Refinish your basement with a decorative drop ceiling.
If you're planning to refinish your basement, a drop ceiling may be an inexpensive, and decorative option. Despite an institutional stigma, drop ceilings can be obtained in a variety of styles and colors. A drop ceiling consists of a grid of metal runners and hangers that suspend 2-by-4-foot foam panels. The panel system provides convenient access above the ceiling and, if damaged, individual panels can be replaced quickly. You will need at least 4 inches of clearance between the old ceiling or bare joists, and the new drop ceiling.
Instructions
1. Locate and mark the joists using a stud finder, if a previous ceiling exists. Measure the distance from the floor to the ceiling joists at various points to check for slope in the ceiling. If you discover a slope, choose the lowest ceiling joist height as the reference point for your ceiling measurements.
2. Measure 4 inches down from the lowest ceiling joist, and mark the wall at this height using a pencil. Draw a line on each wall in the room, using the level and a pencil. Check the accuracy of your line by running a leveled string from the lowest joist to the wall at different points along the pencil line.
3. Locate and mark the wall studs along each wall of the room, using a stud finder.
4. Mount the drop ceiling molding to the walls at the stud locations, using 6d nails and a hammer. Align the top of the molding along the pencil lines. Overlap the molding for inside corners. Butt the ends of the molding pieces together when connecting multiple pieces across a long wall. Cut the molding to fit, using tin snips.
5. Measure across the room, in a direction parallel to the joists. Divide this measurement by the ceiling panel length -- typically 4 feet -- to determine the number of panels that will fit across the ceiling. Divide the remainder of this calculation by two to determine the short panel length at either end of the ceiling.
6. Measure and mark this short panel length, from the corner of the wall perpendicular to the joists. From this mark, measure and mark 4-foot increments across the wall. Mirror these measurements along the opposite wall perpendicular to the joists. Snap a chalk line across the joists or old ceiling to connect the measurement points. These lines will be used to align main ceiling runners.
7. Hang the ceiling runners across the room, directly at the center of each chalk line. The ceiling runners should hook into the perimeter molding, or their ends should hook together for extended lengths. Cut excess runner using tin snips.
8. Support the runners from wire attached to every third joist. Fasten eye bolts to the joists, and connect the runners' hanger holes to the eye bolts by looping wire through each, twisting the loops tight. Level the runners by running a string from wall to wall, even with the perimeter moldings. Perform this procedure incrementally across the room until each runner is level and suspended from every third joist by wire. Install additional wire suspension at points where two runners were connected together.
9. Install the between the runners every two feet, across the room. Do not connect cross tees between the runners and perimeter molding. Hook the ends of the cross tees to the slots, located in the sides of the runners, forming a 2-by-4-foot grid pattern.
10. Install the 2-by 4-foot ceiling panels in the grid. Square the grid, and install cross tees between the runners and perimeter molding. Cut the cross tees using tin snips, and install every two feet.
11. Measure and cut the short panels to fit in either ends of the grid, between the last runners and the perimeter molding. Cut the panels to the short panel length using a utility knife. Mount the short panels to the grid.
Tags: cross tees, drop ceiling, across room, panel length, perimeter molding