apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don't know anything about building, so the logistics of this are beyond me. But you could do the insulation, then the drywall, and then cover the drywall with wood paneling. You could retain the look you've got now this way. Or maybe bamboo paneling would be cheaper.

"2 inches of insulation" is a strange requirement. 2 inches of icynene foam is more insulating than 2 inches of fiberglass, or 2 inches of straw for that matter! Did they specify what type of insulation?

I think you can install wood paneling directly over insulation, so no need for drywall if you want to go that route. Woodhaven paneling is laminate, but it's really beautiful and on the ceiling, no one will know it's not real. Probably cheaper, too.

Beautfiful space.
I would hate to hide the wood currently on the ceiling. That has character that the new wood will not plus its a waste for our environement to use twice as much wood/ sheetrock etc.

try to probe in a discrete corner and see what the roof is made up of. As a designer I know the roof will have joists behind it and gaps between the joists.

There is a solution out there where one can drill a series of hole between this joists and spray foam( soy based preferred) in these gaps between the joists and that would give you the R value you need or better than the 2" rigid INsulation. Try to get the right help for this roof.

any ?'s write again. see my apt. on apt. therapy at some point today. Gaastra Residence.cool contest.

Is that ceiling equal to the buildings roof? If yes, you might insulate from outside. Would be pricier but keeps your ceiling as it is.

On the plus side, it will be easier to run any wiring through the ceiling for lighting, speakers, etc. if you have to build out the ceiling.

This may be a crazy idea. I have no experience in anything like this, but I was wondering if you could lower the ceiling and add a glass roof on the same level where the white pillars end? The very cool wood would still be visible, heat would stay inside. I've heard of heat-insulating (or at least low-emission) glass before, there was an article in the May issue of the British mag LivingETC, about adding extensions to a house, and they used a lot of all-glass walls.

"Part L regulations of thermal efficiency mean now there is a restriction on how much glass you can use, but this can be offset by installing high-efficiency insulating and using Low-e double or triple glazed windows"

Some of the extensions in the pics are glass all over, so I guess there must be some "invisible" kind of insulation... Consult a professional.

Good luck!

I've never heard of a scenario like this. A warehouse condo where the condo board requires the purchaser to make structural improvements to the space?

Shouldn't that be the responsibility of the condo board? Why would the bank give you a loan for a space that does not meet the requirements of the building?

Or, am I missing something? Did you move in and expose the ceiling yourself?

I would suggest taking a looking at the ceiling in another unit of the building.

Call an insulation contractor. You may be able to have blown in/sprayed in insulation done in the same way that wall cavities are retrofitted with insulation.

thanks for all the replies. you guys are all so resourceful ...keep 'em coming!

NYC - the building is on the top floor, and above us is just tar (applied directly to the wood) and then roofing.

andreas - outside insulation has been put to the board for approval, but i suspect it will be a no go.

art - we're checking our estoppels today to make sure we arent getting hosed. its been a frustrating process so far, with a lot of garbage that isn't worth getting into. hopefully it will be worth it.

wood panelling is a definite idea. someone mentionned corrugated metal, but it seems like it would be a bit much. so hard when you have your heart set on something and then have to change the plan!

hang in there cblls!

maybe your attorney can help you on this one.

Put in the insulation, which is a drag but may ultimately help you against losing lots of heat, save energy costs, good for the planet, etc.
Then cover it all with one of those awesome pressed tin ceilings.

I agree with everyone here...2" of rigid foam insulation is the minimum you'd need to get some energy efficiency. I know someone that had a similar situation that used a type of paint that seals everything and was supposed to give you a small r-value improvement. Don't know what the product was though. I think putting new wood v-joint over 2" foam would be the best option. It looks like you certainly have the room for it.

I'm wondering if this what you may have to do?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/2441342722/

At which point you could treat the finished ceiling however you like (tin, wood panel, paint, etc.)

The advantages would be great as people have mentioned. You could hide wiring and put recessed lighting throughout.

But the cost...

I'd imagine it would be easier to drop the ceiling height to the top of those beams but then, of course, you would lose height and the beauty of a cathedral ceiling.

are you're a peach. thanks for the pics, they help alot in trying to visualize the whole thing.

pressed tin is beautiful. that might just be what we are looking for!

thanks again kids!

art* dammit. art is the peach. =P

There is a message board crawling with really smart builders and contractors. Go to finehomebuilding.com, click on Breaktime, and post your question. They amaze me with their smart answers every time.

We used icenene (a spray in expanding foam http://www.icynene.com/ ). We added about 12 inches below our roofline. I believe it is about R4 an inch, so we've got something like R50 up there. Our heating bills went down 60% in the first month. Our entire home is SO much quieter. It actually looks kind of cool...like some kind of sculpture made out of meringue.

We live in the Boston area. Our total project cost was about $3000 (entire roof line area, including roofline and exterior walls that were open as part of a remodel). Our local utility had a program that provided a rebate of up to $1500. We got a tax credit of $500 on our federal taxes. With the utility bill savings, it paid for itself in less than 6 months.

Consider adding more than the 2 inches required. You likely won't get massive energy and noise reduction with only two inches (and rebates), but you'll still cover the wood you like. If you have to cover the wood, go whole hog and insulate as much as humanely possible.

I'm a building energy conservation engineer, and I specialize in roofing. The smartest thing to do is to put spray polyurethane foam insulation on the top side of the roof. This is usually covered with a bright white coating. This is the best insulation you can get, since it covers all the joists without gaps. It's rigid & durable, and easy to install. The insulation will keep heat inside in the winter, and keep heat out in summer. The bright white coating will also help your place stay cooler in summer. Best of all, you won't have to touch your wooden ceiling. I don't get why you have to pay for it, though...

Wowza, can't argue with the building energy conservation engineer with a speciality in roofing!!! Love it!!!

However, if you were forced to cover the wood (SO SAD), a pressed tin ceiling would look cool and you can still buy the stuff. Also you can buy molded wallpaper or wainscotting and it looks just like a painted tin ceiling. (Though I wouldn't want to get a leak.)