Cathedral Ceilings

Tip 33: Installing plank on a cathedral ceiling

Always begin the installation at the bottom and work up to the peak. Run the plank horizontally across the plane of the ceiling, the direction "real" planks would run.

1. The joists will run from the bottom of the ceiling to the top. Fasten a furring strip to the bottom of the joists (rafters) where the ceiling plane meets the bottom wall.

2. Fasten furring strips horizontally every 4' until you get to the top of the peak.

3. Fasten the last furring strip about 2" from the peak.

4. If the joists are not even on the bottom, the furring must be shimmed to flatten it. If the furring strips are not long enough to reach the other end of the room, they must be butted. The butt joints must occur under a joist, and both ends must be double-nailed or screwed to the joist.

5. When all the furring is installed, start installing the ceiling tile tracks. The tracks will run perpendicular to the furring and fasten to the furring. Use drywall screws that allow the thread to fully penetrate the furring.

6. At both ends of the room, install ceiling tile tracks 1" from each end wall, running from the bottom of the ceiling plane to within 1" of the peak. The rest of the tracks should be installed parallel to the end tracks on 12" centers.

7. Cut a piece of wood to make a "starter strip" and fasten it to the wall. Cut it at an angle to fit against the wall and have the bottom of the starter strip parallel to the plane of the ceiling. The bottom edge of the starter strip should be flush with the finished face of the ceiling.

8. Measure the straight line distance from the bottom of the ceiling to the top. Figure the width of the border planks so the bottom plank and the top plank are equal. Stretch a string from one end wall to the other to use as a guide string for cutting the width of the first row of plank.

9. Always start the installation from the bottom and go to the top. Let gravity work for you, not against you. When you get to the last row of plank, cut the last row so it ends 1" from the peak.

10. With both sides of the ceiling done, determine the size of the divider at the top. You will not know what size to cut this piece until the plank reaches the top. Its size depends on the angle of the ceiling and the width of the trim molding you use to cover the peak. Do not attempt to have the planks meet each other at the peak without using a divider. The movement of the house will open and close the joist that you so meticulously fitted.

11. In this illustration, the divider is fitted to a peak without a ridge pole. Cut the piece to fit the detail in your ceiling. Cover the gap with a trim molding.

Tip 34: Installing molding or trim between a suspended panel cathedral ceiling and wall - two options

There are two ways to bridge between a suspended cathedral ceiling and the wall.

Method One

Bend the wall molding on a sheet-metal bending brake to the correct angle.

Method Two

Cut a piece of wood trim at the correct angle and fasten molding to wood.

Tip 35: Installing insulation

When an installation calls for insulation on the back of a ceiling, you must be careful how the insulation is applied. With Armstrong #420 and 421 high-performance fiberglass panels, you can lay 2′ x 4′ batts of R-19 insulation that fit on the backs of panels quite nicely.

Do not lay insulation directly on the back of tile or other types of panels. An air space must remain between the back of the panels and the insulation. Create this air space by laying furring strips, wall molding, 12-gauge hanger wire or any number of other rigid supports across the top of the main beams. These rigid members will carry the weight of the insulation and transfer the weight to the mains, leaving an air space between the back of the panels and the insulation.

With tile ceilings, the application of insulation is done less frequently. In most cases, there is no room to apply insulation. If there is room for insulation, make sure that there is an air space between the insulation and the back of the tile. Chicken wire or other wire mesh can be laid over the back of the ceiling, and insulation can be blown in on the wire mesh. The ceiling tracks or furring will then carry the weight of the insulation.