By the time you install a dropped ceiling, the headroom would be below legal habitable space requirements. This is not an area that was designed for living. It cannot be made habitable without a great deal of expense to excavate some portion of it to increase head height. And yes, insulation needs to be covered with a non flammable barrier, walls need to be insulated, you need additional modern electrical run, and you need an escape access.

thanks Sophie Wheeler. Yes, I understand it not being inhabitable space. That's why I asked the Houzz community specific questions:

- WHAT to cover insulation with;

- How to make the joists look better;

- How to get rid of concrete dust (just had a 130ft of drilling to put drain in).

As for electrical and systems, it's all fully upgraded - quite nicely :)

You could use a single layer of foil insulation to the bottom of the joists and tape the seems with foil tape. A good foil installer could make it look good. It is important that you check the fire retardant rating of the foil if you do this.

@1818Federal Was this house built in the 1900's? If you pull back the insulation near the exterior foundation wall, do you see bricks on top of the plate in between floor joists?

Hi GN Builders L.L.C and thank you !

built 1818. no bricks in between the floor joists. Balloon construction, so floor joists don't touch the exterior 13" brick wall. No foundation exterior wall insulation, other than around windows.

Fyi, Exterior walls throughout living space are insulated.

Thanks! I thought so that house had to be of earlier that era. I did a house like that built in 1900's and it had what they called "brick nogging" is when a wall cavity was filled with brick instead of insulation.

Good luck with it, I'm sure you will come across some interesting things during remodeling process.

GN Builders L.L.C how about painting the insulation and joists ?

On the dust: Will hosing the concrete settle the dust?

Concrete would have to be power washed and sealed with a good floor guard paint or sealer. The concrete is probably only 1-2" thick, they use to do rat slabs back then just to cover up the dirt. Tap on concrete and if you have a hollow sound, there is not much concrete there.

Another concern is moisture which comes up from bellow, that can be problematic to any floor finish.

The joist you have to scrape and get all that loose stuff off and you can spray it to cover up. If there is not much air circulation you will always have dust no matter what.

As insulation goes, you don't really need for a basement, most people use to block the sound, etc. I wouldn't paint it, it will not hold.

Around here if budget allows, most people dig down, install under slab pipe tied into the sump pump pit, insulate and damp proof the slab and make a habitable basement.

I hope it helps, Good luck

No ceiling insulation needed, even if exterior basement walls are not insulated?

Exterior walls are required to be insulated.