I wanted to know what my best option for a basement ceiling would be for my home. It is an older home(1930-40's) twin in philadelphia. The ceiling in the basement now is exposed with piping, wires, etc all over and at different heights. and is relatively low already about 6.5 with the lowest pipe hanging. What would be the best ceiling to install?

 

Think twice about anything permanent. All that piping and wiring needs maintenance. Drop will loose another 2-3 inches but still allow access. I have seen drop, plywood panels, drywall, and even someone who just painted everything. If you are really sure you never need to get in again, put up drywall. Maybe a few openings for clean outs on plumbing lines.

 

Also consider relocating some of those utilities, either to raise them or to group them so that one or two soffits can cover them all.

 

Hey, I am in the same boat. I am 6'6" tall and do not want to lower my ceiling any lower than it is. I have decided to paint the whole ceiling with a glossy black paint. It looks pretty good so far and I am still able to get to my pipes and electrical if a problem ever arises. I figure I will add some track lighting directly on the ceiling joists, hopefully this will give a nice accent to the glossy paint. I might add some round ac venting around some pipes just to give it a warehousey look. One thing I was wondering was can I paint hot water pipes with this paint? Any suggestions.

 

The black ceiling paint sounds like a good idea. It would definitely save some money. I don't think that a person is restricted to not painting things such as water pipes - but I'm not 100% sure.

A question I have about this. What do you do where the top plate of a wall meets the ceiling? It would give a finished look where the wall and the joists run parallel, but what about where the wall and the joists run perpendicular? There would be gaps between the top of the basement wall and the subfloor above. Is there anything to finish these gaps?

 

Hmmm. Not to sure about that one. I just finished painting my ceiling and have not worked on the walls yet. Sorry, but will let you know when I reach that point. Gives me something to think about. About water pipes, you can paint hot and cold water pipes as long as you use a paint that will stick. I just covered my cold water pipes with black insulation covers to stop condensation from forming in the summer.

 

so what is the best paint - flat, semi-glossy? do they stay on pipes and wires? I am to paint the ceiling and make it a warehouse look. Any further ideas to share?

 

I have done a few things in my basement. My ceilings are low(7ft) with many pipes and ducts. I have the main ductwork for the hvac running thru the middle of the basement, so I painted the ducts with a textured paint. Looks good. I did have to prime the ductwork with galvanized primer first. Then, I painted everything in the ceiling on one side a very dark blue. It looks black. There were a lot of pipes and obstructions, so a drop ceiling was not possible. It looks really cool, like a restaurant or a bar. This is the side of my basement that has the pool table and bar, so it works out. On the other side of the basement I used CeilingMax drop ceiling kit. These plastic pieces attach directly to the joists, so no headroom is lost. www.ceilingmax.com You can get them at HD or Lowes. It is more expensive than a conventional drop, but worth the headroom.

 

A flat dark color looks the best. I used a dark blue. It looks black and hides everything. You don't even notice electrical wires or pipes.

 

That CeilingMax looks pretty cool. You could try to get as much as you can of your plumbing, etc... up above the bottom of the joists. Then some pipes may need to protrude the ceiling here and there and you could just paint those. Easy access with those tiles and no loss of headroom. Acoustic tiles may help keep the noise from the pool room from traveling upstairs.

 

Do you paint ceiling first before getting the basement finished or wait until you complete the basement wall frame?

 

I framed in the basement first, ran all the electrical, then painted the ceiling before hanging drywall.