Looking to give your home an update or a new look? Well look no further. One of the most affordable ways to give your home an architectural update without breaking the bank is to use a Ceiling Kit from Archways and Ceilings Made Easy. One advantage in using our customized ceiling kits (i.e. Groin Vaults, Barrel Vaults, Domes and Cove Ceilings) is that they can be easily installed under the current ceiling without having to rip out the current drywall. The hardest part is figuring which ceiling to go with.
For example, I had a customer out in Keller, Texas do just that. This young couple recently bought a 20 year old home which had many flat & boring ceilings. They were looking to add a little flare to their dining room without having to spend a lot to achieve it. They went on-line and began looking for different types of ceilings or decorative ideas when they found Archways & Ceilings on the Web. One of the homeowners mentioned a light came on above their head and they instantly found what they were looking for. They fell in love with a Groin Vault. (Click here for definition of a groin vault http://www.archwaysandceilings.com/blog/what-is-a-groin-vault) With a few clicks of the mouse they were able to find pictures and a price for their groin vault remodel right there on our website. They then took the next step and ordered and Archways & Ceilings shipped them the groin vault along with several other archways they also ordered to help update the square openings in their home.
The Ceiling Remodel for the Groin Vault broken down into 6 Simple steps:
Step #1 The customers framed a cross brace out of 2×6’s and secured it to the original drywalled ceiling.
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Step #2 They assembled the groin vault by attaching it to the cross brace. The Groin Vault comes with a colorful detailed instruction page along with a CAD to help beginners as well as veterans install the groin vault.
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Step #3 Step Back and Admire the Groin Vault Ceiling.
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Step #4 Hired a local drywall company and drywalled the groin vault with ½” thick drywall.
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Step #6 The Local Drywall Company taped & mudded the groin vault ceiling and later applied a texture to the ceiling.
That’s it! All they need to do now is agree on what color of paint they plan on using. Now that can be the hardest part of the whole project.
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Watch the whole ceiling remodel including the archways here:
Come take a look at what some of the Archways & Ceilings Made Easy customers are up to. From time to time our happy customers take a few pictures of the products we supply. Take a few seconds and see all the great pictures from different jobsites all around the United States. We have pictures of Groin Vault Ceilings, Recessed Dome Ceiling kits, Cove Ceilings, Barrel vaults and more. If you are a recent customer and have taken a few photographs of your Archways & Ceilings products, please send them in to sales@archwaysandceilings.com . We would love to share your project with our readers.
For many individuals who hear the word “Groin Vault” for the first time often make a funny face and immediately ask for an explanation. For those of you who build groin ceilings or know of them, you know it is hard to explain this particular ceiling detail in words. The easiest way to explain these particular ceilings is by providing pictures, so here are some groin vault pictures to help put your mind at ease.
Early this morning I packed up the delivery truck with 2 large groin vault kits and headed out to Chico, Texas to meet Longacre Construction to help them build the groin ceilings for their current project. I have known Carol and Dan with Longacre Construction for quite sometime now, so when I received a phone call a week prior from Dan, saying he has an opportunity to use the Archways & Ceilings Groin vault kit, I was ecstatic.
Of course I was ecstatic to make a sale, but I was more excited to have the opportunity to work side by side with a high quality company, not to mention Carol Longacre is going to be the next President of the HBA of Greater Dallas.
I pulled up to the jobsite and was instantly greeted by Daryl Shields with Longacre construction. He immediately jumped in and helped me unload the groin vault kits. We then laid each groin vault kit next to the rooms we planned to install them in and prepared for installation. We grabbed 2 ladders, a nail gun, measuring tape, and finish nailer. We were ready! Wait… I keep saying we… It should be more like Daryl was ready and I was ready to merely read off the directions for him.
First I had Daryl use the Groin Vault layout CAD supplied by Archways & Ceilings to help layout where each of the groin vault struts will be placed. Each groin ceiling has a long side and a short side if the ceiling is rectangular in shape (and for our project it was). This is important because a groin ceiling has 4 sides, 2 of the sides are long sides, and the other 2 sides are the short sides. We marked all 4 sides and now the hard part was done. Laying out the groin is the most important step when installing because this step will allow you to fly through the rest of the installation process and take most of the thinking out of it as well.
With our measurements and marks in place, we began installing the groin vault struts. Each strut has an L or S with a corresponding number. These crucial markings indicate Long side versus short side and indicate which order to be placed. For example a S4 means Short side / 4th strut. Once Daryl completed installing the groin vault struts for all 4 sides, we were able to move on to the next step. Tip: Don’t worry about the groin vault corners lining up. If you follow the Layout CAD, they will naturally come together.
Daryl hopped down from the ladder and grabbed his Finish Nailer so we could go back and fasten all the groin vault corners together. Daryl simply pulled the corners together like a picture frame and began nailing. This is an exciting step, because your groin ceiling is almost complete.
After Daryl finished nailing the corners together, he went back through and added extra bracing to help support the groin vault. He even added a few cripple studs to support the groin to the ceiling joists above.
With a smile from Daryl and a nod of approval we were done! Daryl has officially completed his first groin vault. Daryl immediately said, “Time for lunch!”
The dining room groin ceiling for Longacre construction was officially completed (in 60 minutes). High five’s all around and a beautiful ceiling left for the homeowner. All in all, a job well done!
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Watch it here:
For more information about the outstanding craftsmanship provided by Longacre Construction please visit www.longacreconstruction.com
Brian Hugghins with H. Customs called me up one afternoon looking to add a little flare to his current media room. He mentioned he had recently began rennovating his current media room to ultimately change it into a showroom for his future clients.
Brian then mentioned he wanted a jaw opener! I quickly replied, “We can do that!”
Well, Brian and I immediately began pushing ideas back and forth until he finally decided on creating a domed ceiling for the main sitting area and a double groin vault for the entrance. Due to the configuration of the room, we ended up making the domed ceiling elongated in shape to help occupy the rectangle shaped ceiling. Hence the domed ceiling for a rectangle is called an, “Elongated dome.”
Note: An Elongated Dome is created when you cut a dome in half and put a barrel vault in between each domed half.
Once we nailed down the design and dimensions, Brian pulled the trigger on the project. We began making the ceiling kits and delivered them 5 days later at his house.
“SSSShhhheeeww! Brian the hard part is done! We delivered your kits!!!” I jokingly stated.
With a CAD and detailed instructions we began installation of the 2 different ceilings. After4 hours of easy labor we were done! All that was left was to sheetrock and paint! We were Done.
A few weeks later we checked in with Brian to see how things were coming along and all I remember hearing was “You have to check this out!!!”
- so here are the pictures for you to check out! and I will second Brian’s statment. “You have to check this out!”
*For more information about Brian Hugghins or H Customs Audio.Video visit www.hcustoms.com
The Groin Vault is created when 2 barrel vaults intersect with one another. A groin vault is also known as a cross vault or a double barrel vault.
This Architectural marvel is very common in European countries, especially Rome. In America, the groin vault has become a popular and beautiful ceiling found in many homes. So much so, the groin vault is Archways & Ceilings most popular ceiling kit!
The Groin Ceiling Kit, allows anyone to add an elegant architectural feature to their home!
A groin vault ceiling is one of the most popular and beautiful ceilings found in today’s custom homes. However, the traditional construction method required to construct this type of ceiling called for a great deal of skill, time, and material. Furthermore, even those carpenters who have the skills necessary to frame this ceiling either refuse or charge such an outlandish price that it becomes impractical to entertain. Thus, this type of ceiling has been left to the upper echelon of homes. However, this is no longer the case. Groin vault ceiling kits from Archways & Ceilings now allow a builder / contractor to add these to their homes quickly, easily, and affordably.
How quick is it to construct a groin vault ceiling kit from Archways & Ceilings? A groin vault constructed traditionally on site takes 10 times longer than using an Archway & Ceiling’s groin vault kit. For example, an 8’-0” by 6’-0” groin vault would normally take two experienced carpenters two full days to construct when you include the prep work, laying it out, scribing the hips, cutting the blocks, and assembling. However, when using an Archways & Ceilings groin vault kit, the construction process is simplified tremendously, and all that is needed is two framers one hour to install.
How easy is it to install a groin vault ceiling kit from Archways & Ceilings? The need for high end skilled framers is not required. As long as the framers can paint by number, read a plan drawing, and use a nail gun, then construction will be a breeze. In fact, we have had several handy DIYers successfully install our groin vault ceiling kits. It is really that easy! See for yourself. Watch the following installation video.
How affordable is it to construct a groin vault ceiling kit from Archways & Ceilings? In our example above, an 8’-0” by 6’-0” groin vault ceiling kit from Archways & Ceilings costs $494.95. If this ceiling was to be built traditionally, then the cost would consist of $250.00 of material and a minimum of $500 dollars in labor. You do the math!
With Archways & Ceilings it is now possible Mr. Builder or Mr. Contractor to add these beautiful groin vault ceilings to your homes. This could be your next competitive advantage. As more and more homeowners are expecting more and more from their builder, what are you doing to set yourself apart? A beautiful groin vault made quickly, easily, and affordably could be your next meal ticket.
Looking to give your home an update or a new look? Well look no further. One of the most affordable ways to give your home an architectural update without breaking the bank is to use a Ceiling Kit from Archways and Ceilings Made Easy. One advantage in using our customized ceiling kits (i.e. Groin Vaults, Barrel Vaults, Domes and Cove Ceilings) is that they can be easily installed under the current ceiling without having to rip out the current drywall. The hardest part is figuring which ceiling to go with.
