Photos of Renovated Ceilings

Ceilings and Fixtures

"A roof over my head" is not merely a proverbial term. Ceilings are vital to the quality of your home. But they also don't have to serve a mere utilitarian purpose of protecting you from whatever may come down from the heavens. They can also add much-needed style and, more importantly, space to a home's interior. While constructing a ceiling may be a contractor's job, there is much that needs to be taken into account regarding your ceilings.

Consider the Height

The first thing you want to determine is how high you want your ceiling to be. Many buildings feature flat roofs as a result of the second story—after all, who wants a sloping floor—but the height of ceilings can vary depending on the location. For example, while living room ceilings might be your basic story, an entry hall carries the potential to have a two-story ceiling from which you can hang a fancy lighting fixture like a chandelier. High and vaulted ceilings give a sense of spaciousness and personality to a room. Vaulted ceilings are also handy if you have somebody in the family who doesn't want to feel like they are being packed into a sardine can of a house.

Know Your Fixtures

After settling on a height, you should decide on your lighting fixtures and ceiling fans. This is where the real style of a ceiling comes from. Many fixtures come equipped with both a fan and lighting. However, some fixtures, like chandeliers, don't possess a ceiling fan and are there solely to provide illumination. It is up to you to decide what kind of a fixture you want to put in your ceiling. Always be sure to contact a licensed electrician to help you install the new fixture.

Need to Renovate? Get a Grid!

There are many other ways to give the ceiling some character. While many homes are constructed with ceilings that look and act the same as walls in many ways, you can spruce up the ceiling by installing a ceiling grid. Ceiling tiles, once used almost exclusively in commercial environments, are starting to see greater popularity in custom home construction projects. They are simple to replace, relatively cheap, and come in all manner of different styles. They are also quite versatile for homes which are not custom-made. Grids do exist now which basically act as a cover for a ceiling already in place. Consult this guide to find out more about ceiling grids and how to install them.

The easiest and quickest way to set up a ceiling worth looking at is to hire a contractor. Ceilings are something you should never toy around with and finding a licensed professional will give you peace of mind on the stability of your ceiling.