Framing Attic Ceiling

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

Framing attic ceiling. The trick in framing a vaulted ceiling is figuring out what to do with the ceiling joists. 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. Collar ties are horizontal members that like rafter ties extend from rafter to rafter but.

The rafters are in compression pushing outward on the eaves walls and the ceiling joists are in tension pulling inward on the eaves walls. You ll have to remove the entire roof structure to vault the ceilings. First head to the attic. Attic access panels serve as an important safety and convenience feature in the home.

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. These horizontal framing members tie a building s outer walls together and resist the outward force exerted by the roof rafters in conventional framing. Apart and attach the ends to the ends of the rafters. If you see a complicated framework of 2x4s held together with perforated metal plates your roof is framed with trusses.

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. But if it s framed traditionally with big lumber rafters the roof can stay in place. The floor structure of an attic is also the framing for the ceiling beneath it. If you want your attic space to have a flat ceiling you ll need to add collar ties to the framing.

Without joists the walls can bow outward and the roof ridge line may sag. Space these boards 4 ft. Nail the 2 by 4s to the top of each ceiling joist with 2 16d nails. Header joist spans shall not exceed 4 feet 1219 mm in length.

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. These openings not only allow mechanical and electrical contractors to. 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.