If the idea of tearing out a ceiling, doing some carpentry, and learning a bit about framing sounds like fun, then you and I are on the same page. We’ve shown a few snapshots of our sunroom ceiling progress, but we hadn’t walked through how we actually got from point A to point B—until now.
We didn’t attempt to re-engineer the whole roof ourselves. Instead we called in a pro. The builder we mentioned in a previous update stopped by to assess things and gave us the exact answer we were hoping for: the cross beams we were removing weren’t structural—they were simply the framing used to attach the existing ceiling. That meant the removal would be less complicated than we feared.
That said, he did recommend reinforcing the older rafters above the space. Because the rafters had been in place for a few decades, adding a few hangers, ties, and bolts would make the roof assembly stronger. The work was straightforward but labor intensive—lots of nailing, drilling, and ratcheting—so he suggested contacting one of his regular contractors for an estimate.
The contractor, David, came out the next day and said he and a helper could finish the reinforcement and remove the framing in about two hours for $200. That sounded great, so we hired him. Within a few days of our drywall-removal update, they were working outside our living room window.
The change was dramatic. We only gained about four feet of height on one side, but the room immediately felt much more open. The only nuisance left hanging around was the fan wiring that now interrupted the cleaner sightlines.
We called our trusted electrician to extend the fan wires up to the new ceiling height and to split the single fan box into two. That will help keep the room cooler and improve airflow. The electricians also created an accessible box for code compliance. We haven’t received their bill yet, but we estimate it will be around $250.
Before we started, we were mentally prepared for the project to cost around $1,000 if significant structural work or permits were required, not counting electrical. We got lucky: the ceiling framing turned out to be non-structural, so no permit or major restructuring was necessary. With the contractor and electrician work totaling roughly $450, plus our own labor removing drywall, re-insulating, installing fans, and planning to hang the beadboard ceiling ourselves, we anticipate substantial savings compared to hiring everything out.
This whole process reminded us of another outdoor job we took on a few months after moving into our second house—laying our stone patio—which ended up costing about $1,200. With the tile and beadboard expenses added in here, this sunroom project may land in a similar range. Maybe that’s our new exterior-project tradition.
With the heavy lifting completed, we focused on rebuilding the exposed ceiling. We began by covering the two triangular end sections with plywood, which we planned to paint to match the existing panels. Working with triangular cuts felt unnecessarily mathematical at first; I found myself reaching for geometry I hadn’t used in years. But the solution turned out to be simple: measure the necessary lengths and transfer them directly to the plywood.
Because my plywood sheets were 8 feet long (96 inches), I knew I needed two pieces per triangle. I measured the height at one end (40.5 inches) and the height 8 feet from that end (17 inches). Since the beadboard ceiling will eventually finish off the top edges, I trimmed 3 inches off each measurement to allow for overlap, marked those points on the plywood, and snapped a chalk line between them to define the cut.
That chalk line gave me the correct angle for the circular saw. For the second piece, I used the scrap edge—since it shared the same angle—to trace and cut the matching shape. After cutting, I built out the studs where necessary with spare 2x6s so the new plywood would sit flush with the wall.
Fitting a big piece of plywood can be nerve-wracking, but the boards went up like a glove. I tacked them temporarily with brad nails and then secured them with heavier nails. The seams aren’t perfectly invisible yet—there’s a small gap where the new plywood meets the old wall, and a vertical joint between the two pieces—but we plan to caulk and use trim, plus wood filler or Bondo where needed, to minimize those lines.
The opposite triangle presented the slight complication of an electrical box location, which the electricians had installed. Once the plywood is primed and painted white, the box and the panel should blend in nicely.
Removing the doors and opening up the ceiling has transformed the room. It scarcely feels like the same space—brighter, airier, and more spacious. With the structural and electrical work behind us, we’re turning our attention to installing a light-blue beadboard ceiling. That phase will involve measuring, priming, painting, and careful installation, so we’ll likely share another update soon. What projects did you tackle this weekend?