I’m technically capable of doing a lot of things, but sometimes I just don’t want to.

After two years I’m finally getting a shop ceiling. Bare joists are OK for a basement shop, but a ceiling will greatly improve my lighting for photography. Speaking of which, till now I’ve been shooting at creative angles to avoid getting the ugly ceiling and dangling insulation in the shots (or relying on Photoshop to remove it).

Plus, I’m thinking about the future: I’ve done some serious improvements down here, like framed rooms with drywall throughout, and a really nice office that could easily be a fourth bedroom. I figure when the day comes to sell, our resale value with a fully finished basement will go up nicely. But for that, a ceiling is a must.

To keep as much height as possible, only a tile ceiling or drywall would work. I ruled out drywall because of the expense, so tile it is. I’ve done tile ceilings before – I even put one up in the storage area here last year – but I’m not very good at it. My tiles tend to start shifting the farther I go, and keeping everything straight takes forever. That’s fine in a small, closed storage room, but I have a lot of visible ceiling to cover elsewhere.

Therefore, I’ve hired a contractor to do the work. It’s an added expense, but whereas it’d take me a week or more even for smaller areas, they’ll get it done in a couple days. It’ll also be perfectly straight. And it also means I don’t have to work on a ladder with my head at a 90-degree angle, something that’s become increasingly difficult.

So, yeah, I could put that ceiling up, but there are compelling reasons why I shouldn’t. And in the interests of expediency, quality of work, and giving my neck a break, I’m embracing them all.