Guest post by Jacques Bouchard
One of the most overlooked and neglected parts of a basement finishing plan is the basement ceiling design.
When a basement ceiling isn’t looking its best, or it’s incompatible with the best lighting for your home, then you simply can’t make the most of your basement makeover.
And when it comes to basement ceilings, Chicagoland Total Basement Finishing of Illinois knows that there are three types-- the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good: Suspended Ceilings
Suspended basement ceilings-- also known as “dropped” ceilings-- consist of white ceiling tiles that are held in place by a metal frame. Suspended ceilings are perfect for a refinished basement- with these advantages over other finished basement ceiling designs:
- Convenient access to plumbing and wiring above the finished ceiling
- Compatible with 2’ x 2’ or 2’ x 4’ fluorescent lighting
- Tiled design helps to dampen sound between finished basement and floor above.
- Faster, cleaner installation
- Able to box out ducts and utility lines with sophisticated design
- Easy and inexpensive to repair damage from leaking pipes
- Damaged, knicked tiles are easier to replace than sheets of drywall
While other options are still being used, dropped ceilings set the standard for remodeling a basement ceiling.
What’s the other popular option, you ask?
The Bad: Drywall Ceilings
Homeowners often try to make their basement look more the upstairs by installing a drywall ceiling in their basement. However, basements are different spaces than the rest of the home, and what’s appropriate on the second floor is not often the best choice for a finished basement.
Basements have fewer windows, more obstacles (such as support beams and utilities), and higher humidity levels than upstairs spaces. Light is precious in a basement, and drywall ceilings are simply not as compatible with the available lighting options as suspended ceilings.
Additionally, drywall basement ceilings are often the victim of household plumbing leaks. The long sheets of drywall will be ruined by even a moderate water issue.
Along with that, these remodeled basement ceilings are susceptible to mold growth when exposed to leaks, condensation drips from cold pipes, and a humid basement.
The Ugly: Cheap Basement Ceiling Tiles
Not all finished ceiling tiles are exactly the same. Cheaper basement ceiling tiles are made from organic materials such as recycled phone books, and their organic makeup makes them just as vulnerable to mold as drywall.
Cheap finished ceiling tiles can sag in the middle over the years as well, lifting the corners and making the ceiling look ugly. Contractors will often cut corners when installing a drop ceiling. Some contractors will install large, 2’ x 4’ ceiling tiles in your basement.
These huge tiles look cheap and unattractive, and they’re only installed to save time and cost on the metal frame and grid work.
Other contractors may install basement ceilings with no molding around the edges, which can leave a finished basement looking more like an office space than a room in your home.
When remodeling a basement ceiling, Chicagoland Total Basement Finishing of Chicago recommends the following:
- Install a suspended or “dropped” ceiling in your refinished basement.
- Use much more lighting than the minimum required by building code.
- Install smaller 2’ x 2’ recessed ceiling tiles.
- Choose ceiling tiles made from mineral wool instead of organic materials.
- Find ceiling tiles that are warranted not to sag or grow mold.
- In play rooms or game rooms, used textured tiles to hide dings and marks.
Local Basement Finishing Contractors in Illinois
When you’re ready to finish your basement- and make it look great for decades to come, Chicagoland Total Basement Finishing is here to help.
And when you finish your basement ceiling, you can count on them to provide the best in finished drop ceiling tiles- with a 30-year warranty against sagging and mold growth!
Chicagoland Total Basement Finishing proudly finished basements Rockford, Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, and Aurora and nearby areas in Illinois, and they would like to offer you a FREE basement finishing design quote. Call or contact them online today to get started!
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