I think its a beautiful ceiling, but being cold does suck! This is a good forum with some alternatives explained http://www.ata.org.au/forums/topic/42 - installing larger battens under the roof sheeting so you can fit insulation or insulating foilboard, thats assuming you have a metal roof and the budget. If you were to line the ceiling, I would do the whole thing(not the half depth), but you could use a vee-grooved board so it still has a nice character. Good luck!

Thanks @mellyshea, I think completely covering rafter I plaster would completely modernise the interior but lose all the old workers cottage feel?

Thanks @bigreader, timber would shoot the costs up, & we feel the place is already filled way to much with wood, which is why I mentioned painting anyway. We already started the walls as a trial in the bedroom (pictured).

Beautiful. When can I move in? I will feed your dogs.

Wow well done @How2girl! Looks great. Did you do all yourself, and any idea price of timber versus plaster? The painted timber would suit our look better than a 'modern' plaster ceiling line but time and price would be expect to be massive difference... Also since we've just taken the plunge on painting the bedroom wall panels white to uplift the dreary old everything timber look..

The pine lining boards were $7.92 per length of 4.8m (from Bunnings) = approx. $12 per sqm. For that bedroom of 16.5sqm, approx. $198 for lining boards plus cost of the cover strips (not much). We bought 32 lengths, had some leftover & a bit of wastage (think we used 25). The insulation is Earthwool R4.0 (I previously said we used R3.5 but it was R4.0), that's $65 for a pack of 18 batts, 430mm thick. So the material costs aren't great, it's just a time & effort sort of job. A drop saw is good for cutting the boards. Lining with Gyprock may be quicker, although not sure as you have to fill screw holes & plaster joints, sand etc. Handling the large sheets could get a bit interesting unless you hire one of those lift type stands.

T, will you pay the vet bills too?

No, I'm just the live in maid. Do I get dental?

Yes, you can take the boys to their dental appt on 25/08.

I hope they heel!

my first hubby and I lined a nursery for our son with tongue and groove, it had insulation behind the boards. Although facing west, it was a stable temp in there all year round.

nicely done how2girl ..love it.

telperien..was wondering how to as our beach house is really cold in Winter..

Vy, how to what?

Can you do anything from the outside by insulating under the iron? There must be some gap in which inflation could be installed?? May not be more expensive than building a new ceiling, plastering, painting etc inside.

It would be a real shame to cover up this beautiful ceiling. Also, loosing any perception of ceiling height should be avoided.

Pictures of our ceiling, plus our blinds - one with blind up, one with blind down.

Gallifrey (love the name) see my comment above about my ceiling. Recycled newspaper is pulped and shredded, and a fire retardant is added. This can then be pumped into a gap between the roof and the ceiling. Very useful for a ceiling which doesn't have a proper roof space.

@Gallifrey, I can access under tin, there's a few leak points that need checking out along with screws that are loose/rusty so need attention anyway. I've had a look and there's already a thin 50mm? Insulation layer. The amount of draft and leaks mean it all needs an overhaul. Even the reflective paper is deteriorating. The problem with the ceiling boards is it just makes the house drab with SO MUCH WOOD! hence we've painted the wall in the bedroom as a starting point to the roof next (if we don't cover it over) as the house just requires a freshen up I feel...thoughts?

@telperien, thanks looks great. What stain is used on the pine? This really needs to be done to all our timber, may help freshen up also..

Have you considered white wash for the ceiling. This will lighten the look and keep the character of the timber. I want to do this to our tongue and groove cathedral ceiling. White wash is also a bug retardant.

Thanks @Bolst Bolst, hadn't heard or thought of that...

In reality our number one issue is heat loss. It's obvious cathedral ceilings are designed for look over function. Problem is our lounge is also sunken by nearly a meter, making the 'space to heat' huge, at over 3600 to the pitch with mezzanine 2nd story, bedroom and kitchen/dining area all open to this space. we have the most efficient wood heater on market yet cannot pump out above 16-18deg, although upstairs is a little better. We MUST be losing heat vis roof, walls (definitely where contact to stone is made), and kitchen/dining floor.

Phantom, we bought this house , so I don't know what stain is used, I only know that the ceiling is cypress pine, which is sourced locally.

Our lounge is also sunken, although not as far as yours. From the floor of the lounge to the upstairs landing is 2.9 metres; from there it is another 3.8 metres to the apex of the ceiling. Like yours, we have the kitchen and family room and dining rooms all open to this space. Aesthetically, it is a wonderful space with lots of light. But it is a huge problem to heat, even though we have reverse cycle air con upstairs and also a small unit downstairs, plus a great fireplace in the lounge room. We have a ceiling fan but it doesn't reverse direction in winter. Upstairs is nice and toasty, downstairs I need a throw rug and a cat on my lap to keep warm.

When we do our downstairs renovation, we will be putting in a much larger air-con unit with outlets to the lounge / dining / and new kitchen area.

The combination of the stone walls (which are beautiful) and the wooden ceiling does make it dark and a bit monotonous, and I can see why you would like to freshen it up. Could you cover the stone work behind the staircase with plaster and paint that? and paint the gable end as well? I know that doesn't fix the heat loss problem, and I like the idea of putting insulation between and then putting another layer of wooden ceiling over the insulation, so that the beams are still visible.

Telperien, hear what you're saying about the stone behind stairs, but huge job because stones are so uneven. My other half wouldn't be keen on that, but i think the new sub ceiling with paneling again could be way to go.

How about installing ceiling fans to push the hot air down.

Hi @KatrinaNewman, we already have a reversible fan, but due to the mezzanine upper level, no other placement opportunities for another one. On top of this, just doesn't give enough effect due to the limited space aperture to push air down and circulate. We are challenging our wood heater suppliers also for the lack of output the unit has given us, another major issue in the current process. Reality is again, space is just so vast and awkward that best heater on market still can't cope. Hence some design changes need to be implemented, at least to eliminate gaping roof holes and huge drafts....

The good news is the weather is getting warmer.

We're in a predicament of really needing the roof looked at as well. We wouldn't be able to do any further ceiling installation with the leaks during heavy rain (at the edges), and funny micro dirt like powder that falls in clumps from between the gaps in the not tongue/groove flush ceiling timber!!! Not sure if their ants or what, but it's wierd!!!

Gosh, phantom, get the pest guy in! You don't want them in your roof!

first thing first ..sort out your roof first before worrying about your ceilings..no point doing it and then it's all ruined because of a leaky pesty roof?

Thanks @Kerrie Langloy7, what did the dust end up being?

Having been brought up in a Lockwood home I love cathedral ceilings but I do understand your concern in relation to heating & insulation. My parents had to replace their iron roof after it had passed its use by date. Depending on the state of your roof you could consider adding a roof over the top of your existing roof & adding insulation in between the old & new roof cavity. We also did paint the ceilings white in the bedrooms to add a bit of lightness to the room - but it added no heat. If you have high ceilings you are so lucky. It would in my mind a pity to paint them out in your main living areas. Have you considered doubling up your floor space by adding a mezzanine floor above some sections of the home? This will still give the gabled ceilings but also you to insulate the new floor cavity & any heater / heat generated under the sub floor wouldn't automatically go any high which would make parts of the home easier to heat. I hope you can visualise What I am suggesting. The view from the upper floor will also add a new dimension to the house.

You never mentioned your budget that you're willing to spend.

You could add a thicker fill backed insulation blanket - 50mm, 75mm or 100mm are the common thicknesses. Steep roof pitch so would need scaffolding, harnesses, etc.. which adds up quickly. Probably still not enough insulation though but probably cheapest option.

Insulation under existing timber linings then reline over the top of that as some have suggested. Working at height though so would need scaffold set up again and working overhead is not fun nor easy.

You could replace the roof with a sandwich panel roof. Try Versiclad or Kingspan or comparable. They have a polystyrene type of insulation between an outer metal roof sheet and a metal inner sheet. These are heat laminated together. Again different thickness available from 50mm up to 180mm is common. The 180mm has a R rating of 4.7 which is quite good. Again steep pitch, etc., probably need new ridge capping, etc.. Probably most expensive option......

Keep us all posted on your decision though!

Just dirt & bits of rotted wood where it had been wet. Lucky it wasn't too bad because I caught it in time & there was just one small piece of facia I had to replace. The only insulation under the tiled roof (which kept getting broken due to tree branches falling on it) was that aluminium foil looking stuff & it had started to erode so no wonder it was cold. Strongly recommend replacing the roof if you're having issues & once they get that old roof off they can see what's going on & put 100mm insulation under the new roof.

Thanks Kerrie Langliy7, we'll start with some roof inspections!!!!

Hi, very interested to see what you do as we have a very similar house and problem. Deciding between painting/ lining ( with extra insulation) our pine cathedral ceilings under tiles, dropping in a lower ceiling to keep heat in and installing Velux windows and possibly solartubes to bring more light into the centre of the house. We have two pine lined rooms that we have already painted the walls of several years ago, which really improved the look, but haven’t solved the problem if the dark internal ceiling or cold in winter with a good central heating system chugging away, but not making a big enough impact.

You can try timber slat ceiling, it provides the beauty of real wood and has additional advantages of acoustic performance. These acoustic timber ceiling panels are manufactured in a variety of configurations to meet most acoustic requirements.

Thanks @sharmibojan but the timber slats don’t suit due to the wall slats. Because they are opposite direction it messes with the lines (Inc current ceiling) according to my wife...
I‘m leaning heavily towards the clean smooth flat finish, whether plaster or a thin timber board equivalent. Here is the Lycra temporary Sollutions for mosquito viewing in the bedroom!

We haven’t decided on budget, because as usual no trades bother getting back to us to give us a ball park to start from. the roof from internal is all easily accessible due to the mezzanine and we have scaff available anyway with no harnesses needed.

If you like the look of timber you can use plywood. we have used 4ml ply with insulation and just simple oiled it. its lightweight and easy to install yourself with just an extra set of hands to hold it. my builder glued and then nailgunned the dining room, but today on our sleepout he just got me to hold it and nailed it in place because the glue was just annoying and ran down onto him. I oiled the sheets with linseed oil thinned with turps before the sheets went up. it dries very quickly and can be handled straight away.

the 4ml hardwood ply is pretty cheap and you could buy just a bit at a time from bunnings.