On Jan 21, 12:50*pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Hello there, I am putting in a drywalled ceiling in my basement. *I
had to use 5/8" drywall as fire-blocking between the stud wall and
foundation, but planned on using 1/2" drywall for the actual main
ceiling since my joists are close enough together to allow that.
However, I read on this forum that 5/8" rock might be required for
fire protection for the main ceiling, by code. *Since I am doing this
with the proper inspections, can anyone shed light on this? *Is it in
the national building codes, or is this a one-off requirement of some
jurisdictions? *Thanks.

I can't answer that question, but I'm wondering something else. Will you be
installing some sort of easy access for working on pipes and maybe
electrical junction boxes?

Joe brings up an important point, you can't block off access for a
number of things. One is electrical junction boxes. Another would be
water and/or gas shutoffs. I'm not a plumber, but I think if you have
compression fittings on water supply pipes they must remain
accessible. And there are probably other things that you can't block
access to.

Most people use a dropped ceiling in finished basements for just these
reasons. If you drywall the ceiling you need to put in the
appropriate access panels. Even if you put in the appropriate access
panels, future work supplying utilities to the upstairs becomes more
complicated if you put in drywall. For example, adding an electrical
outlet on the first floor is a piece of cake if you have access in the
basement. With drywall on the ceiling, all of a sudden it becomes a
big job with a lot of ripped out drywall.

Ken