Raise the roof!... err.. ceiling...

[Splinter]

A good customer of mine called me with an idea for his kitchen, and I couldnt give him a thumbs up about what he wants to do.

He has a late 60's vintage ranch home, and the kitchen is about 12x14. There's currently a large skylight in the ceiling. He wants to cathedral the ceiling in the kitchen. The rafters are 2x8, about a 6/12 pitch. The kitchen wall rests on the main beam in the basement, and is directly under the ridge.

His idea is to continue the kitchen wall up to the ridge, then cut out the kitchen ceiling's framing, and insulate and sheetrock the rafters.

I figure we'd at least have to sister the rafters to get some r-38 in there, but do I have an issue with the exterior wall bowing out now, even though there's a wall carrying the ridge in this area?

Be gentle...

[neolitic]

If they are truly bearing at the top,
there shouldn't be an issue with thrust.

[Splinter]

Thanks for the confirmation... Is there anything else Im missing here, or is it really do-able? How does the new wall meet the ridge? Rafters would interfere with a top plate...

[neolitic]

I'd say birds mouth.
Let the rafter and the ridge
bear on the wall.
Depends on just how they meet.

[Bender]

Like this?

[ChrWright]

How high is the ridge?

If you're vaulting only half the roof section, it will probably look better with at least a small section flattened out at the peak.

You need to account for the ventilation of the roof as well. Box vents or ridge vents?


I agree with Neo, if the ridge is supported by a load bearing wall, you shouldn't have a problem with removing any collar beams you may find in the attic. I would take into account the length of the rafters, though--as any existing collar ties may be lending some support against deflection.

[neolitic]

Like this?

Whoa!
Those are truss!
You can't just cut half of
the bottom chord away. http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/neoliticman/smilie/smilieno.gif

Time for the "E-word" person
to get involved.

[Splinter]

Well, it looks like Bender left the truss' in place and just did a PITA sheetrock job around them...

I went climbing in the customers attic this morning... Turns out the ridge is above another wall 3 feet away from the kitchen (other side of a hallway), rafters are only 2x6, and the HVAC air handler is right in the way as well.

I gave the homeowner a rundown of what needs to be done and a price, and he almost fell on his ass... I gave him a very reasonable price, but he's still not willing to go forward with that part of the project. It would have really opened up his tiny kitchen.... too bad.

[ChrWright]

Don't know what your problem is. Mike Holmes would have just torn down the house and started over for nothing...

:laugh3::laugh3::laugh3:

[Splinter]

:grin::grin::grin: .......

[Bender]

Whoa!
Those are truss!
You can't just cut half of
the bottom chord away. http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/neoliticman/smilie/smilieno.gif

Time for the "E-word" person
to get involved.

What??! Does that mean I shouldn't have put my TV here??

[neolitic]

What??! Does that mean I shouldn't have put my TV here??

Looks like bad medicine to me.

[naptownCr]

Splinter
even if the other wall is three feet away why not just do some exposed collar ties down in the bottom third. At 4' OC this should meet code there and have them come from the wall to the roof plane. flatten off the little peak left at the top for vintilation.
This can't be that expensive to do. Send me a sectional sketch I have an answer for you I will post after seeing the situation

[neolitic]

See, that right there is the problem
with truss.
They always clutter them up
with all those unnecessary parts.

[Splinter]

See, that right there is the problem
with truss.
They always clutter them up
with all those unnecessary parts.

:grin::grin::grin:

Nap- there is a lot of stuff to move up in the attic space, HVAC, electric, etc, and I really did give him a reasonable price. He just thought it was going to be a $500 job start to finish. :rolleyes3:

I an curious to know what you mean by this though.... I dont quite follow...
have them come from the wall to the roof plane. flatten off the little peak left at the top for ventilation.

[naptownCr]

the collar ties actually would go from one side of the roof to the other but since you will have a wall in between they will appear to end at the wall.