Basement Ceiling Ideas – Both Old And New

One of the tasks that homeowners encounter when turning a storage area into living space is coming up with ideas for basement ceilings. Ceiling ideas for basement can transform the space into anything from a low cost, comfortable nest to a professional office space.

Consider Cloth

While not that common a choice, using cloth as a ceiling covering provides many advantages. First, its cost completely depends on the material used.

Using heavy cloth as a basement ceiling can actually create a minor sound barrier between the living areas above and below the ceiling. Footsteps from above, excited cheers from below as someone watches a game or plays video games – this sort of thing can be disruptive to people in both areas. Muffling these sounds even slightly results in a better enjoyment of the areas.

Color and texture are as simple as choosing a material. A fairy castle for a little princess, a cowboy theme for a man-cave, an exotic harem – these are all easily created by choosing an appropriate cloth and color as a ceiling hanging. Building a comfortable, immersive theme provides an environment that is more relaxing and fun.

Cloth ceiling covering is easily removed. This is a huge advantage to using cloth. In a maintenance emergency, being able to quickly remove the ceiling covering to make repairs could save massive costs. Repair problems getting progressively worse or collateral costs from gaining access to floor joists or overhead pipes and wires are eliminated by choosing a ceiling covering that is easily removed. In addition to maintenance, being able to remove the ceiling covering easily provides great customization of the area. A space that a 5 year old might consider heaven rapidly becomes an embarrassment when he or she grows older. Changing the space to reflect changing tastes is quick and easy when using a cloth ceiling covering.

The Old Stand-by

For the vast majority of residential basement ceilings, gypsum board attached directly to overhead joists is the ceiling finishing method of choice. This creates a clean, easily painted surface. Gypsum board ceiling covering is middle-of-the-road in terms of price. The method does have one major disadvantage though: any repairs or maintenance work done overhead requires destroying and replacing part of the ceiling. While not a common occurrence in most homes, the mess, inconvenience, and cost are things to consider when choosing this ceiling covering method.

Going Professional

At the top in terms of installation cost, the professional appearance of a suspended ceiling is difficult to surpass. The same ceiling cover found in most offices, suspended ceilings allow easy access for maintenance and repairs. Also, the individual tiles can be replaced inexpensively and easily in comparison to other ceiling covering methods. There are two disadvantages with suspended ceilings: they waste space and the suspension grids are somewhat fragile, so they might not be the best choice in a space with low clearance or that will be used for rambunctious activity.

A playroom for the kids, a man-cave for poker night, and an office for a home business – a basement can serve all these functions. Choosing the right basement ceiling ideas can be geared to the space’s specific purpose.

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