Sky’s the limit with ceiling types

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Published Date 10/12/2021

Just like not being able to choose your relatives, sometimes you can’t choose your home’s ceilings. You CAN, however, have your choice of ceiling types, Realtor’s Laura Winter reminds us that you have options.

While flat ceilings evoke little excitement, even they may have potential to be the chameleon. Hiding above drywall may be the potential to cut out a tray ceiling, which is built with height in mind and is cut into a shape resembling—you guessed it—a tray. “This ceiling type creates a layer of depth, making your room look taller and your space feel bigger,” says Winter. “It comes in all sizes, as depth can range from a minimum of 6 inches to more than a foot. A lighting fixture is generally mounted into the deepest part of the ceiling. And some homeowners liven up their tray ceiling by painting the inner section a different color than the rest of the room.”

A close cousin to the tray ceiling is the stepped ceiling. While it contains only one large indent, a stepped ceiling includes multiple inverted “steps” before reaching a flat top. It adds a touch of elegance and luxury to a room, creating a visual effect in terms of height that can make small rooms look spacious and larger.

Coffered ceilings may remind you of waffles. The word “coffered” is derived from the French word for “box.” Its look has been around for centuries because of its dramatic and beautiful appearance. “As this latticed ceiling boasts a higher installation fee than other ceiling types ($25 per square foot), folks on a budget can create the same effect by using coffered panels on a dropped ceiling,” says Winter.

If you do have a choice in ceilings, a cathedral ceiling is the most symmetrical, capable of opening up space and drawing light into a room. Each side of the ceiling is a similar length, and the two sides follow the contours and pitch of the roof to meet in the center, creating an apex.

Not as common, the barrel vault ceiling is curved with a purpose. Insanely sturdy, it was originally engineered to support heavy items like massive chandeliers. “Barrel vault ceilings are generally considered to be a labor-intensive ceiling to frame but are also widely considered to be a nice architectural feature,” says John Scardina, regional director of project management at a home improvement company.

Popcorn ceilings figured prominently from 1950s to the 1980s. After that it became a target of hate decor. Looking like a flocked holiday tree, contractors needed only to tape and skim the drywall before applying the popcorn, saving the cost of skim coating, sanding, and painting. If you’re planning to sell your home, this is NOT an option a buyer would salivate over.

A tongue-and-groove ceiling is like having shiplap overhead. It’s all about the finished wood effect. Interlocking planks—aka tongue and groove—are attached to the ceiling by either clips or a grid system. “Tongue and groove ceilings are most often seen in rustic houses, but they can also be found in renovated modern homes looking to bring a woodsy feel to stone and metal,” says Winter.

Realtor, TGWS

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