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Discussion Forum

building soffit for lighting

jackwater | Posted in General Discussion on March 29, 2008 09:55am

I would like to build a soffit for interior lighting. I am trying to avoid tying it into the ceiling joists because I dont want to transmit sound. Any ideas on how to build/support the soffit? An angled bace from the top of the studs?

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  1. calvin | Mar 29, 2008 10:30pm | #1

    Tho I don't think it would hold a crackless connection of soffit to ceiling if in fact you ran sheetrock up to it and taped it...........a brace from the bottom wall connection up to the outter top of the soffit would be stronger I think.

    If your soffit is off the wall with no ceiling connection I'd still run the bracing up and out.  Ideally tied to the side of the stud.

    Or, use rectangles of plywood the shape of the inside of the soffit and fasten those to the frame every so often.

    Lighter material for the covering wouldn't hurt either.

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  2. TomT226 | Mar 29, 2008 11:33pm | #2

    What Calvin said.  1/2" ply can be textured over after sealing with some latex primer.  No SR needed.  Build the frames with ply and use some 1x for a flange to screw to the studs and for the face to screw to. Tape the joints.  Did several cornices in my own house and no cracking after five years.

     

    1. Piffin | Mar 29, 2008 11:51pm | #3

      Iuse MDO for this kinf of surface.But I would at least use metal brackets to tie it to the ceiling with say a half inch of space between 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. Snort | Mar 30, 2008 01:17am | #6

        How do you deal with the joints between panels? Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

        Winterlude by the telephone wire,

        Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

        Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

        The moonlight reflects from the window

        Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

        Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

        Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

        1. Piffin | Mar 30, 2008 02:22am | #7

          Minwax wood filler - same for the screw heads 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          1. Snort | Mar 30, 2008 04:42pm | #10

            miter the corners? Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

            Winterlude by the telephone wire,

            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

            The moonlight reflects from the window

            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

          2. Piffin | Mar 30, 2008 11:12pm | #14

            not necessary. It is a pretty stable material. 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          3. Snort | Mar 30, 2008 11:46pm | #15

            mdo isn't used much here, so I'm pretty ignorant about it... but isn't it a type of plywood? Waterproof paper faced? Don't the exposed edges telegraph through the finish?... if not, I gotta find me a connection for this stuff! Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

            Winterlude by the telephone wire,

            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

            The moonlight reflects from the window

            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

          4. Piffin | Mar 31, 2008 12:09am | #17

            Not sure what you mean about exposed edges. That would be trimed by the face material.
            MDO is paperfaced high quality fir plywood. You can get it one sioded or two.
            I have also used it to replace SR for pocket doors where we need to hang pictures of add faux trim on the surface. I'll attach a photo to be sure we are talking about the same kind of situationbiff mentioned MDF which probably works fine too, but i hate to work with that stuff for the dust - and it would be heavier for overhead stuff like this. 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          5. Snort | Mar 31, 2008 01:43am | #18

            That is nice... and I am assuming from your post that there is some sort of trim on the outside soffit corner... can't see it on this laptoptop. If you have time, got a detail shot?And ditto on the mdf, besides the weight is an extra turn-off. We make them with a strip of osb on the wall which keeps things straight and doubles as fire-blocking, minimal framing, then osb wrapped in sheetrock. MDO might be more cost effective for the faces, but I don't get the corner treatment... do I need to stay at a Holiday Inn Express? Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
            Winterlude by the telephone wire,
            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
            The moonlight reflects from the window
            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

            Edited 3/30/2008 6:54 pm ET by Snort

          6. Piffin | Mar 31, 2008 03:01am | #19

            let's rotate the camera a few 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          7. Snort | Mar 31, 2008 11:27pm | #21

            Poifect, thanks. and, it even looks nice from every angle<G> Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

            Winterlude by the telephone wire,

            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

            The moonlight reflects from the window

            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

          8. Biff_Loman | Mar 31, 2008 04:08am | #20

            Well lemme tell you Piffin, I will try and find MDO next time, not really being familiar with the material.

        2. TomT226 | Mar 30, 2008 12:40pm | #8

          Depends upon it it's paint or stain. I just used SR mud on holes and seams. Sand, prime, and finish. 

          1. Snort | Mar 30, 2008 04:48pm | #11

            I hate dealing with soffits and all the associated poo that goes with them... anythng to make them easier (meaning cheaper)... how do you deal with the different texture mud to ply? Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

            Winterlude by the telephone wire,

            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

            The moonlight reflects from the window

            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

          2. Biff_Loman | Mar 30, 2008 06:53pm | #12

            MDF accepts drywall mud pretty much flawlessly. Just break the edge of both pieces with a sanding block to create a minuscule bevel, then fill. You can use biscuits to align the joint nicely.

          3. Biff_Loman | Mar 30, 2008 07:05pm | #13

            I'll add that for the soffits in my kitchen, I went brads + glue + MDF for the whole nine yards, including the blocks on the ceiling. You can't get any easier than that. Don't skimp on the wood glue; the brads don't hold much. But then, I wouldn't rely on any fastener to hold in MDF.You'll want polyurethane glue to stick to the ceiling, of course, and I would screw into joists where you can.No one's going to be hanging off the soffit, right? So really, it just has to hold up it's own weight. Just don't fasten a bar for doing pull-ups. ;-)I will add, though, that cutting lites into MDF with a hole-saw is a serious pain - I find it to be - and using a router inverted on the ceiling isn't fun, either. Installing lites is laborious in comparison to a few strokes with a keyhole saw. Of course, you could cut them out on a table, as long as your layout is bang-on.

            Edited 3/30/2008 12:06 pm ET by Biff_Loman

          4. TomT226 | Mar 31, 2008 12:08am | #16

            I was gonna post a pic, but my damn sorry-azz dial up keeps cutting out on me.

            On the FEW I've done, I just prime the ply filling holes and seams with mud, then texture or paint.  I like the soffits and cornices to look the same as the walls. 

      2. TomT226 | Mar 30, 2008 12:43pm | #9

        If he's going to make it indirect lighting, where the fixture is behind the soffit and reflects up to the ceiling and down to the wall, then I would think only wall attachment is fesable.

        Maybe I'm missing something... 

  3. peteshlagor | Mar 29, 2008 11:58pm | #4

    What kind of lighting?

     

    1. Snort | Mar 30, 2008 01:14am | #5

      Noisy lighting? Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

      Winterlude by the telephone wire,

      Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

      Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

      The moonlight reflects from the window

      Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

      Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

      Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

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