# How should I put up this ceiling?



## leroyme (Jul 26, 2008)

I have a full finished basement, but it has a HUGE utility room. It is wasted space, just used for storage now. I want to create a "media room" out of this unused space. It would be a fairly quick and easy job, but my ceiling is going to be the hard part. All of the HVAC duct work is going through that room! It is all hung from (or in between) the floor joists, and hang down fairly low. There are two major areas that I don't think I could avoid. They hang down to about 6.5-7'. I think I have two option: install a drop ceiling (with the panels OR creating a dropped frame and hang drywall... I'm thinking drywall if I go this route.) or box in the ductwork... This looks like it would be quite a bit of work, but I haven't done this before. I've hung drywall, and even installed ceiling drywall, but never had to box stuff in before. Here are a few pics for reference:



















What would be the best way to do this? Do you all have any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Matt


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## leroyme (Jul 26, 2008)

By the way, I'd frame off and drywall a new separating wall about 2 ft from that HVAC and water heater.


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## glennjanie (Jul 26, 2008)

Hello Leroyme:
I have seen this idea in several restaurants and think it looks good while preserving headroom. Spray paint the joists and mechanicals with flat black paint, then hang a suspended ceiling in the clear area. Lay in tiles require a 3" space above them to get them in the grid. I think lowering the ceiling all the way below the mechanicals would make you feel closed in.
Glenn


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## leroyme (Jul 30, 2008)

Wow! Good idea, but I'm pretty sure the 3' requirement for the drop ceiling would not be doable. the mechanical components are only 1.5-2', and they are cutting it close! I know what you mean about painting them black, though. Like Chipotle's Mexican restaurant. Looks good, but I don't know how it would look in a house. What do you think about just boxing the mechanicals and installing the regular drywall ceiling for the raised portions?


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## glennjanie (Jul 30, 2008)

Hello LeroyMe:
The boxing and full ceiling sounds good to me; it just takes a lot more time, money and trouble. 
I was not talking about going below the duct work, just paint it and use a floating ceiling near the joists. But then, you may not be as old or as lazy as I am and that's OK too.
Glenn


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## hondadrv24 (Jul 31, 2008)

I'm a fan of boxing the mechanical and sheetrocking the ceiling, I would try to move that one pipe that is out toward the middle of the room if i could though, so you don't have to box it out so much.  (I can't really tell from the pictures what it does, maybe its not movable)
I think the rock finished ceiling looks the best but others will tell you to go with the hanging tiles so that if you need access to the mechanical or plumbing it is easy to do
Justin


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## leroyme (Jul 31, 2008)

The smaller, round tube is just the dryer vent. I can move that. The large, rectangular duct is the outlet from the HVAC system. I can't (within reason) move that. It would require much more work than I want to put into the job, and I don't want to hire an HVAC technician to do the work for me. I will be building a wall about 2' or so on _this side_ of the HVAC system in picture #1-3. To put that into perspective, it's just on the far side of that vent hole cut in the wall on pics #2 and 3. The boxed in portion would be approximately 4-5' from that wall (with the vent cut in it), and would more than likely travel the length of the room. I could install can lights between the two ducts on my (tentatively built) risers in between those two large ducts. I would mirror those can lights on the opposite side of the room. I would have a projector at the end of the room (built into the room, near the ceiling) in picture #4. It will project the screen onto the wall near the HVAC/water heater. I would then have the can lights travel on the left and right sides of the room, on a dimmer. Unfortunately, I will have to install the door near the end of the right wall in pic #4, which will lead from the downstairs bedroom. I have thought about turning this around, and installing the door from around where that hole is cut in the wall, but I do not have the clearance on the other side of the wall. The door and framework for the bedroom would be too close. The only other option would be to go through the utility room, and I'm definitely not a fan of that! Through the bedroom it is! lol In pic number 4, you can see that copper pipe on the left, I will have to box that in, but I think I'll do a nice wooden box, sort of like a circuit breaker box, as that's my main water disconnect. Did you follow all of that?


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## inspectorD (Aug 1, 2008)

Just one more suggestion from the peanut gallery, 
When you close in the utility room, it should not connect to a bedroom, and it needs to have an air makeup vent installed to the room. This can be a louvered door or a vent.
The gas water heater you have will give you issues if the furnace kicks on. The furnace may need more air than what is available to the room and draw air through the exhaust of the water heater, it's called back drafting. 
If you install a carbon monoxide and smoke detector combo down in the new finished rooms, you will sleep better at night. 
Not trying to be a gloom and doomer, it's just too many folks die of carbon monoxide poisoning and do not wake up.
Just playin it safe.


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## hondadrv24 (Aug 1, 2008)

sounds like a good plan to me!!!


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## leroyme (Aug 2, 2008)

Those holes in the wall on the left are the vent holes. On the other side of the wall, there are vents covering the holes. I will keep the proper air circulation in the utility room. Now, why do you say that the utility room can't be next to a bedroom? The utility room is directly next to a bedroom as it is. Granted, it's a HUGE utility room now, but on the other side of that really long wall (just on this side of those holes cut in the drywall) is the downstairs bedroom. I've never heard of this. Are you saying that those vents can't lead to a bedroom? I understand that, but a bedroom and utility room CAN share a wall, right?
Thanks,
Matt


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## inspectorD (Aug 2, 2008)

They can share a wall as long as there are no holes or door leading into each other, and sheetrock on both sides of the wall....whew. 
That is because of carbon monoxide getting into the room, and for fire reasons.
Sounds like you have it covered, just remember the detectors and you'll sleep better.
If you are getting this inspected, ask your folks what they want, no suprises that way.
And when you go to sell, a guy like me will point it out on an inspection...and know that no-one pulled a permit.


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## leroyme (Aug 27, 2008)

So, what all is entailed in pulling a permit? Why is it needed, if it won't actually be a bedroom? If I need one, I need one. That's fine. One more question, I have never framed off a door. I have framed a recessed hole in a wall, and that was pretty easy. Is there anything I should keep in mind when framing in a door? I should attach a 2x4 to one stud, then the other, one across the top of them, supporting the cut frame rail, right? Thanks in advance!
Matt


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## inspectorD (Aug 28, 2008)

It is good to get a permit so the local inspector can get richer....no wait, so you can be safe.  
They will check your electrical outlets you install, and heat scources to the room. And make sure anything I mentioned was done to a good standard.
Building inspectors are there to help, and keep us safe. Most folks get the horor stories of bad inspectors and don't tell anyone about what they are doing. Bad move, if there is a problem and someone gets hurt or dies, the blame all comes down on you. And your insurance may not cover you if your house burns to the ground.
Those are the extremes, but that part never makes the newspaper. Being a home inspector myself, I see the bad stuff that happens. That is also one reason I'm here, to head those issues off, and help folks avoid the nasty issues that arise.
That's my rant on inspections, be safe. 

I put up a link for framing in another section , check it out.
http://books.google.com/books?id=E5...X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA201,M1


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## cbeagle (Mar 20, 2011)

have u ever watched the shows on tv that are on hgtv where they redo rooms in a house? well i watched one where they had a living room like ur basement.. they boxed in the duct work and put drywall up everywhere else, and as for the furnace u could box that in as well with enough room around it to be able to get to it and add a door on it... its a great space to make a media room! good luck


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## joecaption (Mar 21, 2011)

By the way that hot water heater was installed wrong. It was suppost to be sitting up on a steel stand to get it up and away from drafts, away from the concrete so the bottom does not rust out and up away from any flamable fumes near the floor. It was also suppost to be sittig in a pan so if it ever leaks the water goes to a drain not on the floor.
Your also going to have to use 5/8 fire rated sheetrock on any walls or ceiling and there's going to have to be a louved door or at least a vent in the door where the heating system and water heater are for make up air.


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