As I am near finishing my basement - I am considering now solutions to close off the ceiling.
I know I don't want sheetrock or any such large, heavy material.
What I decided on is to get ceiling tiles BUT with a few conditions...and ultimately when looking at the many options I would like to clarify a few things:

I like suspend ceiling but don't want to lose 3inches....can I easily shorten the rods to 1.5inch ?

I also like the surface mount faux wood panels that snap together - how easy would it be to remove a small section in the future, in case I need to access pipes / electrical wires? Is it even possible to remove section at a time?

Ultimately - I would like either surface mount (but not interlocking so I can remove smaller sections in the future) or suspend/drop ceiling but only with about 1.5inch drop.

thanks!!

PS: I am looking at Armstrong website where I see a lot of different offerings... any other brands ??

 

Even with 3", you would need the flexible tiles.

It's rare that a small section would be enough work.

 

Pulpo - thanks for the replies, however, I am not sure I understand.

My first question was that since drop ceiling system I have seen are 3 inches or more from the beams, could I possibly cut the hangers to 1.5inch so that the drop is only 1.5inch from the joists/beams ?

and as for removing "small" sections.... I am asking if it is possible to remove individual tiles / planks in random locations in surface mount ceiling. For example....if I just want to add electrical junction box...I don't want to remove half the tiles for a work that requires just a small access

 

The hangers for drop ceiling can be any length you want. The reason you never see them less than 3" is because the closer you are to the joists, the harder (maybe impossible) it is to get the ceiling tiles in place.

The only tiles that will stand a chance at working with that small a space it the flexible fiberglass backed type.

 

PaulSC: yes, you can cut the hangers to whatever size you want. As Keith & I said, you will have to use the flexible tiles.

In theory, removing small sections of a surface mount ceiling would be ok but in real life, small sections are never enough to do repairs.

I would go with the hung ceiling & flexible tiles, if you really want to cover the ceiling. I'm more of a practical person than one who goes for aesthetics.

 

thanks guys.... I think I might step to the direct mount tiles. I don;t want to worry about if I ever can remove one tile at a time...or if it cracks because there is only 1 inch of space

 

rather than opening a new thread.... I wonder.... can people who have installed something like the EasyUp systems...which are ceiling attached directly to the joist from Armstrong, provide some feedback on the easy of removing small sections in the future?

Again, I plan to close the ceiling in my basement but I have all the electrical and plumbing lines running there so would like to know how tough it is to get there in case of future modifications.

Thanks!