Drywall – Are suspended ceilings common in residential buildings

ceilingdrywall

Are suspended ceiling common in houses, rather then offices? If we to comparing with drywall ceiling:

  1. Are there more strict requirements for suspended ceiling?
  2. Are there more possible safety issues with suspended ceilings? (E.g. electrical wiring, vent grids, vents)
  3. Installation — it looks to me that it is much easier to install suspended ceiling tiles by a single person, than installing/coating/taping heavy drywall sheets. But there might be some catches as well?

Best Answer

In the US, it's often done in basements. You're right in that it's relatively simple and light weight construction techniques.

Typically builders finish the ceilings in the rest of the house. But finishing a basement with such material allows one potential future access to utility wires/pipes/ducts that would otherwise be exposed, and the ability to establish a ceiling height that takes into account any utilities that drop below the joists.