![]() Remember that the skylights need to be installed before any insulation work is performed. If you do not have ridge ventilation in place, you will need it after the job is complete. If you use traditional fiberglass or cellulose, you need to create a 2-inch air space between the insulation and the roof sheathing. Do not fill the entire cavity with insulation, unless you happen to use newer breathable open-cell spray-foam insulation. Once the new cathedral ceiling supports are in place, and the flat ceilings have been removed, you need to think about how you are going to insulate the ceiling. The engineer can assist you with advice about how to safely support the roof as you proceed with the work. If this is not feasible, then you will have to install temporary supports or collar ties that will provide support until such time as you install the permanent engineered solution. Whichever structural solution you choose, you must install it before you cut away all of the existing ceiling joists. This collar tie is not at the base of the rafters, yet it still imparts great strength. You can see how combined, all three pieces of wood make a strong triangle. The horizontal piece of wood is a collar tie. The slanted pieces of wood are actual roof rafters. If you use these gusset plates, you will end up with a small, flat ceiling area near the peak of the cathedral ceiling. You would be surprised how small these gusset plates can be, yet they provide sufficient strength to prevent a roof collapse. They are glued and nailed to the sides of the roof rafters. These plywood pieces are cut in a triangular shape to match the slope of your roof. Plywood gusset plates can also be installed high up in the rafters near the peak of the roof. Once again, the engineer can offer suggestions as to where to install these and how to properly fasten them to the slanted roof rafters. ![]() These collar ties are installed higher up than your current flat-ceiling joists, and they create a new bottom base of the triangle. You can also install smaller, horizontal-framing members, called collar ties, that can be exposed as part of your cathedral ceiling. A residential structural engineer can help you determine how to properly size and support this beam. This surface might be a concrete footer in a floor, a steel I-beam that is used to support the floor of the home, or even the top of the foundation. This beam will carry all of the roof load, but the ends of the beam must be supported by columns that rest on a solid surface. One solution is to install a properly sized beam just under the peak of the roof, where the top of the rafters connect to the ridge board. There are any number of satisfactory structural solutions that will allow you to create the cathedral ceiling. This process can happen over a period of years, months or even seconds, depending upon how the house is built. The result is that your slanted roof starts to transform into a flat roof. If you cut this horizontal piece of lumber, the force of gravity, along with the combined weight of the roof rafters, roof sheathing and roofing materials, immediately starts to push the roof structure down. The existing ceilings in your home are nailed to this flat lumber that forms the base of each triangle. You didn't see it, because it is either covered by attic flooring or buried in insulation. You didn't mention seeing a bottom piece of lumber, but it is there. Your existing roof consists of a series of these triangles spaced at either 16 or 24 inches on center. But the strength of the triangle relies on each and every one of the three pieces of lumber. When fastened together, these three pieces of framing lumber create a very simple triangle that can be exceedingly strong. Traditional roof framing consists of two slanted rafters that are connected at their base with a horizontal piece of lumber. In the worst case, your roof will collapse on top of you. The modifications you want to do are structural in nature, and if you don't adequately brace the roof, you can cause serious structural damage. But before you start tearing out the flat ceiling and cutting away the flat-ceiling joists, we need to talk. Can I take out my flat ceilings and attach a finished ceiling to the underside of the rafters? Is it possible to install skylights at the same time? Stacy J., Tulsa, OKÄEAR STACY: The simple answer is you absolutely can create cathedral ceilings in your home and install any number of skylights. All I could see were 2 x 6 rafters that meet at the top where they rest against a center-ridge board. The roof was not framed with modern prefabricated trusses. This past weekend, I poked my head into the attic to see how the roof was built. I would love to create a cathedral ceiling. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim CarterÄEAR TIM: My ranch-style home was built in 1968. The ceiling can be covered with wood or drywall. Cathedral ceilings can be a dramatic look.
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