Hiding pipes and ducts with a soffit can help your finished basement look better.
When finishing a basement, you have to contend with issues such as exposed pipes and ducts. Leaving them in plain view can detract from the basement's appearance after you finish it. Rerouting the pipes can be impractical and expensive, so a more practical option is to conceal them. You can do this by constructing a section of ceiling called a soffit around the pipes. The soffit is a box-shaped section of the ceiling that is lower than the other sections and hides the pipes from view.
Instructions
1. Measure the length of the pipes that you want to conceal, the depth at which they extend down from the ceiling or joists and their distance from the nearest wall. If the pipes are in the center of the basement and you're going to build a soffit that doesn't extend to the wall, skip the last measurement.
2. Use a chalk line or laser level to mark the wall to which the soffit will be attached. Place the line 2 inches below the lowest pipe that you're concealing.
3. Attach a 2-by-4 board to the wall, with its bottom aligned with the line on the wall. If the wall is unfinished concrete, use a hammer drill and masonry screws. If the wall is finished, drive galvanized screws through the 2-by-4 and into the studs in the wall. If you're building a three-sided soffit, skip this step.
4. Cut sheets of 1/2-inch plywood for the side panels of the soffit. The side panels are the measurement of the lowest pipe plus 2 inches.
5. Cut the rails for the side panels out of 2-by-2 boards. The rails run the entire length of the soffit. Cut two rails if the soffit extends to the side wall, and four rails if the soffit is three-sided.
6. Construct the side panels by aligning one of the rails to the edges of the plywood boards and screwing the rails to the boards with 1 5/8-inch screws.
7. Install the side panels by lifting them to the ceiling joists with an assistant's help, and driving 3-inch screws through the top rail and into the ceiling joists. Position the panels so that the rails face out away from the pipes. If the soffit extends to the wall, there is only one side panel.
8. Cut lookouts to fit between the two side panels, or the side panel and the 2-by-4 screwed to the wall. These are pieces of 2-by-2 boards that strengthen the structure of the soffit and are used to attach drywall to the bottom edge of the soffit.
9. Install the lookouts along the bottom of the soffit, keeping them spaced no more than 16 inches apart. Install them to the side panels by driving a nail through the lower rail and into the end of the soffit. Nail them to the 2-by-4 by driving a nail through the end of the lookout and into the 2-by-4 at a 45-degree angle.
10. Cut sheets of 1/2-inch drywall to fit the framing of the soffit with a utility knife. Screw them to the rails on the side panels and the lookouts with drywall screws.
11. Cover the bottom corners of the soffit by nailing metal corner bead to them. This creates a smoother surface for the corner.
12. Apply joint compound to the seams between different drywall sheets and the metal corner bead. Place strips of drywall tape over the joint compound and press the tape into the compound by running over it with a putty knife. Allow it to dry overnight.
13. Sand the joint compound smooth with fine-grit sandpaper, and wipe it clean with a dry rag. Apply two more coats of joint compound and drywall tape, using the same procedure you used when applying the first layer.
14. Apply a coat of primer to the soffit, and allow it to dry. Paint the soffit with two coats of paint, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second coat.
Tags: side panels, joint compound, ceiling joists, 2-by-2 boards, corner bead,