Home Ceiling Designs
Tray Ceilings
Introduction:
Ceilings do not have to be the same
old standard flat home ceiling design. There are
many different designs such as vaulted and
cathedral ceiling designs that are frequently used
for finished ceilings in modern home construction.
Talented carpenters and finish sheet rockers can
construct some very unique ceiling designs as
opposed to ordinary flat ceilings.
One
of the more modern designs is the tray ceiling
design. It is usually used for high ceiling rooms
that are
 nine to ten feet in height. The tray
effect is constructed in a way that a portion of
the ceiling is actually suspended or dropped to a
lower level leaving a recessed area that is higher
than the surrounding ceiling. The dropped portion
of the ceiling is usually about 12 to 24 inches
from the outside perimeter walls. This will leave a
large recessed area in the ceiling. In effect it is
the reverse of a sunken floor living room.
The tray ceiling is easily constructed by framing
techniques after the room is rough framed. A short
stub wall (box frame) is constructed off the
perimeter walls and the ceiling. To add a tray
ceiling to an existing room simply construct a box
frame around the periphery of the room and attach
it to the ceiling and walls using 2X4 or 2X3 studs.
I recommend that you use a nail gun or screws to
attach the frame to avoid damaging surrounding
drywall. Once the box frame is in place, install
and finish the drywall.
The depth of the tray is determined by the height
of the room. For a nine or ten foot ceiling I
recommend twelve to eighteen inches. If the ceiling
is eight to nine feet I recommend a shallower tray
to keep the room in balance.
The recessed area of the tray ceiling is often used
as a focal point for the room and may include
mirrors, skylights, ceiling fans, or mural
paintings. Tray ceilings are typically constructed
in square, rectangular, or octagon shape. Often
crown molding is installed to provide a more
elegant finished look.
Constructing a tray ceiling can be a DIY project by
the more industrious homeowners. Although the
drywall mudding and finishing can be a little
messy, the overall project is not difficult. Begin
by removing all the furniture from the room and lay
tarps to protect the floor.
The box frame that
forms the tray can be built as separate pieces
outside the room and installed one at a time using
screws or a nail gun. Then hang and finish the
drywall and you have a tray ceiling.
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