Ceiling

 

Ceiling

Question:
My cottage has an open ceiling showing the 2x4 rafters. How can I insulate, and finish the ceiling? The roof is shingles with roof boards. The last owner put fiberglass batts and a plastic vapor barrier below with no finished ceiling and no air space above the batting. The cottage is used for 3 seasons. The cottage is about 40 years old.
Answer:

My best advice is to remove the insulation and vapor barrier. Add a larger piece of lumber to the side of each existing rafter. This should be deep enough to allow a minimum air space of 2.5 inches plus the thickness of the desired insulation. Styrofoam baffles should be used from the wall to the ridge to prevent insulation from being pushed in to far. Finally adequate soffit venting and a ridge vent should be installed to provide the proper air flow.

Question:
The house we bought has stippled ceiling in the kitchen. What were they thinking! How do we remove the stipple?
Answer:

We agree, ceiling texture should not be used in kitchens and bathrooms. However, it happens! There are two types of texture, popcorn and plaster. They can both be removed by soaking with water and scraping with a putty knife, providing they have not been painted over. We recommend that you do a test spot to see how (or if) it will come off.

Question:
There was a leak around the exhaust fan in 1 bathroom that stained the ceiling. I sprayed bleach on it to whiten the stain - but now all the stipple is falling off in that area. How can I stop this & how do you repair it?
Answer:

Your best bet may be to just scrape off the infected area and have it re-stippled. I believe you can get spray-can's of stipple for small patches. The best way to remove the infected area is to wet it and scrape it with a putty knife. You may have to re-paint the entire ceiling afterwards, as the paint (assuming it's white) may have faded or discolored over time. Just be sure to use a roller specifically for the job. Any paint store can help you out with stipple and paint for the ceiling.

Question:
With a custom built steam shower (5'x3') with glass on 2 sides should the ceiling be sloped at all. Someone has said they have heard of people complaining of water dripping on their heads when steaming because of having no slope in the ceiling.
Answer:

We've install numerous tiled steam showers and have never sloped a ceiling nor heard any type of complaint regarding dripping. You could slope the ceiling however this may cause more difficulty installing the frameless glass as well as experience a less attractive finish.

Question:
We had a roof leak around our main stack that ending up soaking our bathroom ceiling. The water damaged area surrounds the main stack where it enters the attic (it's an old house and the main stack is visible from the basement all the way up through the bathroom and into the attic). The patch of water damaged ceiling is about 3 ft X 2 ft. Can you recommend the best/easiest way to fix it (a do it yourself option preferably)
Answer:

If your ceiling is only stained, you can paint it with an oil based paint. If it is damaged slightly, you can apply a skim coat of mud, sand it and apply oil paint. If it is badly damaged, you may have to cut out the existing drywall and install a new piece, then tape/mud/sand and paint.

Question:
How do I remove the popcorn stippling from my ceiling and is there any special prep that has to be done before painting with regular latex?
Answer:

Unfortunately, the ceiling clean up is labor intensive. Generally water based which can be softened with water and a sponge. Scraper required and elbow grease. You will probably encounter some repair after also and will have to fill and sand as required. Then a proper sealer will have to go on to prevent further oxidization bleeding through.

Question:
I want to do something with my room but what? I have a sloped ceiling and UGLY wallpaper that i don't know if I can paint over! Help!
Answer:

Most wallpapers can take paint, however test in a location that is not obvious. That is if you want to keep the texture that the paper provides. However if it is a soluble paper it can be removed with a wet sponge and scraper. You may want to paint a texture on the large walls to create more warmth to the space.

Question:
We have an older house and in our bedroom we have that icing ceiling. Looks like icing is dripping down. It is very ugly. Is it easy to scrap or what could use? HELP
Answer:

Scraping is normal. If you have painted it at all it will be harder. If a latex was used you can wet it with a sponge and water to soften areas as you go.

Question:
I would like to have my bathroom ceilings painted to match the towels, rugs, etc. Color for ceiling will be light pink with walls white & light pink. What cha think?
Answer:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sounds like a good idea to me, be aware that in a small room such as a bathroom, several colors may make it too cluttered.

Question:
How do you remove the cottage cheese effect from ceilings?
Answer:

If you are talking about the stipple, it takes a sponge, water along with a scraper and plenty of elbow grease.