This Stunning DIY Ceiling Design Adds The Perfect Finishing Touch To Any Basement
When the folks over at @collins.country on TikTok wanted to fix up their exposed basement ceiling, they had an incredible idea. Rather than spending a ton on covering up the exposed, bare I-jousts, they opted to use them in the design. In their video, they explain that they didn't see any preexisting ideas and instead landed on a solution of their own.
They opted to utilize the joist's lips to make their basement drop ceiling dreams a reality. The DIY duo bought a bunch of drywall, cut the sheets to fit between the joists, and painted everything black. Suddenly, their formerly unfinished-looking basement ceiling was perfect for their family movie room.
What makes this ceiling DIY even more handy is that the drywall pieces are just resting on the I-joists. That means that if you need to get into the ceiling area, all you have to do is pop one of the drywall pieces out like in an office ceiling grid.
This is a cost effective solution
Finishing a basement so it is more liveable is often a homeowner's most onerous task. In part because basements are neglected but also because it can be a cost-prohibitive project. Depending on the size of your basement and the materials needed, you will likely spend between $2 to $6 per square foot covering an exposed basement ceiling.
If the average size of a basement is roughly 1,000 square feet and we estimate about a $4 per square foot cost, you're looking at a $4,000 investment at least. Whereas if you utilize the exposed beams and use drywall slides as @collins.country did, you'll be saving a lot of money.
With an average cost of $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot for just the drywall, doing the ceiling project yourself is significantly less expensive. Assuming again the average 1,000-square-foot basement size at an average of $2.75 per square foot, that's only a $2,750 cost of materials. This DIY project does assume that your exposed basement ceiling has I-joists though with a lip for easy drywall installation.
Try decorative tiles instead
When you're working with I-joists, you aren't limited to doing just a plain drywall ceiling like the one these creators made. You could also consider a fun decorative tile pattern. In lighter colors, these will help brighten up a room. For a basement, that's a pretty worthwhile idea. If you're considering tiles instead of sized drywall, keep in mind that joists are usually 16 inches apart, so you'll need tile at least that wide to make it work.
The majority of ceiling tiles are going to be 24-by-24 inches, but locating the appropriate sizes of tile isn't impossible. You can find 15 or 16-inch tiles in a lot of home stores. Before investing in a whole slew of them, be sure the sizing will fit with your I-joists. A 15-inch tile may work if the joist lip is long enough.
Tiles will be more cost-prohibitive than the drywall option. On average, tiles per square foot cost $6 to $8. Even so, tiles can transform a basement space aesthetically, making it a much more welcoming place. You can also divide the basement stylistically so you only need tiles for one section, saving a bit of your budget.