Recessed lighting inside a tray ceiling can highlight a picture hanging underneath it.
A tray ceiling is a type of ceiling that drops around the perimeter of the room, with a raised section in the center. Tray ceilings can be used to conceal ducts or pipes that run through the room but can also be used to provide flair to a room that a standard ceiling wouldn't provide. Installing recessed lights in the tray ceiling can provide additional lighting for the room and can be used to dramatically highlight the areas underneath the tray ceiling.
Instructions
Building the Tray Ceiling
1. Measure the length and width of the walls. If you're using the tray ceiling to conceal ducts or pipes, measure the distance that the lowest duct or pipes hang beneath the ceiling and add 2 inches to that measurement.
2. Mark a line on one of the long walls with a chalk line or laser level to indicate the location of the tray ceiling's bottom edge. If you're building the tray ceiling to conceal ducts or pipes, place this line 2 inches beneath the lowest duct or pipe; otherwise, the tray ceiling can extend as low as you want.
3. Locate the studs inside the wall with a stud finder.
4. Hold a 2-by-4 board against the wall, placing the of the board against the top edge of the line on the wall. Screw the 2-by-4 to the wall by driving 3-inch screws through the board and into the studs.
5. Measure and cut two 2-by-2 boards that are the same length as the wall. Cut sheets of half-inch plywood that match the depth of the tray ceiling.
6. Lay the 2-by-2 boards on the ground, and place the plywood on top of them to assemble the side panel for the tray ceiling. Align the outer edges of the plywood with the outer edges of the 2-by-2 boards, and attach the plywood to the 2-by-2 boards with 1 5/8-inch screws. Use one screw every 6 inches.
7. Mark the location of the side panels onto the ceiling with a laser level or chalk line. Locate and mark the location of the ceiling joists along the line with a stud finder.
8. Lift the side panel into position along the line, with the plywood side facing in toward the side wall where you attached the 2-by-4 board. Drive 3-inch screws through the top 2-by-2 on the side panel and into the ceiling joists.
9. Cut 2-by-2 boards to fit in between the 2-by-4 board screwed to the wall and the plywood edge of the side panel. These boards are called lookouts and are used to provide stability for the tray ceiling and a surface to attach the drywall on the bottom edge.
10. Attach the lookouts along the bottom edge of the tray ceiling, spacing them no more than 16 inches apart. Place the lookouts along the bottom edge of the tray ceiling, and drive a nail through the lower 2-by-2 on the side panel and into the end of the lookout. Attach the other end of the lookout by driving two nails through the end of the lookout and into the 2-by-4 board at a 45-degree angle. This is called toenailing.
11. Build the framing for the other three walls, using this process. Begin by installing the framing on the wall opposite the first wall, then install the framing for the two short walls, fitting it between the framing for the other two walls.
12. Cut sheets of half-inch drywall with a utility knife to fit along the sides and bottom edges of the tray ceiling.
13. Install the drywall by screwing it to the side panels and bottom edges of the framing with drywall screws. Drill the screws deep enough so that the screw head goes slightly beneath the surface of the drywall. This enables you to conceal the screws better.
14. Nail metal corner beads to the corner edges where the side and bottom sheets of drywall meet.
15. Spread joint compound over the joints where different sheets of drywall meet. Place strips of drywall tape over the joints and press the tape into the joint compound with the putty knife. Smooth the surface of the joint compound as much as possible with the putty knife and allow it to dry overnight.
16. Sand the joints smooth with fine-grit sandpaper, and wipe the dust off of the surface with a tacking cloth.
17.Add two more layers of drywall tape and joint compound to the joints, using the same process you used for the first layer.
18. Coat the drywall on the tray ceiling with a layer of primer and allow it to dry.
Installing the Lighting
19. Trace an old-work electrical box onto the wall where you want to install the switch for the recessed lighting. Cut a hole in the wall with a drywall saw, following the outline of the box.
20. Hold one of the recessed lighting cans against the bottom edge of the tray ceiling where you're installing the lights and trace the can at each location. Place the lights between the lookouts. Cut a hole in the ceiling with the drywall saw at the location for each light.
21. Feed a 12/2 electrical cable -- which means that the cable contains 12-gauge wiring and contains two wires, plus a bare ground wire -- between the hole for the light switch and your home's main electrical box. Do not attach the cable to the box. Feed a second cable between the light-switch hole and the hole for the first light and a cable between each hole for the lights.
22. Cut off 2 inches of sheathing from the ends of the electrical cables and an inch of insulation from the wires inside the cables using wire strippers.
23. Connect the electrical cables to the wiring for the lights. In most cases, you'll connect the black wire from the cable to the black wire on the light, the white wire from the cable to the white wire on the light and the bare copper wire from the cable to the green wire on the light with plastic connector caps. Read the manufacturer's instructions to be sure, however, as it can vary.
24. Slide the lighting cans into the holes in the tray ceiling, and pop out the clips on the sides of the cans to hold them in position.
25. Paint the tray ceiling with two coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry.
26
Punch out the knockout hole on the old-work electrical box and slide the cables that lead to the main box and the first recessed light through the knockout hole. Insert the electrical box into the hole in the wall and screw it to the wall.
27
Connect the white wires from the electrical cables to the silver terminal screws on the sides of the light switch and the black wires to the gold or brass terminal screws on the light switch. Cut a piece of 3-inch copper ground wire from excess cable and attach it to the green ground screw on the bottom of the light switch. Connect the other end of the 3-inch wire to the ground wires in the cables with a plastic connector cap.
28
Tuck the wiring into the electrical box and insert the lightswitch into the box. Screw the light switch to the box with mounting screws, then place the plate cover over the lightswitch.
29
Install the trim for the recessed lights, then screw the lightbulbs into the lighting cans.
30
Hire an electrician to connect the recessed lighting into your home's main box. Most municipalities require that this be done by a certified professional.
Tags: tray ceiling, bottom edge, 2-by-2 boards, light switch, side panel, 2-by-4 board