I am in the process of finishing my basement, and because the joists
are pretty low, I was thinking about sheetrocking the ceiling instead
of installing a dropped ceiling. However, would it be a code violation
to sheetrock over the gas and water lines? We can put in access panels
for the valves, and we can make diagrams of all the pipes etc for
future repairs. But I worry that some future home owner might try to
hang up a plant or something and drill into one of the gas or water
lines (the lines are all copper and run directly below and
perpendicular to the joists) I was also thinking that perhaps there was
a way to "protect" the lines by installing a steel plate or something
under them before putting up the sheet rock?