Lofting our sunroom ceiling
If the idea of raising a ceiling, calling in a few pros, and doing some careful plywood cutting sounds like a good time, you’re on the same page as we are. We’ve shared a few progress photos of the sunroom ceiling, but here’s a clear, step-by-step account of how we got from a boxed-in space to a more open, lofted room.
We skipped the complex geometry and left the structural decisions to a pro. As we mentioned in a previous post, the builder for the show home dropped by to inspect the framing. His verdict: the cross beams were cosmetic — they framed the old ceiling but didn’t carry roof load. That meant we could remove them without major reconstruction, which was a huge relief.
He did advise adding a few reinforcements to the aging rafters above: new hangers, ties, and bolts to strengthen what was already there. The work itself was straightforward, but tedious — lots of nailing, drilling, and ratcheting. We called one of his trusted contractors for a quote. David and a helper offered to complete the job the next day in about two hours for $200, so we hired them. Within days, the beams were out and the room already felt more open.
Removing the old framing gained about four feet of height on one side of the room. The space looked dramatically different — more airy and less boxed in — but we still had dangling fan wires to deal with.
We called our electrician to extend the fan wiring to the higher ceiling and to convert a single fan box into two for better airflow. That crew handled the electrical work and made sure the wiring met code by placing accessible junction boxes where needed. While we expect the electrician’s invoice to be in the neighborhood of $250, the combined cost for the structural and electrical work ended up being a very reasonable investment in opening up the room.
Going into the project, we had budgeted for the possibility of significant structural work and permitting — maybe around $1,000 or more — but because the ceiling framing was non-structural, we avoided heavy reinforcement and costly permits. With the contractor’s work and the electrician’s job totalling roughly $450, plus our plan to do the initial drywall removal, re-insulate, hang the fans, and install beadboard ourselves, we should save a substantial amount overall.
Coincidentally, a previous outdoor project — laying our stone patio — also landed around $1,200, and adding the cost of tile and beadboard here suggests this sunroom update could end up in a similar range. Maybe it’s becoming a house tradition.
With the structural and electrical work complete, we focused on rebuilding the exposed ceiling. We started with the triangular end caps on both sides of the room, choosing plywood to match the existing framing. The plywood panels would be painted to blend with the eventual white beadboard ceiling.
Working with triangular spaces can feel intimidating, but the process turned out to be simpler than it first appeared. Instead of diving back into late-night trigonometry, we measured two key heights along an 8-foot run and used those measurements to lay out straight cuts on the plywood.
We measured the gap height at one end (40.5″) and then again 8 ft away (17″). Because the beadboard ceiling will finish off the edges, we subtracted 3″ from those measurements at each end before marking the plywood. A snapped chalk line connected the marks and gave us the correct cutting angle.
Once the line was in place, a circular saw made quick work of the cut. The leftover scrap from the first cut mirrored the same angle, so we used it as a template for the second piece and drew a perpendicular guide line to transfer the correct dimensions.
Before hanging the panels, we built out the studs with scrap 2x6s so the new plywood would sit flush with the existing wall. Then we test-fit the first large piece — a moment of nervous anticipation, since a bad cut would have been costly — and it fit perfectly.
After temporarily nailing the piece in place with brads, we secured it with heavier nails. You can see a small seam at the bottom where the new plywood meets the old wall; our plan is to caulk the gap and cover it with trim, then use wood filler where the two plywood pieces meet to reduce visible lines.
The other side required a similar approach but included cutting an opening for an electrical box that the electricians installed. Because that box needs to remain accessible for safety and code compliance, we cut a neat hole and will prime and paint the plywood to help it blend into the ceiling.
With the doors removed and the ceiling raised, the room already feels transformed — brighter and much more spacious. It’s almost hard to believe it’s the same room.
Next up: installing the pale blue beadboard ceiling. We’ll be pricing materials, priming and painting the plywood end caps, and then hanging and finishing the beadboard. We’ll share our progress and the final results soon. What projects did you tackle this weekend?