I am planning on installing T&G pine for a ceiling in a weekend cabin. The room is about 12’x40′.
The room is not square. While I haven’t measured it I’m estimating it could be out as much as 2″ over the 40′ length.
The door from outside is on the 12′ end wall. I’m thinking that the best approach is to run the boards perpendicular to the 12′ wall but I’m concerned that the wood will really highlight the fact that the room is out of square.
Am I better off to run the boards perpendicular to the 12′ wall, parallel to the 40′ wall or is there some other method to cheat and hide the out of square condition?
Thanks
Chuck
Replies
I don't know how your joists run, so I'm giving my opinion based only on appearance.
If you ran the boards lengthwise it would make the room look longer, more like a bowling alley. I would run the boards parallel to the short walls, which will slightly diminish the appearance of the odd dimensions of the room.
I would cheat the boards so they were parallel to each end of the room. If you had, say, 4" wide boards, that would be only 0.016" cheat per board. The cheating would never be noticed.
Chuck, on the diagonal would certainly mask the out of square. It does increase the waste. Faux beams could break up the runs and maybe make dealing with losing the wackiness a bit easier. Good straight and true control lines could help you decide the best place to hide it. Get a buddy familiar with suspended ceiling work, he'll help you find a way.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
By Golly! That was a lot of quick replies in one shot! We must have all finished dinner at the same time.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Man pif, you eat early?Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I'm down east from you. Sun comes up earlier here too!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
You got that right. The only time in maine, was amazed at the time it came up. Dam went down early too. My biological clock was screaming. Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Base your decision on the way that your joists run, or on your preference for direction. (Have you thought about diagonal?)
Do not base your decision on which walls are parallel. Think about it.....how many times have you examined the ceiling in a room that you walked into?
People don't notice problems like this unless you point them out.
Sure, run them on an angle of about 8/13. You'll have a little extra wast but not only will you disguise the problem, you will broaden the room a bit. It is a long narrow room so this will help cheat the proportions to something more eye pleasing. if you run straigh down the length of the room, it will add to the coffin feeling. Angles break up the light too.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Wow! Thanks for all the responses! I never considered running the boards on an angle... that would solve a lot of the problems. If I do go with that approach how is there a formula for estimating the material needed?
For what it's worth the joists run parallel to the short walls. This footprint of the house is 24x40 ... this is the great room that spans the front half of the house. I should also have mentioned that the room it two stories high.
I thought about installing 1x strapping across the bottom chord of the trusses and installing the ceiling parallel to the trusses (and the short walls). The benefit being that I'd be able to get 12' boards and eliminate any butt joints... but I think the angle installation would be more attractive (albeit more expensive and labor intensive).
Edited 2/19/2004 7:30:19 PM ET by CDUCHON
You need about 1100 sg ft of lumber for diagonal if the boards are 1x4 tounge and groove.
Tim Mooney
If the t+G have beveled edges you can run one side higher each course to catch up and even the ceiling out. Have you ever done roofing (asphalt shingles) before? it's the same concept. Start off against one wall running your boards straight across the room, after a couple of courses, start running your short side up maybe a 1/4 of an inch at a time making sure you dont over extend the one side. After a couple of courses make sure you remeasure the distance to the other end. Once you have it even, just run it up snapping lines every couple of courses. BUT, if you're using T+G that does NOT have beveled edges, I would be sure to space the boards appropriately so the gaps are not random." Looks good from my house!!"