The Home Improvement Thread

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

How is that stuff? I have a water stain on one of my ceilings, I'm not crazy about the idea of re-painting the whole damn thing so is this stuff any good?

Seems worth a shot. At worst you paid a few bucks and still need to repaint the whole thing. At best you saved some money and a bunch of time.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

How is that stuff? I have a water stain on one of my ceilings, I'm not crazy about the idea of re-painting the whole damn thing so is this stuff any good?

That's for painting ceiling tiles in a drop ceiling. If you need to paint buy those 18" rollers it cuts the time in half.

[mlmdub130]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

How is that stuff? I have a water stain on one of my ceilings, I'm not crazy about the idea of re-painting the whole damn thing so is this stuff any good?

matty if you are covering up a water stain you have to use an oil based paint. it's a pain in the ass to clean up, but water stains will bleed through water based latex paint. best bet is to buy some oil based primer sealer in a spray can, spray the area and come back and go over it w flat white ceiling paint. it sounds like a pain, but isn't too bad, just takes time, it's the only water to properly cover up a water stain.


and as for drop ceiling vs drywall, only use drop ceilings where you are forced to. no matter how well built the ceiling is it will require more maintence than a drywalled ceiling 9 times out of 10. THE MAIN THING YOU NEED TO DO WHEN INSTALLING DRYWALL IS USE SCREWS AND GLUE. if you hire someone make sure they do this. it will save you from many nail pops down the line.

and lastly as far as pricing goes, not sure about where you are in va, but in northen va you are looking at around $40 a sheet, hung and finished. you could probably find someone to do it a little cheaper, but then you'd be calling someone like me to come and fix their mistakes. it's easier and cheaper to do it right the first time.

[FRPLG]

The only place I'd ever use a drop is in a place where is provided some actual functional value. Offices, rooms with constructed ceilings heights that are not conducive to the primary function, etc...

[firstdown]

I agree hanging dry wall as a DIY project is not easy and a drop ceiling would be alot easier but more expensive. I have done my share of dry wall and found that the ceiling is much harder then the walls.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Just got to read all your posts and I really appreciate all the input.

The house is a new build, so we won't really know about any existing plumbing issues. Also, if people are saying Sheetrock is cheaper, I would definitely do that route. The workout room will be the only closed room really while the rest of the basement would be around 1000-1200 sq. ft.

Monkeydad, I actually didn't mind the look of those at all.

Everyone else: I think we can offset the cost of hiring a pro to do the ceiling since my dad and I can do the walls and floors.

So based on what everyone said, I THINK I'm gonna' go with Sheetrock. Thanks all!

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I was looking at some estimate websites and I'm reading it should cost around 1500-2000 for materials and labor. Does that sound about right?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

I was looking at some estimate websites and I'm reading it should cost around 1500-2000 for materials and labor. Does that sound about right?

for what part?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

for what part?

Sheetrock ceiling and labor.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Sheetrock ceiling and labor.

How big is the room?


I plan to fix some cracks in my plaster within the year, and I plan on doing it via drywall. DIY of course.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Sheetrock ceiling and labor.

That seems high. Especially considering there are plenty of contractors needing work. Is the room huge?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

That seems high. Especially considering there are plenty of contractors needing work. Is the room huge?

Pretty big. For both rooms, it'll be around 1600-1700 sq. ft.

[Schneed10]

Drop ceiling is much more practical, dads are right as usual. Don't you have any electrical running along the ceiling in your basement? We did. How about your backup FiOS battery, or whatever other support system you have for phone. All that kind of stuff needs to remain accessible.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Drop ceiling is much more practical, dads are right as usual. Don't you have any electrical running along the ceiling in your basement? We did. How about your backup FiOS battery, or whatever other support system you have for phone. All that kind of stuff needs to remain accessible.

News flash. You have electrical and plumbing running along your house every where. Might as well have drop ceiling and removable panels on the walls throughout. It really isn't a major issue to access the ceiling through drywall. Sure if you have to do it on any type of regular basis it could make sense to drop it but there should be no need for that type of access really.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Drop ceiling is much more practical, dads are right as usual. Don't you have any electrical running along the ceiling in your basement? We did. How about your backup FiOS battery, or whatever other support system you have for phone. All that kind of stuff needs to remain accessible.

I'll have wires, but FiOS remains a distant dream where I live.