Closed in vaulted ceiling

Submitted by ty556 t3_11dwjgg in DIY

Before and after https://imgur.com/a/IkKat1j

Full album https://imgur.com/a/2N1hT1s

Our two story home had a living room with a vaulted ceiling to the upstairs. We really hated it and created an echo chamber in the whole house. With two kids running around and their friends there was no quiet.

I took on the project myself with a Buddy helping on the heavy framing.

Cut off my finger along the way!

Did everything but paint and reattaching my finger, myself.

Looking forward to how ive done the entire thing wrong!

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Comments

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taswcallmetim t1_jabbdq6 wrote

I want to see the after photo of the finger! Great looking results on the room. Way to take it on!

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odds_are_its_batman t1_jabgxgt wrote

Impressive work and I must admit I am a bit curious as to how the engineer justified no footing enlargements. Hard to make a judgement from photos though. This looks ace and I am sure is a welcome improvement to your home.

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craigeryjohn t1_jabh0el wrote

Well done! I would love to do something like this at my place. A huge open area above the living room serves no purpose other than an echo chamber and zaps heat from the main floor. Unfortunately there are floor to ceiling windows on the opposite wall and no real good way to separate them between the two floors.

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dwehlen t1_jabmlr3 wrote

That was a helluva journey, thanks for sharing!

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ty556 OP t1_jaccf8f wrote

Replying to odds_are_its_batman (#2,092,906)

Funny you menetion that! The permit office asked the same thing. So the house is a two story house and built on slab. The entire slab was poured for a two story house so there wasn’t much inf a concern. The engineer verified it all anyways and gave it a thumbs up.

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neil_anblome t1_jaccnkr wrote

I love how OP slips in a comment about losing a finger, like no biggie, lost mah digit. It looks superb, by the way.

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ty556 OP t1_jacd8th wrote

Replying to craigeryjohn (#2,092,932)

I was googling forever to ding out if I could do it and there was so little info on it which is why I posted. The vaulted ceiling concept is so dated, I hate it. It creates an air conditioning/heating nightmare.

The floor to ceiling windows are a bummer though, that really does limit your options.

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ty556 OP t1_jaceemb wrote

Replying to taswcallmetim (#2,091,432)

I can share the gnarly ones too. But here’s post op after the first surgery.

https://imgur.com/a/laiQtI1

I have a metal plate. 2nd survey was about 6 months later to do a bone graph because of non-union. I’ll have 3rd surgery soon to remove the plate and clean up some scar tissue hoping for increased movement.

I can pinch but not make a fist. Nerves are ok, lost some feeling where the saw went in but still have feeling everywhere else to everyone’s surprise.

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AlcoholPrep t1_jacjc8k wrote

Changing the subject: Soft fibrous materials -- hangings, tapestries on the walls, etc., go far to absorb noise. Can turn an echo chamber quiet(er).

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ty556 OP t1_jacnc0a wrote

Replying to AlcoholPrep (#2,102,919)

For sure. The other problems were heat and air circulation and management were a nightmare. Also you couldn’t watch tv in the living room without the rest of the house hearing it.

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ty556 OP t1_jaco2fh wrote

Replying to neil_anblome (#2,100,715)

Lol, stuff happens I guess? When you’re getting annoyed or rushed while using power tools, go take a break and have a cup of coffee or something.

Thank you for the compliment!

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9yr0ld t1_jacpap7 wrote

looks great!

how did you cut your finger so bad?

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ty556 OP t1_jacpl8o wrote

Replying to 9yr0ld (#2,104,814)

Cutting a piece of trim on a compound miter saw. As I was lifting the saw up I reached for the cut piece of wood. My index finger caught the still spinning blade. Rest is history!

Be careful everyone!

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9yr0ld t1_jacqcrh wrote

Replying to ty556 (#2,104,915)

damn man. hope it heals up nice.

I cut my finger bad a long time ago. not as bad as you, but bad. lost feeling for months. didn't have normal movement for a year+

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Remmy14 t1_jacrogz wrote

Replying to ty556 (#2,101,260)

What is the prognosis regarding feeling where the saw went in? I had a very similar cut on my thumb when I was much younger (though not with a saw blade, but just a knife). No bone damage, but the flap of skin hanging off was numb for some time. Eventually, though, the feeling in that part of my finger did come back, and the only thing that remains is a pretty gnarly scar.

Hopefully you'll have a similar recovery. Also, room looks great, my wife wants to do something similar.

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elainegeorge t1_jad2fia wrote

Curious as to the decision of lowering the ceiling vs closing up the top of the wall that leads to the hallway/upstairs?

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ty556 OP t1_jadfcyk wrote

Replying to elainegeorge (#2,108,998)

Building the floor/lowering the ceiling added about 300sqft of what was other wise wasted space. The floor drops in room as is so it has about 9ft ceilings now which makes it feel very open.

Our air conditioning smusage has dropped about 20% between the two units as well.

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ty556 OP t1_jadgkzb wrote

Replying to Remmy14 (#2,105,547)

We’re shooting for 50 - 60% mobility restored in the proximal joint. Ha have pretty solid movement in all the other joints on the finger. Feeling wise where the saw entered is where the median nerve (?) runs. The surgeon was flabbergasted I didn’t cut that. He doesn’t understand how it didn’t get cut given the location and damage. It’s tingly where the saw entered and slightly numbe around. Other then that I have good feeling in my top and else where.

The suregeon, specializes in hand trauma, said it’s one of the more catastrophic finger injuries he’s seen mostly due to the fragmentation of the bone which is shown in the x-ray a bit, but the CT scan showed a much more dire picture.

All things considered it’s a positive prognosis, it won’t be the same, but it will be functional.

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ty556 OP t1_jadh8cs wrote

Replying to neil_anblome (#2,110,003)

Believe it or not, smashing your thumb was probably way more painful, so I feel for you. I had the benefit of shock, adrenaline, and heavy narcotics in the er when the latter wore off.

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3-DMan t1_jae2q1h wrote

Looks like you had other reasons to do it, but I solved my vaulted ceiling echoes with homemade bass traps. Basically fabric over Owens Corning fiberglass hung on the corners.

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TheRetriever t1_jaeqc35 wrote

Looks awesome. I love the paint color for the downstairs room too.

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ty556 OP t1_jaf38jx wrote

Replying to TheRetriever (#2,129,449)

Thanks! I picked that color! My wife wanted grayige which I was tired of seeing and hearing about. The color is Evergreen fog by sherwin Williams. I think it was the color of the year last year.

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