# Can I build this mother out of wood?



## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Got called in by an A/V guy to create a small decorative soffit to cover the box from a rolldown projection screen. The box only extends down 1/2" from the ceiling drywall. They asked me if I could create a 1/2" soffit. I said I could glue drywall to the ceiling. Then I told them to exaggerate it and make it 4" or so so that it looks decorative and intentional. They agreed.

Now my question.

The more I'm thinking about this... why shouldn't I build this entirely out of wood? 2x skeleton screwed up into the ceiling, 1x wrapped around the edges, finish grade ply on the flat with the edges covered by the 1x. Caulk to the wall, no fuss no muss.

Right? Right?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Sounds like you're just substituting wood for drywall. Watcha gonna do to make it pop?


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

That's exactly what I'm doing.

I don't want it to pop. They're basically trying to disappear this box so that the screen appears to descend from the heavens. They want the soffit to be essentially invisible.
Problem for me is that they've changed the design literally 3 times. Today being the third, which they mentioned as an afterthought when I called to confirm my 8am start time tomorrow. Sheesh.

I'm thinking building the whole thing(20" depth, not big) out of wood it'll save me the aggravation of taping a tiny soffit to the ceiling and 3 walls, then having to paint corner to corner with three separate paint colors. Everybody wins, right?


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

It won't disappear if it is wood.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Easy.... Not sure the size of the a/v box.... you said 1/2 inch projection..... 

How about some solid 3/4 pine routed out 1/2 inch for the a/v box.... rout it's edges with maybe a OGEE.... texture it out matching the ceiling texture...

Seems that might be minimal projection..... (I often do something similar for locating a ceiling fan...)

Best


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

So you don't want it to be 1/2" because you want it purposeful but you don't want it to pop...I'm confused. Could you have just wrapped a piece of drywall in drywall j channel. Screwed it to the ceiling, mud the face and call it done?


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

It's not what I want, it's what the customer wants by way of what the A/V guy who I'm being hired by wants?

I don't know. I'm 99% sure I'm going to show up there tomorrow and the guys are going to have done another 180.

I was trying to push for a larger soffit that would accommodate crown that I would then send around the rest of the room(sunken living room) which I think would have visually ended the ceiling right at the giant projection screen. Would have looked sweet. They weren't feeling it.

Eh we'll see.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Put the 1/2" lip on it, then feather out 4' with mud. It just disappeared.

Smear setting compound on, and run one end of a straight 4' board on the lip and the other on the existing ceiling to smooth it (don't get too close to upper angles, though). Sand, then top coat if needed.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

hdavis said:


> Put the 1/2" lip on it, then feather out 4' with mud. It just disappeared.
> 
> Smear setting compound on, and run one end of a straight 4' board on the lip and the other on the existing ceiling to smooth it (don't get too close to upper angles, though). Sand, then top coat if needed.


I'd probably go a little more than 4" for a 1/2" feather...


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## Rustbucket (May 22, 2009)

How big is the room? You could just cover the whole ceiling with another layer of 1/2". Feathering seems like a PITA to me. I think you would need to go at least a foot, if not two. Of course most homeowners won't really notice a little wave in the ceiling. Of course, I'm the guy that examines every little detail when I enter a house.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

KAP said:


> I'd probably go a little more than 4" for a 1/2" feather...


Depends on lighting, texture, sheen, yada, yada.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Rustbucket said:


> How big is the room? You could just cover the whole ceiling with another layer of 1/2". Feathering seems like a PITA to me. I think you would need to go at least a foot, if not two. Of course most homeowners won't really notice a little wave in the ceiling. Of course, I'm the guy that examines every little detail when I enter a house.


This is actually pretty fast to do. If it's a critical lighting area, it may not disappear. Same basic approach as plumbing and squaring old plaster wall corners.


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

This job is stupid.

I got there today and predictably, everything changed.

The unit they had installed was actually a finished unit that was meant to be seen. It was really slick looking. When they said it was proud 1/2" what they actually mean was the drywall in the ceiling had a 1/2" bow in it over 10' and their installer didn't know how to compensate for this, so there's a huge gap at the one end.
That said, they didn't take my suggesting to take it down and install it correctly. Not wanting to try too hard at talking myself out of a job, I backed down.
Now we're back to going for a larger soffit, which is retarded because I'm backed right up to the row of hi-hats that's right in front of the screen.
lkjsdagjasgahiogor

I didn't do anything on the soffit today, instead opting to do the Stealth speakers throughout the room. I'm batting clean up. Some other mo-mo tried his hand at it, but used Easy Sand and covered the diaphragms completely. When they turned the speakers on, all the mud cracked and fell off. Womp womp.

I'm hoping somewhere between now and when I wake up I'll have come up with some super awesome way to make this easy on myself.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

At this point, say...tell me exactly what you want me to do and I will do it.

Call it a day and move on...


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

I did that.

They told me and it's very annoying/very stupid. I'm trying to come up with a way to do it as they said, but also sleep at night.

We'll see.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Install a recessed screen.


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Dude, I wish you were here. I actually thought of you today, which is horrifying, awkward, and totally true.

I looked at the way they installed that thing and said to myself, "This is something Inner10 would make a before and after video of."


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

I suspect that if their design doesn't work out they will blame you for doing it. Not that I'm cynical or anything.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Call in M. C. Escher, he can make anything work:whistling


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Photos 22-28

https://picasaweb.google.com/tbadernwi/BaronBasement#

Tom


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