Questions tagged [ceiling]

For questions on the general topic of the upper containing surface of a room or other enclosure. Please use additional tags to refer to a specific area of concern, such as lighting, insulation, repair, painting, waterproofing, etc. If your question refers to a [ceiling-fan], please use that tag instead!

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What should I look for when choosing faux tin ceiling tiles?

My fiancee really likes the look of the faux tin ceilings. We found some in Home Depot, but they are 20$ for each 18" x 24" pane. For a moderate sized room, this will be a LOT of money to do one ...
eidylon's user avatar
  • 207
7 votes
4 answers
6k views

How can I be sure all the asbestos particles are gone?

So we got rid of the popcorn ceiling that had asbestos. Now my wife is worried about the particles that might still be lingering in the air. How long until it settles down? Wet-mopping, HEPA vacuuming ...
Tomas Garcia's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is it safe to remove screws from a 4x4 support beam without compromising it?

We have a home with a basement which has one room containing a 4x4 beam in the ceiling. Yesterday I screwed more than ten 2" #6 and 3-1/2" #10 screws into the beam for a project I was ...
Helixdnb's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
50k views

Why is a white electrical wire connected to 2 black wires?

I just opened my ceiling light to replace it with another mount. I see a white wire connected to 2 black wires, is that right? The middle switch controls this ceiling light.
konyak's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
3 answers
21k views

Should I repair floor joists that have cracks or holes?

The floor joists in my unfinished basement of a 1950s house have nails that the previous owner probably used to hang items on. Many of the nails have caused the floor joists to split. I've been ...
Jay Prall's user avatar
  • 637
6 votes
2 answers
21k views

How do I install this flush-mount ceiling light?

I bought a new flush-mount ceiling light and am having a tough time figuring out how to get it installed. The instructions that came with it are completely useless. Here are all of the pieces that ...
user15514's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

How should I deal with this protrusion in future drywall ceiling?

I am strapping a room up for a drywall ceiling for an upcoming room in my basement. The joists are level for the most part, but on the main joist there is an protrusion. Here is a picture: The ...
PaulG's user avatar
  • 333
6 votes
1 answer
725 views

How do I fix my kitchen ceiling?

How do I fix my kitchen ceiling? I have the ceiling covering peeling off. It has exposed cracks where water has possibly come through from the tiles above. So, how do I fix my kitchen ceiling?
Phil C's user avatar
  • 221
6 votes
3 answers
4k views

What do I need to use one winch motor independently on several different cables (for overhead storage)?

I'm almost-nearly-started on installing a bunch of motorized ceiling-storage platforms in my garage. I was researching which winch/hoist to buy when I realized that I'd rather not buy one electric ...
PotatoEngineer's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
42k views

What size of ceiling joists should I use

We started remodeling the 2nd floor this last fall, starting with a spare bedroom, but between our day jobs and the holidays, we ran out of time, stopping short of dry-walling - the room is sealed and ...
lsiunsuex's user avatar
  • 2,833
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Installing spotlights but hole in ceiling is too big

I bought 4 of these bad boys which I want to attach to my concrete ceiling (Oriel Baril LED Adjustable Spotlight). They are pretty lightweight. Mounting cup diameter is 80mm However, the mounting ...
ChrisRich's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
5k views

How can I locate and repair a leak?

We recently bought a 100 year old house that stood uninhabited for 18 months prior to our move. Everything had been properly winterized for the cold winter months (Temperatures can reach -40 C) and ...
Mandy's user avatar
  • 61
6 votes
2 answers
4k views

What should I do with insulation in basement ceiling?

I am fixing up my basement, and to make it seem bigger- we decided to remove the drop ceiling and are going to have the exposed ceiling and duct work sprayed black. There is some insulation around ...
Ryan Kleven's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
13k views

Will pipe insulation stop condensation on an HVAC drain line?

ISSUE A sweaty condensation drain line is dripping and causing mold in a ceiling panel: The condensation drain pipe is lengthy and spans two rooms: QUESTION Is insulating the pipe an effective ...
gatorback's user avatar
  • 3,088
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Holes drilled in parallam beam: is this a structural problem?

The electrician drilled 3/4” holes on PSL parallam beams. Both beams are is 4”x12”. The first beam measures 13’ft long and the holes are about 3’ft away from the end. The second beam measures 23’ft ...
Luis Contreras's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
4k views

Proper craftsmanship to mount Wi-Fi AP and ethernet cable to ceiling?

I'd like to add a ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi Access Point to the upper floor of an already existing house (USA, wood studs, built 1998). I have access to the attic above and would run Category 6 ...
whiskeychief's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
352 views

Place drywall joint at sagging truss center or overlap?

I added a 10'x15' room and am preparing to hang drywall when I noticed the center of the engineered roof truss (15' span) is sagging slightly. The 2x4 trusses have a joint in the bottom center. If I ...
Automate This's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Are these roof members structural support?

I’m fairly new to DIY home improvement. Are these arrowed parts structural support? I’m looking to vault the ceiling below but I’m not sure if I need to involve an engineer.
Eli Parker's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
623 views

Help identifying mystery device in ceiling

Unidentified device in ceiling We have been renovating a recently purchased home, built in 2002. The painter removed the cover from this device while prepping to paint ceiling. It is located in ...
Kym Polser's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
23k views

Is it safe to hang a 39lb projector screen from a drywall ceiling without using the joists?

Is it safe to hang a 39lb projector screen from a drywall ceiling without using the joists? I'm having a debate with someone over how we should hang a projector from the ceiling. I want to place ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Thin walls means lots of noise

My bedroom is directly under my neighbors living room, he has crazy hours and I find myself waking up constantly. I tried talking to him and he's trying his best but it's just not good enough. What ...
ndubs's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

nail pop in bathroom ceiling

Should I be concerned about this nail pop. I live in an apartment so I can’t really do much to the ceiling. Is it just a cosmetic thing? Is my safety at risk? Will it cause water leaks? Please help
rou's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
4k views

What trade is best to fix the crack in my livingroom ceiling?

We have now noticed a crack running along the length of the living room ceiling. Looking to see who I need to come and look and fix it for me, so what trade, ie builder or joiner? Click for full size
Martyn's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

What are chances of split/weakened joists from ceiling hanging hardware?

I was supposed to hang some stuff to make space in the garage. So I started indiscriminately screwing a bunch of crap into the joists. Now I realized that I was stupid in my haste. How do I evaluate ...
santiago's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Splicing electric in attic properly

I am installing ceiling lights on my attic that has only fiberglass insulation. I needed to splice some cables half way to the fixture box. I just want to verify that I've done so properly. Here is ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 503
5 votes
4 answers
21k views

14ft Ceiling beam sagging 5/8" - what to do?

First some background: Our home is a 2 story detached. On the main floor it is entirely open concept, with a ~14' drywalled horizontal support beam separating the kitchen from the living room area. ...
drschultz's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
10k views

How do I splice a drywall metal outside corner bead?

When re-finishing my ceiling (formerly popcorn, now smooth) I had some trouble with the edge of the tray ceiling in the master bedroom. Since the length of the tray was longer than a standard metal ...
Doresoom's user avatar
  • 15.7k
5 votes
2 answers
17k views

Installing Drywall on Concrete Ceiling?

I have a concrete ceiling in my basement and would like to cover it with drywall. Specifically, I would like to take the flat surface concrete ceiling and put another ceiling under it so that I can ...
AndrettiMilas's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
82k views

How do I wire this ceiling fan?

I'm trying to wire a new ceiling fan. The outlet box wires are White, Red, and Black. The ceiling fan wires are Black, Blue, White, and Green. The installation manual states to connect both Blue ...
Kermit's user avatar
  • 1,218
5 votes
2 answers
10k views

How do I repair this hole in my ceiling?

So I did something stupid and I screwed up my den ceiling: For scale, the hole itself is about 3-4 inches long, but the overall damaged area is about 9 inches in diameter. It's hard to see, but it ...
anon's user avatar
  • 607
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Do I need to attach a wire fished through a ceiling?

I have a finished basement and am mounting a flat-screen TV on the wall and I want to put an electrical box behind the TV. The two existing outlets are both two joists over and each separated with a ...
Dan's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
4 answers
3k views

Replacing a ceiling rose with a led light without using wire connectors

I have two ceiling rose lights in my corridor, I have managed to replace one without the need of any wiring connector. I achieved this because it had one Live, one neutral and one earth connector. So ...
Sgr's user avatar
  • 151
5 votes
4 answers
22k views

How to permanently remedy a patch of mold on a ceiling from a water leak above?

I recently discovered that water was dripping from the ceiling light fixture in a first floor bathroom. It turned it was due to a toilet leak (faulty wax ring) in a bathroom directly above. The ...
kurt's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can I place ventilation ducting on top of joists if there is space?

I'm installing a ceiling-mounted extractor fan above a kitchen island. The problem is with the placement of ventilation ducting in the ceiling: the joists are running in the opposite direction to the ...
jlo's user avatar
  • 53
5 votes
4 answers
22k views

Is there an easy way to replicate this ceiling texture?

I have the swirly-tiny(stress the tiny)-bump texture on my ceiling on the first floor. I will be doing some major drywall repairs on the ceiling and would like tips on how to replicate the pattern. ...
DMoore's user avatar
  • 48.3k
5 votes
2 answers
23k views

What are the differences between hot and cold roof systems?

Can someone explain the differences, pros and cons of a hot roof vs a cold roof? I would like to vault a ceiling in an addition off of our family room, taking the drywall all the way up to the roof ...
lsiunsuex's user avatar
  • 2,833
5 votes
1 answer
16k views

Can I hang a hammock from basement joists?

My basement is what I assume is a typical setup, built in the 1970s. 2x8 joists run from the outer cinderblock wall to the center beam with an approximate 11 foot span. I'm thinking about hanging a ...
DaleSwanson's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
6k views

How to change the bulb in an enclosed ceiling light?

I have just moved to China and my apartment has these kinds of lights: I simply cant open them! The glass can be rotated without much force, as can the inner metal ring. The outer metal ring can ...
mikelong's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

How should I patch a popcorn ceiling?

I had to repair a corner joint between my kitchen and living ceiling (kitchen is ceiling lower than living room) by scraping the popcorn off of the kitchen ceiling and replacing a metal corner bead. ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 49
5 votes
1 answer
28k views

How should I run speaker, HDMI and electrical wiring for my ceiling mounted projector theater room?

BACKGROUND: New house built 5 years ago. I have a basement theater room with 12 foot drywall ceilings that have HVAC conduit and recessed lighting (in other words there is some space behind/above ...
kingdango's user avatar
  • 263
5 votes
1 answer
5k views

Can I reroute this air duct?

I'm quite new to dealing with HVAC duct-work. We would like to install a suspended ceiling in this room. Since the finished ceiling will be higher than this duct-work, we're going to build drywall ...
msanford's user avatar
  • 629
5 votes
2 answers
465 views

Better, not Perfect way to Insulate Uninsulated Attic Space in older Home

I have an older 2-story home (almost 100yrs) in Ohio, Zone 5. Rafters, walls everything built from 2x4's and 1x6 planks for deck of roof. Just had roof done so not planning on doing a tear off at ...
Derrick C's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
514 views

Supporting a fan in second (fake) ceiling

I purchased a ceiling fan (this model) to install in my house's top-floor bedroom. I assumed that all I would need is a fan-rated retrofit brace and ceiling box (example) to replace the inevitable ...
Inverseofverse's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
8k views

Are there octagonal box extenders that are slimmer than 1 1/2" deep?

Is there an octagonal box extender that's slimmer than 1 1/2" deep? So far I haven't been able to find one. Here's why: to cover up 30 years of patching on one of my plaster and lath ceilings, I'm ...
Justin Grant's user avatar
  • 1,587
5 votes
2 answers
19k views

What are the brown stains showing through my white paint?

Should we be worried about these? We have some brown spots like these in the top floor, in the wall and some spots in the ceiling. Mostly around the ceiling nails like in the first picture. They are ...
antza's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
1 answer
71k views

Problem hanging ceiling lamp with cord set (from Ikea)

Trying to hang a ceiling lamp and I can't figure it out. It's the type where you hook the connector to the ceiling, then push the "cup" (which conceals all the wiring) up to the ceiling. But there ...
komodosp's user avatar
  • 253
5 votes
1 answer
4k views

Molten wire nuts on recessed MR16 halogen lights

In one room of the apartment we rent, there's recessed 12v MR16 halogen lighting. There are 3 different circuits with dimmers. I noticed that two of the bulbs were humming loudly even when dimmed all ...
Marc Liyanage's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Can I splice wires in an old ceiling light box and should I add a ground conductor?

We have a beautiful house built in the 1920s. I was changing over a light fixture when I found that the ceiling of the room is wired with rubber wrapped 12(?)gauge wire that goes into a metal pancake ...
Elmo's user avatar
  • 149
5 votes
2 answers
11k views

How do I remove a panel from the ceiling of my side porch?

I have an uncovered side porch attached to the my brick ranch home. I noticed that parts of my roof are sagging and it is getting worse. I also noticed that some flashing around my chimney looks bad ...
Bob McNees's user avatar
4 votes
9 answers
10k views

How do I get rid of this ceiling finish and what is its name?

I am looking for an easy method. Common sense tells me that something like sanding must be used. Any special tool that can accelerate the process ? The structure the roof is shown below. I might need ...
MiniMe's user avatar
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