What can I replace this with?

Ang
by Ang

Hello!!! In my basement - which is a finished basement, and is used as my kids playroom - I had a drop ceiling. We recently began to remove the tiles and found a rodent infestation!!!!! We do not want another drop ceiling. What are other ceiling ideas that is affordable for this basement room!? Thanks!!!

  7 answers
  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Sep 05, 2018

    I often do not put a ceiling back up for my clients. I just spray paint the ceiling and all the stuff up in it black or another very dark color like navy blue. Looks great and disappears like a night sky. Be sure to add nice lighting like can lights around the room and over work areas. Put on dimmer switches and enjoy your new, fully accessible ceiling. The painting makes it look finished.

  • Cindy Cindy on Sep 05, 2018

    Hi there. I'm Cindy. I recommend that you first call an exterminator to be sure the rodents (and their eggs) are completely gone. I would hate for you to replace the drop ceiling just to find a new generation of rodents have moved in. I think you should remove all the pieces of the drop ceiling and install a new dry wall ceiling. That would be your least expensive alternative.

  • William William on Sep 06, 2018

    Problem with using anything else other than a drop ceiling in a basement is you need access to electrical, plumbing, and HVAC ducts. You can buy decoratave panels to replace the ugly standard panels.

  • Lisa Hunt Lisa Hunt on Sep 06, 2018

    I agree with Kelli - just have someone spray it all one color. You could do light or dark. Dark makes everything sort of dissappear like she said, but you could consider light since your ceilings are so low.

  • Karen Brunck Karen Brunck on Sep 06, 2018

    Hi Pri. Like Kellie said, just paint everything a color. You have exposed pipes, etc. below the joists, which is the original reasoning behind the dropped ceiling. I've done a couple of mine in bright happy colors, but my favorite was a white with a few of the exposed pipes painted different colors. It was for a fun kid's playroom.

  • Deborah Perrin Deborah Perrin on Sep 06, 2018

    Gotta go with the paint on this. As this is a kids playroom, I would go with a sky blue & add "clouds" painted white. Put glow in the dark stars around for having "camp outs" in the basement. Also, for lighting, either go with can lights that will stay within the rafters, or do track lighting for their ability to move. LED rope lights are also an option - they're surprisingly bright.

  • Ang Ang on Sep 07, 2018

    Thank you everyone. What should I do with wires!? I am going to paint the ceiling. I love this idea of it being exposed and then I will know for sure that nothing is there!! I am thinking a light color like white. I also love the idea of pale blue with "clouds". The rope lighting sounds very lovely as well. Thanks again for all of your ideas!!