Hiding PVC Plumbing Pipes on a Basement Ceiling

No one wants to come into a basement and see exposed pipes and unfinished ceiling joists. It isn’t inviting, and if you’re looking to make a basement into a place to entertain, you may not get many return visits. While not ideal for every space, drop ceilings are the ideal solution to this problem, concealing the unappealing parts of your basement and keeping your visitors’ eyes focused on what you want them to see: the basement. Drop ceilings can be built with ease and allow constant access to areas you might need access to later on.

Choose a design that matches your space. Many homeowners shy away from drop ceilings because they conjure cold images of hospital waiting rooms, public school buildings, corporate offices, and more. However, drop ceilings now come in all sorts of creative and beautiful designs well-suited for most homes.

Plan the dimensions and little details of your ceiling. Do you want a light fixture inside of the ceiling? How thick are your pipes? Do they extend down to the floor? Do you have vents that should be covered? These and more questions should be considered when determining how low your ceiling should go.

Measure the minimum depth of your ceiling and paint a line across the walls so that you have a level guide by which to assemble the ceiling frame. The ceiling should be a minimum of 4 inches from the joists, but given the need to cover pipes, will likely be farther. The total height of the ceiling should be at least 1 1/2 inches lower than the lowest point that needs to be hidden. If your pipes extend to the floor, you can cover them with a simple box frame and drywall.

Locate the wall studs using a handheld stud-finder and mark each stud location with a pencil.

Nail the perimeter molding to the studs at the level you determined. At Inside corners, make one molding flush with the adjoining wall, and secure the other molding in line with the first. Note that there will be a gap between the back of the second molding and the adjoined wall. At outside corners, make both moldings flush with the edge. For a more appealing look, cut the moldings at a 45-degree angle with tin snips to fit them together in a mitered joint.

Calculate the total width of the room to determine the number of ceiling tiles needed. Subtract the total length of the ceiling tiles, generally 2 feet per tile, from the total width of the room and divide the remainder in half. This final number will be the length of the tiles on each opposing wall. Perform a similar calculation between the remaining two walls.

Mark with chalk a line every 4 feet from the starting wall, on each relevant joist, until you reach the opposite wall. This line will be a marker from which you support the ceiling.

Tie a string from the perimeter molding across the room to the opposite side, every 8 feet. This string will be the level you use to ensure that your main runner pieces are even from side to side.

Screw an eye bolt into every three joists along the chalk line and fasten 16-gauge wire to it. Wrap the wire into each main runner and twist it around itself at least three times on each end for security. Ensure that the suspended runners lie against the string. For runners that are shorter than

the length of the room, secure them end-to-end with the built-in tab mechanism. Ensure that each runner is supported every 4 feet.

Connect the cross-tees into each runner, using the hooks and allotted slots that are built into the ends of the tees, spacing the cross-tees 2 feet apart. For 2-by-4-foot ceiling tiles, you can begin to place the tiles into the runner frame at this point. For a 2-by-2-foot system, assemble the 2-foot separators into the cross tees every 2 feet. Then, begin installing the center tiles to secure the structure.

Install the final runners, cut to the measurements specified in your first calculations, into the perimeter molding for the remaining support.

Bring any heating ducts down to the level of your ceiling and acquire an appropriate diffuser. Depending on the end piece of your duct, this will either be a square or round diffuser, installed into the end of the duct. If the duct has to be extended, ensure that it is not leaning under its own weight, adding a structural support beam if necessary to prevent potential collapse of your ceiling work.

Cut any tiles to their finished dimensions using a utility knife, so that they fit along the walls evenly. If you have to install a diffuser on a heating duct, trace around the diffuser on the surface of the ceiling tile and cut to make a hole that will fit the duct diffuser.

Install the ceiling tiles where the duct will be, ensuring that the hole is lined up with the duct, and push the diffuser into position from the bottom of the tile. Screw it into place and install the remaining tiles.

You’ll Need:

Measuring tape

Paint

Paint brush

Handheld stud finder

Pencil

Nails

Hammer

Drop ceiling kit

Tin snips

Chalk

String

Eye bolt

16-gauge wire

Duct diffuser

Utility knife

Screws