Framing Attic Ceiling

Run the plywood down to the top of the knee wall.

Framing attic ceiling.

As a first option in enlarging the ceiling space you can move the ceiling joists up the rafters making them collar ties as shown in the drawing below. Apart and attach the ends to the ends of the rafters. The trick in framing a vaulted ceiling is figuring out what to do with the ceiling joists. Attic access panels serve as an important safety and convenience feature in the home.

First head to the attic. If you see a complicated framework of 2x4s held together with perforated metal plates your roof is framed with trusses. If you want your attic space to have a flat ceiling you ll need to add collar ties to the framing. R804 3 5 roof ceiling construction framing of openings in roofs and ceilings openings in roofs and ceilings shall be framed with header and trimmer joists.

As long as they are not damaged the joists should be strong enough to allow you to move around in the attic for an inspection and to provide storage for typical boxed items. Nail the 2 by 4s to the top of each ceiling joist with 2 16d nails. The minimum size for an attic s access. When framing your ceiling if the ceiling joists are not going in the same direction as the roof rafters 2 by 4s are added running in the same direction as the rafters.

Header joist spans shall not exceed 4 feet 1219 mm in length. These horizontal framing members tie a building s outer walls together and resist the outward force exerted by the roof rafters in conventional framing. But if it s framed traditionally with big lumber rafters the roof can stay in place. You ll have to remove the entire roof structure to vault the ceilings.

Install and paint the ceiling use screws to attach sheets of birch plywood to the angled ceiling over the insulation making sure to drive the screws into the ceiling joists. The floor structure of an attic is also the framing for the ceiling beneath it. Collar ties are horizontal members that like rafter ties extend from rafter to rafter but. Space these boards 4 ft.

Standard joist spacing for the installation of attic flooring materials is 16 inches on center oc meaning the distance from the center of one joist to the center of the next joist is 16 inches. The plywood will create a smooth strong ceiling without having to apply drywall tape and mud to the ceiling. The rafters are in compression pushing outward on the eaves walls and the ceiling joists are in tension pulling inward on the eaves walls.