Basement Ceiling Choices Part II – Which type of ceiling best suits a basement: Drop Ceiling or Drywall?

It’s true that finishing a basement can be a massive undertaking.  The choices and options you have when finishing a basement are really endless.  One choice you may not have given much thought to is the ceiling.  What type of ceiling will you want to have in your finished basement?

As we wrote about in Part I of Basement Ceiling Choices, the type of ceiling you put up in your basement will affect the entire home in terms of the home’s style, design, functionality, value and purpose.

At Rescon Basement Solutions, we want you to be entirely satisfied and in love with your finished basement so we install two (2) types of ceilings, the drop or suspended ceiling (ceiling tiles) and the drywall/sheetrock ceiling.

Here in Part II of Basement Ceiling Choices, we are going to talk about the drywall/sheetrock ceiling.

The Drywall or Sheetrock Ceiling for Basements

There are many advantages to using drywall or sheetrock when you are installing and finishing your basement ceiling.  One of the biggest advantages to installing a drywall ceiling is that smooth, finished and home look that ceiling tiles just won’t have.

• A big advantage of having a drywall/sheetrock ceiling in a basement is that loss of headroom will be minimal. Drywall uses less space so it is a good choice when you have low ceilings and need to take advantage of all the headroom possible.
• Drywall will not sag.
• Another advantage of drywall ceilings in a basement is that the look and feel of your basement will better match the whole home and create a natural design flow.

One of the biggest disadvantages of a drywall ceiling is the inability to quickly get at hidden plumbing and wiring. If there is a leak from a sink above for example, damage may occur to the basement ceiling below.  If you are concerned about quick access to an area of plumping or even wiring, this can be solved by installing access panel(s) where the main plumbing is.

But, this possibility should NOT deter you from finishing your basement ceiling with drywall.  Should any water damage occur, the area is simply cut out and then replaced.

You don’t have a drop ceiling on your main floor simply because the floor(s) above could experience a plumbing leak, do you?

Your project manager will help you take into consideration plumbing and wiring and the current headroom of your basement along with how much you may have to give up with a drop ceiling for your basement.