Help me decide between open beam ceiling or insulated vaulted ceiling

10 years ago

I'm trying to decide between staying with an open beam ceiling and adding insulated panels to the external roof (which would require having to redo the roof in which case we would pick a seamless steel roof for a more modern look). Inside I would probable keep the house with a modern/ industrial theme if I go this route.

Add drywall panels to the underside of the roof with insulation between the rafters. Then I can go with a more modern/ midcentury modern look inside the house.

What will be most cost effective and what will provide the best insulation against heat build up?

The previous owner of the house already took out the drop ceiling and stained the existing structure however they did not do any external insulation so it does gets hot during sunny days.

I've added pictures from Houzz of what I am deciding between, but will have to wait till I get home to add pictures of what it looks like now.

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wildpanda86
Original Author

9 years ago

@bcandyfl

We haven't decided yet what we are going to do as far as closing the ceiling up vs leaving the ceiling open and redoing the roof itself.

Some days when I come home from work I really like the open beam wood ceilings as it adds character and drama to the interior design. Also the travertine kinda reminds me of the Frank Lloyd Wright interiors. If I went this direction I would probably also see if I can get triangular shaped windows put to the left and right of the fire place and above the TV area that would follow up the pitch of the roof.

Other days I want to close the ceiling up and keep it vaulted and start from scratch with a clean white room.

As far as the cost difference between closing it up or keeping it open it would be maybe a $6,000 difference. The best quote I got to close it up and put insulated foam panelling between each rafter + demo the travertine off the walls and replace with white dry wall would be around $11k, but then I would have to redo the kitchen since everything will be demolition off which would add another $10k to $20k to the project. If I just redo the roof with structurally insulated panels would cost me roughly $6k more however I can hold off on redoing the kitchen since the interior won't be touched.

Also still tossing the idea to my wife to move the dining area to the far side of the kitchen while separating the kitchen from the living area with a counter with barstools. Will probably soon get a designer to draw up some concept drawings to help visualize it.

Ultimately I'm just being indecisive.

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Comments (12)

PRO
Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.
10 years ago
We see this often and it is always a big discussion item.

The most cost effective answer is to add the insulation between the rafters and to add drywall. You will also have the best insulating value by filling the space between the rafters. Depending on the depth of your rafters, the insulating R-Value may be between R-11 to R-30. Rigid insulation that is installed on the roof and under the roofing material is usually less then 2" thick and the R-Value is much less.

The other factor to consider is the expense of replacing your roof after adding the rigid insulation. Get several quotes for the new roof and the necessary framing that needs to be added under the roof between the insulation before you make your decision.
wildpanda86
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for replying. The quotes I have been getting are anywhere between $10k to $12k for removing old shingles + plywood + 3 inch rigid insulation + plywood + asphalt shingles to $21k for removing old shingles + plywood + 3 inch rigid insulation + seamless steel roof.

I have no idea what it would cost if I seal up the ceiling between the rafters. Previously was trying to get quotes for the whole room ( it's one combined great room + dining + kitchen). The previous owners covered the whole room in travertine. So was trying to get quotes to skim coat over the travertine except for a few focal points then drywall the ceiling while keeping it vaulted... but all the contractors just wanted to demo the travertine off and there is so much that I was getting quoted $5 to $6k just to demo it off.

If I can skim coat the travertine and add drywall to make a vaulted ceiling I wonder if I can just renovate the whole room + kitchen for a little more than the cost of doing the seamless steel roof + insulation.
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PRO
Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I can only estimate, but you should be able to accomplish everything that you want inside the house in your great room and not have to spend so much to replace the entire roof when there is really no need for a new roof......
silverqueenbnb
10 years ago
I went the drywall and insulation route in a previous home and was very pleased with the results. You can also add in lighting, ceiling fans, etc. and cover up the wiring.
User
10 years ago
Go with the second example and add a slim skylight or 3 between rafters as re-roofing is the prime time to do it. PS: Reflective ridgid foil faced insulation is a great heat reflector.
wildpanda86
Original Author
10 years ago
Finally was able to figure out the app and attach photos of what our place looks like now. I think right now it looks more industrial + eclectic. So trying to decide if I want to do insulated panels and keep the open beam look + figure out a more modern kitchen design to go with it. Or seal up the ceiling and skim coat the travertine to go with a more cleaner lighter mid century modern look.
wildpanda86
Original Author
10 years ago
Here's a few more that show what kind of travertine I'm dealing with
bcandyfl
9 years ago

@wildpanda, so curious as to what you decided and what it ended up costing. I really want to do the same in our next house!
wildpanda86
Original Author
9 years ago
I think we are leaning towards keeping the ceiling open for now especially since things are cooling down for fall/ winter. Instead going to focus on the kitchen remodel. Started playing with two different configurations on the Ikea kitchen program. What do you guys think of the two configurations?
PRO
Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.
9 years ago
i prefer the second option with the galley kitchen and the open spaces on each side. The first option has way too much wasted circulation space. You could tighten it up by reducing the width of the island and moving it up into the kitchen space. You don't need more than 4' to 5' across the kitchen.
wildpanda86
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the insight. I'll play around with maybe putting a smaller sliding door to bring the kitchen in closer in size and see how that looks. The current sliding door is 8ft wide. I was trying that configuration because not seen is that the room opens into the living room. So I was playing with either separating the living room from the dining area with the kitchen in the middle vs putting the dining room in the middle.