If vaulted ceilings, fresh air, and a little DIY excitement sound appealing, you’re in the right place. We’ve shown a few photos of the sunroom ceiling progress already, but here’s the full story of how we got from boxed-in to open and bright—no graphing calculators required.
We left the structural decisions to a pro. The builder helping us with the show home stopped by and clarified that the cross beams we planned to remove were cosmetic—part of the ceiling framing—but not actually supporting the roof. That meant removing them wouldn’t compromise the structure, which was exactly what we wanted to hear.
He did recommend reinforcing the aging rafters above the ceiling while the work was being done: adding hangers, ties, and bolts to strengthen a few decades-old members. The work itself was straightforward but time-consuming, involving drilling, nailing, and ratcheting. We considered doing it ourselves, but decided to get a quote to compare cost versus time.
The contractor the builder recommended could come out the next day with a partner and finish the job in about two hours for $200. Sold. A few days after our initial drywall-removal update, the crew was tearing out the old cross beams outside our living room window.
The visual payoff was immediate. The room only gained roughly four feet of height on one side, but it now feels much more open—except for the dangling fan wires that were suddenly in the way.
We called our electrician to extend the fan wires to the new, higher ceiling and to split the single fan box into two to improve airflow. The electricians made the ceiling wiring code-compliant and convenient for future fixtures. We don’t have the final invoice yet, but expect it to be around $250.
Heading into the lofting project, we budgeted conservatively—anticipating up to $1,000 if structural reinforcements or permits were required, not including electrical. Finding out the ceiling framing was only cosmetic saved us a lot. Between hiring pros for the structural reinforcement and electrical work (about $450 total) and doing the initial drywall removal ourselves, plus plans to re-insulate, hang the fans, and install beadboard ourselves, we’ll reduce overall costs significantly.
Funny side note: a few months after moving into our previous house we did an outdoor project—a stone patio—that ended up around $1,200. With tile, beadboard, and other materials for this project, we might land in a similar price range. Maybe this is becoming an exterior-project tradition.
With the heavy lifting done, we started rebuilding the exposed ceiling. We began by covering the two triangular end sections with plywood to match the existing framed areas. Working with triangles initially made me overthink the geometry—but it turned out to be simpler than it felt.
Instead of diving back into trigonometry, I measured a few key lengths. My plywood sheets were 8 feet (96 inches) long, so I planned two pieces. I measured the gap height at the brick wall (40.5″) and then 8 feet away from that end (17″). Using those two measurements I marked and snapped a chalk line on the plywood to guide the cut.
Because the beadboard ceiling will cover the top edges later, I trimmed 3″ off both measurements before marking the plywood. That gave me the correct angle for the circular saw and simplified the process.
The scrap from the first cut already matched the needed angle, so I used it as a template to mark and cut the second piece, drawing a perpendicular line to the angled edge to ensure it fit snugly.
With both pieces cut, they were ready to hang—after a little framing adjustment. I built out the studs with spare 2x6s so the new plywood would sit flush with the existing wall, then fastened the panels in place. I used brad nails for temporary holding and finished with heavier nails for permanence.
The fit went smoothly—luckily. There’s a seam where the new plywood meets the old wall along the bottom that we’ll caulk and cover with trim. I’ll also use wood filler or Bondo to minimize the visible joint where the two new plywood pieces meet.
The other end posed the extra challenge of cutting a hole for an electrical box the electricians installed to manage wires in a code-compliant, accessible way. Once primed and painted white, the plywood should blend in and the box will be unobtrusive.
Removing the doors and opening up the ceiling transformed the room—it doesn’t even feel like the same space anymore. The newly vaulted area brings in light and air, making the sunroom feel larger and more inviting.
With the angled cuts and framing behind us, we’re ready to move on to the light-blue beadboard ceiling we’ve been excited to install. Next steps include final measurements, priming, painting, and hanging the beadboard. We’ll share an update on that soon. What did you tackle this weekend?