Framing a tray ceiling with tray trusses
How do you frame a tray ceiling in “tray ceiling trusses”? The gable ends need to be framed. Is there a quick way to make the corners?
How do you frame a tray ceiling in “tray ceiling trusses”? The gable ends need to be framed. Is there a quick way to make the corners?
There are a number of ways to achieve a level foundation and mudsill.
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Replies
There's no "quick" way Bhackford. You just frame it.
blue
No quick way,either. But I use 1/2 ply in the corners...gives sheetrocker more to nail to.If it were easy....a caveman could do it.
I did this recently and it was fun but not quick. The trusses formed the tray along two sides of the room, as you mention. The other two sides needed filling in, and all the corners needed 'hips' for backing (or are they valleys?)
What I did was to build a bunch of identical 'doglegs' out of 2x4, with glued and nailed plywood plates at the joints. This particular lid was a 30 degree rise from horizontal, so I used the chopsaw to cut 15 degree cuts on the ends of the 2x4s, butted them together, and shot on the plywood. This is a good place to have some 2" gun nails rather than 2-3/8" or 2-1/2".
Then I ran ladder blocking between the trusses and nailed a 2x4 plate to that. The location of this plate is critical. The 'doglegs' hung from this 2x4. See lousy pic attached.
I ran strings to define the lines, and put doglegs right in the corners. Then I cut the hips and nailed them in. I actually cut pairs, with opposite bevels, one for each facet of the tray.
Oh yeah, I figured the whole thing needed blocking along the top and bottom of the tray, but the owner wanted to skip that. Nothing but tape-on bead holding that joints together, so they'll probably crack.
It'll be a miracle if this explanation makes any sense.
David, tray ceilings are a minor challenge. There are so many different ways to accomplish this task, that it's almost pointless to discuss them, without knowing exactly all the details.
I've done them many, many, many, times with trusses and I very rarely do the same thing twice. Each situation poses a different challenge and the available materials always factor into my decision.
Your particular solution is something I would not do. I might have tried something like that way, back in my early years, but the one problem I have with it is the lack of continuous lacing at the angled joint. I know the truss people make their joints that way, but it is too time consuming and prone to variations.
On those type of tray ceilings, I typically create a two staged drop system. I first create the level drop using a continuous ribbon (this will serve as the baseline) and several hanging supports (about every 4', I drop a 2x4 block from the joist). I then cut small rafters. The bottom cut of the rafter would be a plumb cut and when I line it up with the ribbon's edge, I'm assured of a straight and true corner.
The top cuts are what vary most widely. The top connection will change significantly depending on where is lands in relation to the truss that it will anchor too. It might be a level cut, or a plumb cut, or just run wild up into atticland.
Backing, blocking, strength, straightness, speed are all factors that I evaluate before I make my first move. I normally can get these things done substantially quicker and better than most I've seen. I've seen many guys struggle for more than half a day on a one or two hour hour deal. The key to efficiency is to establish a quick, straight base.
blue
Not sure what to tell ya'.... mine turned out perfect, but I guess yours was better?
Mine definitely wasn't perfect. So, yours was better.
blue
Alright then, yours was faster. I might be exaggerating about the 'perfect' part anyway.
The last one I did myself I did in wood....framed one "side" of the "hip", let the rock run through it, glued a backer on the run through rock for the other side of the hip...are you confused yet...
but I just saw one done in metal...about a 135 degree bend worked for the hips, and lips...lots quicker than filling in wood with a rip at all those trusses....
Thanks for the advice. I got more than a few good ideas from the posts.
On this ceiling, I used 3/4 ply for the angles and 2x4's for the details. I'm not going to try to describe it, but here is a pic.
Hey Basswood. I like your tray. Where the angled part of the tray meets the true ceiling, can you tell me if that is just drywall with a bead or is that some trim profile?
Glad you like it.The added details are a 2x4 flat at the top of the tray with bullnose bead. At the bottom (closer to the lower ceiling), there is a small 45 deg. rip (removed from the plywood edges as they were given a 45 deg. edge) that were added back on and covered in square corner bead with bullnose bead below.I like using a combination of square and round corners to approximate crown mouldings, but with drywall and mud.
I had my truss supplier make trusses for over a master bedroom, wherein the ceiling had a flat around its rectangular perimeter, then panned up 16 inches in the center.
I made it easy for them by locating the pan exactly on truss layout, so that common trusses fell on the edges, and trusses with the pan shape to the bottom chord fell between.
I cut a double-backed reverse hip for each corner, and nailed in "rafters" across each end, joining the end commons to the pan tops.
"I made it easy for them by locating the pan exactly on truss layout, so that common trusses fell on the edges, and trusses with the pan shape to the bottom chord fell between."
That means you'd either have to change the shape of the tray to acomodate the truss spacing, or add extra ($$$) trusses.
Neither of those options sounds good to me.
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