I'm about to take out the lath & plaster ceiling in the basement of my 1908 house (I'm hiring it out; I know how bad the mess is). Main reasons for doing this are to get access to wiring and allow me to insulate.
This is in Iowa, not a seismic zone. The basement is unfinished except for this ceiling, and I'm inclined to keep it that way for a while so we can so some remodeling upstairs.
After taking out the ceiling, should I add braces to the 2x8 joists? I'm pretty sure there are none at this time, and I'd think there is a structural element to the ceiling that keeps the joists stable.
Is there any way to know whether I need braces, apart for listening for ominous creaks? :-\