Drop Ceiling? (1 Viewer)

[ScottH]

I'm currently framing out my basement, and while my current plan calls for a drywall ceiling, I still have the idea of a drop ceiling in the back of my mind. I definitely don't like the industrial "tile" look of a standard drop ceiling, but I was wondering if there are other options out there that I might consider, that look a lot better? Basically, I'm hoping someone out there will be able to talk me into doing a drop ceiling instead of the drywall (mainly because of the time I'd save). If I do a drop ceiling, with the height the same throughout, I'd be looking at about 7'8" height. As I said, my biggest issue with the drop ceiling is the "look".

 

[Glenise]

I wanted drywall instead of drop ceiling but I didn't have a choice because of pipes in the ceiling.
As long as your walls, floor, accesories and other accents look nice, I'm sure you will get a lot of complements on your room.

 

[Glenise]

Here is what I can find so far for picture of rooms with drop ceilings.
I assumed since www.hometheaterforum.com and avsforum.com admins know each other that it was ok to post these two pictures.

 

[KrisPfeiffer]

I also have a dropped ceiling. It was already in place when I bought the house. I did tear down the existing (crappy) grid and installed new grid. I used the old (cheaper-looking) tile, but I think I may replace it someday with nicer looking panels.

I kept the ceiling mostly because I wanted the flexibility to add wiring, etc. for both downstairs and upstairs (I live in a ranch home). Also, I think hanging drywall above me would have driven me nuts.

The drawback so far? Hmmm...there are some tiles that rattle a bit, but I've taken care of those by cranking up the subwoofer and hunting them down. I put little pads between the tile and the grid to stop it.

See photos at http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]=/HomeTheatre

Kris

 

[Jim Tressler]

Wow Kris, thats a damn fine job you did! What are the dimensions of the room?

thanks!
jim

 

[KrisPfeiffer]

Thanks for the nice comments.

I think it's about 15' wide and 30' long...that's an approximate size.

Kris

 

[Glenise]

Just cut and paste the link in your browser.

http://www.geocities.com/myhometheater/ceilingtile3.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/myhometheater/ceilingtile4.jpg

 

[Mike OConnell]

First off, don't be fooled that a drop ceiling will take less time to install or be cheaper than a drywall ceiling. If you use quality panels versus 5/8" drywall, the drywall will be cheaper to install and finish - and possibly take less time.

I would not even consider a drywall ceiling and am glad I did not. Since installation of my ceiling in 2000 I have accessed the area above the ceiling several times for various HT upgrades and miscellaneous house wiring projects.

Here is a link to my basement. I am very happy with the project.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/bbs/...ent/28828.html

Mike

 

[steve*joh]

try the cieling tiles available from Illbruck for a nice look and superior acoustics

I can't post the URL, but you can find them easily with a search engine.

it will cost a bit more, but they work very well

Steve

 

[Larry*S]

My whole basement had a drop ceiling, so I decided to try and do a dry wall one for my HT. (Im still in the construction phase)

My room is about 9ft by 17ft.
I also have pipes.
I got around this by using joists to lower my ceiling by about 6 inches (basically framing out the ceiling and leaving enough room for the pipes & electrical).
Knowing I was going to need access in the ceiling to run wires, I created a 4ft by 7 ft raised area in the center of the ceiling. In this area, the dry wall is screwed directly to the original ceiling cross beams (I was able to do this, because no pipes are located in this area)
Because this center area is raised about 6 inches higher than the rest of the ceiling, I can get my arm in there and maneuver all the wires i want. Im planning on closing up this gap with black material, carpet, whatever, so cosmetically its not an eyesore, and still allows me access.

It may be hard to picture what Im talking about, so il try and post some pics tomorrow.

The drop ceiling would definately allow you easier access, but the way i designed my ceiling, its definately functional, looks more finished and professional (not like a basement.

larry*s

 

[Craig Forsythe]

Its not a very clear picture, and of course it's not fully finished (the usual mistake of setting up the projector when the room is only 80% done) but here is what I have for a drop ceiling. I think it looks nice.

members.shaw.ca/craig/HT/pic2.JPG

uh..you have to copy and paste that into address of course. I'm a lurker, not a poster)

 

[Doug S]

Scott:

There are many architecurally pleasing ceiling panel designs available. I installed a suspended ceiling in my HT
and it does not look "basement-like." I chose a solid core panel, 2'X4' each in size (not styrofoam flexible) that has a 5" grid design on the surface. The ceiling support pieces fit seamlessly in between the grids, hiding, or disguising all the tracking. I think by eliminating the "flat panel" look of the ceiling, it added a different dimension to what people expect basement ceilings to look like.

Prior to the installation I insulated the joist area with fibreglass batting, as an extra measure to soundproofing. The panels also have an accoustical rating, and sound transmission, while not completely eliminated, is reduced sufficiently.

As mentioned in other replys, the downside is vibration noise, but a little patient fine tuning with a test disc of low frequency sounds will beat that problem. The upside is easy access, a point I enjoyed when relocating my subwoofer wiring... across the ceiling , snaked through the wall and Bam..done.

Price-wise drywall is no doubt cheaper, but messier and not as flexible to access down the road. My 12'x20' ceiling was professionally installed in 3 hours @ a cost of 530.00 (CDN)labour and material.

I can forward a photo at a later date if you like

Go for it!



Doug

 

[Rick_T]

We did a combination of drywall/drop ceiling. The rest of our house has crown molding and we wanted to keep that option open. I am running network in addition to speaker wires overhead and absolutely would not compromise on having access to the areas I needed. It's kind of hard to tell from our pictures but we have a 12 inch border of drywall all the way around, and then drywall running right below our ductwork. The drop ceiling was definitely more expensive than drywall but I think it was worth it. I can't post links yet but click on my homepage for pictures.

 

[ScottH]

Rick, looks great. Question for you (unrelated to the ceiling)...what height did you make your "half" wall? I'm making a half wall myself and wasn't sure exactly what height to make it.

 

[Rick_T]

Thanks, Scott. Our half wall by the sink is 45 inches high.

 

[Jared Neumann]

I WENT WITH AN ARMSTRONG BLACK DROP CEILING
CHECK IT OUT
WWW.JAREDSTOYS.COM