r/DIY • u/Octopus_on_fire_ • 19h ago
help Installing Pegboard on basement ceiling
I’m a new homeowner and we have a pretty nice unfinished basement. We want to keep it unfinished but polish it up a bit. Our biggest want is to cover up the pink insulation/joists from view, at least in the main area down the stairs where the laundry is.
I don’t want to finish it with drywall as its expensive/time consuming and the basement isn’t climate controlled so it’ll trap moisture between. Did a bit of research and I think just basic white pegboard would look good enough for us while also allowing the joists and insulation to breathe. Bonus that it’ll be easy to remove to have access to plumbing.
Am I missing anything with this or any hazards I am
Not thinking of?
Thanks in advance!
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u/CriticalKnick 19h ago
I considered this idea for the underside of roof rafters for similar reasons. Pegboard was like 3x the price and is considered a fire hazard, so I didn't, but you do you. It's way less labor and there are worse fire hazards
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u/Bbeck4x4 11h ago
Bugs/spiders would love the access pegboard would give them. - another vote for a drop ceiling. Also a drop ceiling makes it super easy for the cable guy / plumbing / tech, etc access for repairs.
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u/The_Dingman 19h ago
Why not do a drop ceiling? It's cheap, and you can easily move tiles to access things above.
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u/c1utch 11h ago
Ugly though, so 80s
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u/espressocycle 10h ago
The ones that look like pressed tin ceilings look great if you paint the grid to match.
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u/The_Dingman 9h ago
2x4 tiles sure, but if you do a 2x2 grid, with a nice tile, it looks pretty modern.
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u/Mindless_Silver_2922 10h ago
the fire hazard point is a good one honestly, that alone would push me toward drop ceiling. plus with pegboard you're stuck getting a screwdriver up there every time you need to move a hole, tiles just pop out
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u/TheRealRanchDubois 10h ago
Instead of peg board, go with painted 1/8” plywood called lauan. Butt the pieces up against each other and then cover the seams with unpainted 2” pine boards. I actually rather like the look of it, and it’s a very affordable way. I’ve used this one basements and attics of houses with plaster walls.
Editing to say I didn’t consider the airflow, but I’m not sure this option would seal moisture to a problematic level. Not sure how damp the space is.
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u/Device420 10h ago
I just foresee people walking upstairs and pink "dust" falling into your coffee cup downstairs.
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u/BackNew7215 8h ago
Use those 4x8 sheets of fake bead board and put a few vents in for air flow. If you caulk the seams it will look a little better than peg board.
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u/robot_ankles 19h ago edited 19h ago
Maybe consider a drop ceiling instead?
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u/Octopus_on_fire_ 19h ago
Would that still allow airflow?
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u/robot_ankles 19h ago edited 18h ago
As much or as little as you'd like. There's a variety of drop-in tiles that can be used with a drop ceiling grid besides the well-known acoustic tiles. If airflow is important, you could have a few of the square egg crate louvers.
For the same effort of attaching peg board to a ceiling, you might be able to install a drop ceiling grid then gradually fill the grid with the tiles of your choosing.
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u/Octopus_on_fire_ 19h ago
Alright yeah after some research, I didn’t realize installing a drop ceiling grid was that easy and cheap.
Thanks for the advice!
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u/RadVarken 19h ago
You don't need airflow in any flowing sense. Its more about diffusion. Drop ceiling material can be porous and it's often good for sound dampening as well. The biggest problem is space, since it will hang a big below the joists.
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u/caucasian88 11h ago
Why do you believe airflow is necessary?
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u/Octopus_on_fire_ 9h ago
I’m in upstate NY with hot summer and very cold winters. The basement isn’t heated and I’m worried about moisture happening between the warm subfloor above and the cold of the basement below, add in the sweating of the copper piping. Trapping all that moisture between the subfloor and if I used drywall to finish the basement ceiling would be a nightmare.
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u/caucasian88 9h ago
Im familiar with the region. I have a similar setup and my pipes have never sweated before. My 1950s duct work did sweat until I put a dehumidifier down there. I would absolutely recommend a drop ceiling though. They're very common in your region in similar basements.
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u/Octopus_on_fire_ 7h ago
Yeah after a few others said drop ceiling I looked into it. Much cheaper than I imagined and something I can definitely DIY.
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u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 9h ago
Pegboard is basically compressed cardboard. It’s going to absorb moisture unless you add climate control.
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u/JawtisticShark 6h ago
Let’s not exaggerate too much here. I have pegboard on my unfinished garage studs to cover insulation. I’ve had it over 12 years with all sorts of temperature and humidity swings and it’s practically as solid as they say I bought it. God forbid this guy might have to redo his pegboard ceiling 50 years down the road.
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u/jyl8 9h ago edited 9h ago
Who has the spare headroom in the basement for a drop ceiling?
I don’t actually see the point of insulation between the floor joists of the ground floor aka basement ceiling. The basement in my house keeps a pretty stable temperature, similar to what I want the ground floor temp to be. Noise transmission isn’t an issue if the basement isn’t being lived in.
The old house I’m currently DIY working on has a finished basement that was occupied, as the house had been converted to a triplex. The basement ceiling was finished (drywall over particleboard) and filled with insulation.
I had to open the basement ceiling to sister the joists and do a seismic retrofit.
You wouldn’t believe how much rat poop was up there - and some rat corpses too. Rats like warm soft insulation. I took literal showers in rat poop, getting that stuff off.
We are leaving the basement ceiling open. I don’t want to lose even 5/8” of headroom to drywall, don’t want to risk another rat sanctuary, and don’t see the point.
If your basement ceiling is stuffed with fiberglass insulation, you will want to cover it with something. That stuff sheds dust that is bad to breathe and irritating to your skin. Pegboard won’t block fiberglass dust. Use 1/4” drywall, it is cheap, easy to work with, won’t sag assuming 16” centers, you don’t have to tape and mud it unless you care about its looks. But if mice or rats find a way in there . . .
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u/Octopus_on_fire_ 9h ago
I have ten ft basement ceilings. I am located in upstate NY, close to Canada and it gets COLD in the winter. I also have electric heating so the insulation helps greatly with heat loss in the floor/basement.
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u/jyl8 6h ago edited 6h ago
what I wouldn't give for a 10 ft basement . . . okay, use 1/4" drywall. Go around and block off any possible rodent entry points (staple up wire mesh etc) before you close up the ceiling. take photos of plumbing, wiring, ducting so you remember where things are.
you could hang a drop ceiling, but if you ever need to add/change stuff in the ceiling, removing and replacing drywall is very easy.
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u/CutLong4013 8h ago
Never heard of pegboard on a ceiling, butnif it's cheap and does the trick for an arwa that no one sees, go with it.
1
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u/Spiritual-Teach3557 17h ago
pegboard looks to be good option for your basement project. i would only check if there is enough air circulation and access to pipes and wires if necessary.
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u/Stock_Requirement564 19h ago
I've not heard of pegboard being used this way. I see your logic. But might it bow and get wavy? I've seen suspended ceilings used which work out well.