as well as phone or cable lines). Also mark and measure the tiles that will be installed along the wallsbecause they will be less than full (complete) tiles. Place straight edge along marks and make a couple of passes with the utility knife and snap. Once the tiles are cut to fit, you need to cut what’s known as a “shadow” or recessed area. This is the trim or molding edge. You can use your utility knife or any cutting tool that can give you razorlike precision There is also a special tool that can create the perfect reveal. You only need to use it twice to get the right shadow.

Once your ceiling tiles have been installed, you can add overhead lighting and painting to soften the look. Most homeowners paint their ceilings white however you can use any color you’d like as long as you use latex paint.

A dropped ceiling is a nice addition to any finished basement. The tiles polish off the room while hiding ducts and plumbing yet they can be removed if any problem arises. A dropped ceiling combines the practical and the decorative to give your cellar area a more ‘main floor’ look.