framing cathederal ceiling

jmg

I am changing my bedroom ceiling from flat to cathederal, can someone answer a question for me?

jlhaslip

Yes is the answer to that first question.


Next one starts here...

jmg

The room is 14X12,it is locate on the back corner of the house. The end of the house is a gable, the roof pitch is 4/12. The 14' of the room is on the gable side of the room. I don't want to put a ridge beam inside the bedroom, because I will only have about 27" from the top of the plate to the rafters. Can I put the ridge beam further up the rafters above the new ceiling joist toward the main ridge of the house.

jlhaslip

will you be removing an existing flat ceiling? rafters or trusses?
and have you had any professional look at this?
does it involve cutting or removing any existing roof system?

are you located some place where a building inspector will be involved?

jmg

hello jlhaslip, did you get my question?

jmg

will you be removing an existing flat ceiling? rafters or trusses? Already removed down to rafters
and have you had any professional look at this? No
does it involve cutting or removing any existing roof system? No

are you located some place where a building inspector will be involved? No

jlhaslip

yes, but I do not understand or fail to visualise what you are trying ti do,... exactly.
can you sketch it for us?

jmg

how can i sketch it on the computer?

jmg

The room is located on the back right corner of the house, the right side of the house is a gabel. Looking up in the room the rafters run from the back of the house to the ridge which is in the center of the house, about 22' with a ridge height of about 5' from top plate. From the inside wall of the room I can run 2X6's from the top plate back up to the rafters crossing at the center of the room to create the cathederal, do i need a ridge beam inside the room, or can I put a support further up the rafters so not to push the back wall of the room out.

Gary in WA

This is affecting the structural integrity of the roof. Removing ceiling joists from a flat ceiling changes the shear forces on the rafter end wall. You need a bearing beam on posts on concrete on earth, at the top. New point loads on the walls will not work without doing this. Otherwise the walls could bow outward. http://books.google.com/books?id=E5S...raming&f=false


Be safe, Gary

__________________

jlhaslip

exactly what he said. The ceiling joists are critical to the structure.

tpolk

can you post some pics while its still up please

jmg

The house is around 50' across the back. The gable runs down the center of the house the full length. I am only removing 12' of ceiling joists in the right back bedroom. The back wall of the house will still have 38' of ceiling joists.

Daniel Holzman

Removing 12 feet of ceiling joists is a major structural change. You really need to have this designed by someone who understands structural mechanics, either an engineer or an architect. The joists hold your walls together, so even though you think 12 feet isn't much, if 12 feet of walls starting bowing outward or failed completely, you might have a different take on the problem

jmg

I understand that I need a bearing beam people, my only question is does it have to be inside the room, I am only gaining 27" from the top plate to the apex of the cathederal ceiling. It would be great if I didn't have to have a 12" bearing beam in the room. I wanted to know if I could move the bearing beam just outside of the cathederal up the rafters toward the main ridge, which would be about the middle of the total rafter lenght. It would not be in the center of the room, just off center. I can then complete the cathederal by nailing the 2x6 ceiling joists to the rafters at the center point of the cathederal back down to the inside (opposite) wall of the room. Then tie each ceiling joist to the the 12" bearing beam just above them that is also supporting the rafters above it. The rafters can't push down because of the bearing beam and they can't push out because of the ceiling joists, that is my theory?