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Ceiling issue

dktampa | Posted in General Discussion on November 8, 2013 11:46am

Bought a house with smooth drywall vaulted ceiling that peaks at the center where builder (circa 1999) installed a flat piece of trim across the center joint where presumably the drywall joint is open and the trim covers the gap.  The roof above is metal but I don’t know if there is decking under the roof or just insulation and roof framing with metal installed directly over.  Anyway, I don’t like the looks of the trim piece.  Dirt and cobwebs poke out and it just looks like a crappy way to finish the ceiling.  Thankfully there is no popcorn, just a smooth finish painted white with some of the seems visable so all in all not a good job.  I need to do something with it and I’m leaning toward a faux wood beam as it is a cabin or modern cabin design with wood floors and some of the walls covered with wood as well.  Wood all across the ceiling would be just too much wood IMO.  Interested in ideas for what to do with this ceiling.  Is there a good reason why the gap is there to begin with?  

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  1. Piffin | Nov 08, 2013 01:09pm | #1

    It might be that he did this to create a wiring chase to power that light and others. To know if the sheetrock is finished off behind the board, you could get up there on a windy cold day and make some smoke to see if it gets sucked out.

    There are tools you can use to kep the cobwebs clean, and it could be caulked and painted

    It is also possible that the ridge beam protrudes below the planes of the ceiling finish and making that disappear would be a more expensive manuver

  2. DanH | Nov 08, 2013 10:46pm | #2

    There's a fair chance it was done that way simply because it would be a PITA to tape that joint.  Plus the joint would have a better than average chance of tearing open.

    Or, as Piffin suggests, there could be wiring or some bits of framing behind the strip.

  3. sapwood | Nov 09, 2013 12:02pm | #3

    It looks like the center ridge has reveals on both sides that create a shadow line. If so, I would add a new trim piece that meets the adjoining ceiling planes exactly. Make crisp seams. The joints must be taped and smoothed with joint compound... well tapered, as flawless as possible. Fix the other drywall joints that are visable while you're at it. Paint it all with flat white. This process will do the most to eliminate any visual disparity. The intersection will simply go away in a visual sense. 

  4. florida | Nov 09, 2013 04:07pm | #4

    Slap a piece of drywall on the wood trim piece and tape it to the existing ceiling.

  5. dktampa | Nov 13, 2013 10:32am | #5

    Thanks all. I have to do something with it. The wife would like one of those faux wood beams but fixing the seams and drywalling and taping that gap is most probably the way to go cost-wise. I was concerned that it served some ventilation purpose for the space between the ceiling and the metal roof. As I said, I suspect there is no decking under the metal, just ceiling, insulation and metal roof secured to strips running across the roof structure (forget what they're called...purlins or something). Bought this place cause the price was right but the construction is very odd. The builder was a novice who wanted to get into the formed concrete structure construction business (ICF) and this house and the two adjoining were his guinea pigs. The place would survive a nuclear blast but he didn't give a lot of attention to detail. The rock siding goes below grade so there is no way to watch for termite activity in the foam behind. I'm just going to treat regardless that there is no sign of activity.  The electrical is weird in that there was none outside the house and some outlets are half way up the wall for no apparent reason.  The plumbing was reversed between the two baths in that one had hot where it should have been cold at sink and shower.  I have that all taken care of now. Thankfully he used double pane windows so he didn't skimp there.  The basement is built into the hillside but does not traverse under the entire house.  The front is built over poured footers with dirt crawlspace several feet below wood flooring.  I'm surprise the floor is not warped.  I intend to put 6 mil pastic down on the dirt but it is steeply sloped and should prove lots of fun.  The biggest problem seems to be no way to keep the ladybugs out and I've caulked everywhere.  The kitchen is a frame structure lean-to against one of the outside walls and it looks like they affixed it to the rock siding rather than directly to the poured wall though the deck is secured to the wall pre-siding installation.  Kitchen does not leak though and it has been that way since 1999 so maybe it is ok.  There is also a lot of wire mesh visable over the foam between the rocks on the siding.  Also, the plywood soffit doesn't thrill me.  Eventually I will replace it with vinyl soffits.  We love the place and the community and as I said it was a bargain.

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