Semi-finished basement ceiling trouble

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

Love the idea of leaving the ceiling unfinished and open, perhaps painted out, the trouble spot is the space between each joist where the insulation is exposed, what would be a great space filler that would install easily for a diy project? This is an unfinished walkout that is in transition, the space above is a contemporary lake house with industrial touches, so I will be going for a contemporary camp-out look. I haven't been able to paint the stairs and the still raw wood hog wire rail yet as I think it may need to have this trouble spot worked out first.

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

12 years ago

Leaving the joists exposed with allow for sound transfer between the upper and lower floors. It would sound as if someone is directly over your head every time they walk around. The same for rhe upstairs with TV noise or any conversation above a whisper. You may want to think about enclosing the ceiling (after adding insulation for noise/temperature). It looks like you have polished concrete and cinder block walls. I would guess the echo produced in this space would be fairly impressive. By adding in a soft ceiling, you would be eliminating the acoustic issues.

I've had people glue cork flooring tiles to plywood and then screw the plywood to the joists for a quick, easy, noise reducing ceiling. Even better would be 5/8 drywall with cork tiles glued to them. That would offer the same acoustic isolation as a drop down acoustic ceiling (roughly 14 dB). No loss of height (5/8 drywall with 1/8 cork tile = 3/4" loss of height.

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Comments (12)

PRO
Sightlines
12 years ago
Well if you really want to go low-budget and simple, you could get a long piece of cheap fabric and hot glue/staple it up around the perimeter of the ceiling kind of like 4th of July bunting! (Except in your colors rather than red/white/blue.)
Modify concept as you wish--you could hang more elaborate bunting, flags, whatever you like.
rnonwheels thanked Sightlines
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groveraxle
12 years ago
Love this space! A little wild, makes me wanna hang out down here.

I don't know how much work you want to put into this, but I'd probably nail furring strips to the joists and install beadboard. It'd be simple; just a lot of cutting and nailing.
rnonwheels thanked groveraxle
libradesigneye
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
In between joists, to cover insulation, since the rest of the perimeter up high appears to be wood, try faced plywood and notch out for the joists, finish it and the ceiling like the one opposite behind the stair - a little cream paint watered down washed across it . . . will lighten things up but still leave the wood grain . .. Loving that hog wire railing!
rnonwheels thanked libradesigneye
rnonwheels
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Thanks all, these ideas are getting me thinking...Had not even considered the noise transfer, or fabric of any type for this area, and the white washed finish would be campy and cool too. Beadboard just at the top or down the whole wall? We have been here just a year and spent the majority of effort up top, and doing some landscaping to hopefully fix the previously noted water issues in the basement...keeping fingers crossed that the changes have solved it...if I knew for sure more permanent materials would be in the running!
libradesigneye
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I think groveraxle was saying do the ceiling insulated in beadboard. Don't lose the cmu wall . . that is cool and mod.
rnonwheels thanked libradesigneye
jonathan3
12 years ago
We had a basement like this years ago. We spray painted the "ceiling" a chocolate brown color, the walls were a pale tan/cream color, and we just rolled out some inexpensive carpet. We could still access wiring and plumbing if need be and the carpet made it very comfortable in the winter (Michigan). The troublesome insulation showing is a problem. I am not sure about the technical issues such as ventilation, but it seems like a heavy duty screening material available at a metal supply would work which could be spray painted, also. If it needs to be airtight, go with a wood surface that is similar to the joists and box it in. Now we see places like Starbucks with the unfinished joists just painted and it makes us smile because we chose no ceiling tiles becasue we were on a tight budget. Noise was never an issue and we had a lot of kids in and out at the time.
rnonwheels thanked jonathan3
rnonwheels
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks Jonathan, we are Michigan as well! Thanks for the screening idea! I guess if I put a solid wood over it I may need a vapor barrier of some type.
PRO
Sightlines
12 years ago
Noise might not be much of an issue--presumably you're sending the noisy folk DOWN to that space, right? :^) If you do want to cover the ceiling/modify noise, you could get some old sails and staple the corners to the ceiling, hammock-style, with some foam blocks and whatnot thrown in there for noise reduction. Obviously, don't get too close to the hot lights or electrical boxes, or you will find yourself winning a Darwin award, not a design award.
PRO
Sightlines
12 years ago
PS I like Jonathan's screening idea--you could paint designs on the screens.
timberhillsstudio
12 years ago
I am considering installing galvanized aluminum in sheets on the ceiling- drilling holes to mount randomly and reinforce with large washers and possibly add a block between the material and joist, if needed for plumbing lines or wiring that is running thru the ceiling. This will give us the optional access for maintainence purposes but finish off the space.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
12 years ago
Galvanized aluminum would be very noisy...not just for sound transfer but for echoes, etd. Any thumping from above (or below) would cause the aluminum to hum or vibrate. It would be like living in an oil drum.

It would look cool, but you would have to OVER INSULATE it just to make up for the sound transfer/humming vibrating.