Replies

1. 
   Framer | Sep 21, 2003 03:16pm | #1

   I know it's to late but befor you put the crown in was it at all possible too fir the ceiling level first with 5/4 and shims? I'm sure you knew it was wavy befor you started the job. When you looked at the job that should've been put into the price if the ceiling was that bad. Just curious.

   We did a job last year that the ceiling was 2-3/4" out of level and wavy wasn't the word. There was going to be a coffered ceiling and crown molding. We had to frame a new level ceiling and it came out perfect. It was worth it or YOUR job wont look right. If the people complain about it they might ask you what could you have done so that the crown wasn't so wavy. You can tell them it's an old house and the ceiling is wavy but I don't think that will cut it. Unless this was discussed befor you did the job and the people were okay with the wavy ceiling and crown. 

   Joe Carola

   
   

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   Edited 9/21/2003 8:22:23 AM ET by Framer

1. 
   Taylorsdad | Sep 21, 2003 04:09pm | #2

   Joe,

   Thanks for the quick response.  My question of time really has nothing to do with cost or customer satisfaction.  We're being paid very well for this job and we're actually still on schedule.  Its just a pride thing.  I should mention that 1 of the 2 rooms we completely gutted and drywalled after levelling the ceiling from "out" by 2 1/2" to within 1/4".  The other room had all the walls gutted of the plaster and lathe and was drywalled but the client requested that the ceiling be left in that room to save at least some money, so we had to work with the existing condition.  I just simply couldn't believe, at the end of the work day, how much trouble I had and how much time it consumed and I'm wondering if others have had similar difficulty.

1. 
   Joe_Fusco | Sep 21, 2003 04:24pm | #3

   taylorsdad ,

   It sounds like you really didn’t have much choice in what you could do if the client wanted to keep the existing ceiling. When you can’t control the conditions on a particular job ( as Joe did) you just have to let the client know up front that the finished product will be just acceptable and nothing more.

   It takes a long time doing this “stuff” before you can get past the feeling of inadequacy when you do a job like that. You always want to do the best you can and if you are like me you agonize over the end results because you expect more from yourself.

   You might have been able to spend twice as much time but only gotten it 10 or 20% better.View Image

1. 
   skihillguy | Sep 21, 2003 04:59pm | #4

   Last winter did a similar job on an old century house. Boss is too cheap to gut the rooms so we just drywalled new ceilings right over the old. The rooms were so out of square and the walls and ceilings were wavey but when i got done with the crown in the rooms they l;ooked good. Sometimes you have to adjust adjust your ceiling dimensions and wall dimension to take the wave out.

   When you get into awkward situations you have to do what worksd and throw the book out the window. For example say if you keep the bottom of the crown 2 1/2" down from the ceiling on each end and in the middle it is 3" down ....so what. It may make a difference on your ceiling line but if it looks good that is what matters in the end.

   For the record 2 rooms in that house took 2.5 for 2 men. No odd corners to go around but lots of waves and crooked walls.

2. 
   andybuildz | Sep 21, 2003 05:07pm | #5

   talorsdad,

                  Last house I did the ceilings from one corner to the other in only a 15' room were off by about two inches. It was a small nightmare.

   What I did was to install the molding down from the lowest point of the ceiling floating the top of the crown (blocking/nailers behind it).

   I then ripped 1X scribed to the dips and bumps in the ceiling and inserted that ontop of the crown leaving it a bit proud of the top of the crown to add a bit more detail and to not make it look like I was just adding a filler.

   I think after all the techniques I've tried, this one I came up with looks far superior and is pretty fast and easy...looks really good too  ; )

   Kinda looks like they built their ceiling around the molding.

   The thing about rocking over an old plaster ceiling IMO is that it takes a whole lot of the house presense away.....almost criminal but hey, if thats the only solution than thats the only solution.

   BE a headache and a half,

                                         andy

   True compassion arises out of the plane of consciousness where I "am" you.

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

1. 
   SamT | Sep 21, 2003 06:54pm | #7

   Great Idea, I think I'll file that in my repertoire(sp).

   SamT

   "You will do me the justice to remember that I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his opinion, however different that opinion may be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it."   Thomas Paine

1. 
   andybuildz | Sep 21, 2003 07:09pm | #8

   : )True compassion arises out of the plane of consciousness where I "am" you.

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

2. 
   Taylorsdad | Sep 21, 2003 07:31pm | #9

   What I did was to install the molding down from the lowest point of the ceiling floating the top of the crown (blocking/nailers behind it).

   Andy,

   Thanks for the input. I test fit a few pieces at the lowest point and what I ran into was that the lowest point(s) on one wall were not the same as the lowest point(s) on the perpendicular wall thus misaligning the inside corner joint.  Was this a situation you encountered and tackled? If so, how?

   BTW, I installed a nailer all the way around and used a 20/20 compound/miter cut for the scarf joints but the lengths were far to long and the molding far to heavy to pre-join them so I just butt them together as I installed the pieces but they actually came out okay.  Its the waves that kill me! 

3. 
   teasea | Sep 21, 2003 06:22pm | #6

   don't feel bad that job would have taken me 3 days and a lot of unpleasant verbal communication. maybe even a tear or two.

1. 
   Taylorsdad | Sep 21, 2003 07:32pm | #10

   Believe me, a priest would have had a heart attack if he were in that house while I was doing the crown.