The Basement Ceiling Saga, Final Fight

   After much work and two previously installed ceilings, I could finally get to work on an idea that I knew was the best solution. This would be a daunting task however. I would end up milling all the lumber for this project. After two full days at a table saw wearing a respirator, I would emerge from my shop with a fine new layer of ginger body fur, goggles hazed and my hands frozen. The labor was well worth it, because it gave me the raw materials for a ceiling we now adore.

Wood Slat Solution for Basement Ceiling
   The individual panels run parallel to each other and are suspended between the floor joists. The wood strips meld into a continuous field hiding the true nature of the structure.
   As mentioned before, the panels can be independently removed with ease. This is of great benefit when making unforeseen upgrades to the house's electrical, plumbing and data systems.
Wood Slat Solution for Basement Ceiling   Not being a fan of heavy chemicals, I chose mineral oil for a safe, natural finish. The oil is safe enough to ingest and provides a satin sheen with a deeper, rich color.
   The addition of the wood's warm tone provided a much needed upgrade to the white walled basement gallery. The space has now been tamed and the last vestige of the 1970's is gone. After a short reprieve, the project guy hears another bugle call in the distance, possibly a neighbor in distress?

13 comments:

Unknown said...

How big did you make your panels and how did you make them removable? I really like your ceiling. I have also had the basement from 70s hell. Red Shag, Dark wood paneling, and chipping red floor paint that turns to a river of blood when wet, to the red dust of mars when dried that tracked everywhere.

Manic Maker said...

The panels are constructed from fur strips mounted to crossbars with screws. In order to make the panels removable and seamless, I installed molding around the perimeter of the room. This provides a ledge for the ends to rest on, and enough free play to be able to shift the oversized panels between the joist bay.
Since my span was over 9', I added support to the crossbars (visible in the photo.) The solution I came up with was Romex staples. This allowed me to make subtle tweaks and even out the overall plane of the ceiling. Thanks for your interest.

Asifa said...

This looks great, do you have any ideas for a small area in the basement with removable and aesthetically pleasing ceiling? I wanted to get our sump pump room and our laundry room ceiling to be covered, but also easily assessable to wires and pipes.

Manic Maker said...

Asifa, in response to your question, I chose not to use these panels in our utility room. There were entirely to many pipes and wires to make this system worthwhile. I did wrap all of our copper water lines with foam insulation and painted the PVC waste pipes white. Tidying up the romex with proper staples also helped visually organize the overhead space.

Unknown said...

Thanks for documenting implimentation! I have been planning on doing this for a while and it looks like you took the guess work out of it for me! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Is this ceiling workable with recessed lighting?

Manic Maker said...
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Manic Maker said...

As far as constructing the system of panels, I do not see any reason this would not work with recessed lights. Since I am talking in general terms, your biggest concern will be the proximity of flammable materials and the heat generated by the fixtures when lit. This gets into a touchy area of liability, so ultimately you will have to do further research in order to apply it to your specific site. I do like the idea though, and I think a nice LED trim kit would be an excellent upgrade to this project.

Unknown said...

I would love for you to post instructions on how you built the panels and are able to remove them. Not everyone is as handy as yourself. �� Looks fabulous and is a great idea.

Unknown said...

Did you spray the ceiling black before you added the panels?

Manic Maker said...

I did not spray the interior of the joist bays, the wood was already 40 years old and had a deep amber tone. After the panels were installed, they blocked a good deal of the light from reaching the exposed cavities. In my opinion, it would have been an unnecessary waste of time, and materials. Thanks for your interest, I hope that helps.

Manic Maker said...

The panels are constructed from fur strips mounted to crossbars with screws. In order to make the panels removable and seamless, I installed molding around the perimeter of the room. This provides a ledge for the ends to rest on, and enough free play to be able to shift the oversized panels between the joist bay.

Since my span was over 9', I added support to the crossbars (visible in the photo.) The solution I came up with was Romex staples. This allowed me to make subtle tweaks and even out the overall plane of the ceiling. Thanks for your interest.

Unknown said...

Did you insulate above the slats and were you concerned about Fire Saftey?

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