Finish an Insulated Basement Ceiling

LESLIE: Next up, we’ve got Bernard in Pennsylvania. What’s happening at your money pit?

BERNARD: When I moved into the house, the basement was not used and what the previous owner did is up on the rafters he put the strips of insulation [1]; you know, to keep the cold air from coming up into the house. I’ve since finished the basement [2] – right? –and what I have left is to cover up the ceiling and what I want to do is just put just simple wood planking just to cover up the ceiling. And my question is do I need to remove that insulation [3] before I cover up the ceiling or can I just cover up the ceiling with the insulation in place?

TOM: When you say insulation strips, is like a foam board across it or is it fiberglass?

BERNARD: Yeah, it’s fiberglass; fiberglass pink strips.

LESLIE: So it’s like a batting [4].

TOM: OK, so it’s batts.

BERNARD: Yeah, in the rafters. Yeah, exactly.

TOM: In between the floor joists. Well, there’s no reason to remove it. Generally you don’t insulate the space between the basement and the first floor, but I will tell you it probably makes the first floor a lot warmer having done that. So I don’t see a good reason for you to remove it. I think that you could put the ceiling finish right on top of that. One thing you might want to consider though, for a ceiling finish option though, is a drop ceiling because that will allow you to remain – that area to remain accessible, which is important …

BERNARD: I see.

TOM: … especially for wiring [5] and plumbing [6] and things like that. A lot of mechanicals run through that particular space of the house.

LESLIE: And Bernard, the drop ceilings today aren’t just those foam panels that are lacking in a ton of character. This railing system itself, the supports; really easy to put up. All you need is a laser level so you know everything is straight and easy to go. And the foam panels that pop in; they can look like vaulted ceilings, coffered ceilings, they can look like pressed tin [7]. I mean there’s a ton of different patterns and items available.

BERNARD: (overlapping voices) Oh, OK. Yeah, I was not aware of that. I thought it was – yeah, that’s what I was trying to keep away from; you know the old, simple, white kind of dull-looking one. But you’re saying they have different options.

TOM: Totally different today. It can look like an old-fashioned tin ceiling, it can look textured; a lot of cool options, so take a look at that.

Bernard, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.