14 Types of Vaulted Ceilings

🕑 Reading time: 1 minute

A vaulted ceiling is a self-supporting arch that is built under and above a roof, beneath and above a wall in architectural or construction terms. Vaulted ceilings will offer your property an unparalleled appearance that will capture attention and give your area that "wow factor." 

Vaulted ceilings are also known as high ceilings, elevated ceilings, and cathedral ceilings. A vaulted ceiling has arches and a standard height of at least 8 feet; however, not all vaulted ceilings have arches. Vaulted ceilings may give your area a light, airy vibe.

Due to the difficulties in construction and the energy needed to cool or heat the extra height, vaulted ceilings may be costly.

Following is a list of various styles of vaulted ceilings to help you build the ideal vaulted ceiling design for your property.

Types of Vaulted Ceilings

1. Dome Vaulted Ceiling

Domed ceilings, the most popular type of vaulted ceilings, are created by recessing a dome into a flat ceiling. 

Domes are more difficult to build as they get bigger, even though they normally only take up a tiny portion of the ceiling. Add crown molding to your vaulted ceiling in a dome to make it more dramatic without making the dome bigger. 

Since it gives the illusion of a vaulted ceiling, it is suitable for use in entryways and other similar spaces. Even while a domed ceiling is possible, it is more challenging as the spaces get bigger.

However, one drawback of the dome ceiling is that it raises the overall cost of the building.

2. Elongated Dome Vaulted Ceiling

An extended dome ceiling could be just what you need to maximize space, particularly in a rectangular area. As its name implies, an elongated dome ceiling is a longer or oval version of a vaulted dome ceiling.

The artwork within the elongated dome vaulted ceiling in the image below, which is inspired by a cloudy night sky, gives an aesthetic appeal to the room.

3. Oval Dome Vaulted Ceiling

At first look, oval domes resemble the roof of an elongated dome. The primary difference is the dome tie used to secure the rafters that give the dome its form. Instead of the elongated dome ties used for the elongated dome vault ceiling, oval ceiling dome ties are oval.

Oval dome vaulted ceilings, like the one shown below, lead the eye upward and provide the impression of a more spacious room.

4. Pitched Brick Vaulted Ceiling

A pitched brick vaulted ceiling made using a tilted brick technique must be used if you want to give your roof an urban look. The pitched brick vault ceiling design was utilized in Mesopotamian construction during the time of B.C. Its non-centered layout continues to be well-liked. The pitched brick vault ceiling is a great option for a vaulted ceiling in construction to give your kitchen a cozy, urban feel.

The image below shows a rural farmhouse kitchen with a sophisticated touch.  The pitched brick vaulted ceiling adds a cozy element to the otherwise plain space.

5. Cove Vaulted Ceiling

To give your home a soft look with a vaulted ceiling, a vaulted cove ceiling is the best option for your project. The secret to softening the overall appearance of your space can be a cove ceiling. 

Cove ceilings may give your room a sleek, upscale appeal by rounding off the corners and edges of the ceiling. The living space is sleek and contemporary.

The white cove vaulted ceiling is the best option for your living room's quaint, streamlined appearance.

6. Cloister Vaulted Ceiling

Cloister vaulted ceilings are ceilings that have been built using several spring points or spring lines. The point where an arch starts to bend is referred to as the spring point, and all arching springs are constructed on the same center points along a wall. 

Consider how the tips of numerous heated pizza slices supported by the dough begin to droop slightly. Now, the center of the pizza slices is where the points of every slice converge. 

The cloister vaulted ceiling is one of the largest vaulted ceilings since this type of ceiling requires skilled work, which might raise the construction cost.

7. Barrel-Vaulted Ceiling

The barrel-vaulted ceiling, also known as a tunnel vault, cradle vault, or wagon vault, offers your room a tunnel-like appearance. The barrel-vaulted ceiling is more similar to a half-tunnel or barrel, with a sequence of domes joined by a smooth surface. This entrance seems vast and beautiful because of the exaggerated barrel-vaulted ceiling.

The barrel-vaulted ceiling is one of the largest vaulted ceilings because it requires skilled work, which raises the construction cost of the building.

8. Groin Vaulted Ceiling

The groin-vaulted ceiling, also known as the cross vault ceiling, is formed when two barrel-vaulted ceilings intersect one another and make a 90-degree angle. It attracts attention upward to give your home area a refined design and a contemporary appearance.

The ceiling will also have an elegant and dramatic appearance with this kind of design. The brick groin-vaulted ceiling, a common and cost-effective style of the ceiling, is one of the most popular ceilings adopted for a contemporary appearance.

9. Rib Vaulted Ceiling

In the Gothic era, rib vaults provided additional technical freedom for walls and roofs. They outperformed the typical barrel-vaulted ceilings that were in trend at the time in terms of strength, flexibility, and ease of construction. Compared to other vaulted ceilings, the rib vault is more adaptable, durable, and straightforward to build. The cathedral ceiling's rib-vaulted roof adds a dramatic touch, which is ideal for Gothic architecture.

10. Fan Vaulted Ceiling

A vaulted fan ceiling is one of the best options for your home space if you want to give it a distinctive or unique appearance. The shell or fan-shaped structures that stretch from the wall to a certain point on the ceiling, often meeting in the center of the vault, give fan-vaulted ceilings an incomparable, offbeat appearance.

Rib vaulted ceilings and fan vaulted ceilings are the same, except for the smaller, equally spaced ribs. 

Fan-vaulted ceilings run the length of the room, supporting the beam. Executing fan-vaulted ceilings requires specialized work, which drives up the project's cost as a whole.

11. Igloo Vaulted Ceiling

Barrell-vaulted ceilings with carved-out arches are referred to as igloo-vaulted ceilings or lunette-vaulted ceilings. This form of the vaulted ceiling can be constructed by concealing the windows or other objects, which adds to its attractiveness and gives your eyes a rest.

12. Grome Vaulted Ceiling

A grome ceiling comprises two dome ceilings and one groin vault ceiling, hence the term "GROME."  Even if we agree that the term "grome" is unoriginal, the design is certainly not.

13. Astroid Curve Vaulted Ceiling

Astroid curve vaulted ceiling, also known as ceiling etching, is an artistic ceiling construction that may be customized to fit any ceiling. They are simple to construct as they can be attached to any flat ceiling or tray ceiling.  Astroid curve vaulted ceilings may easily fit most ceiling areas and are often constructed using kits. Contrasting colors may give the ceiling structure a unique look.

14. Radius Vaulted Ceiling

Similar to an astroid curve vaulted ceiling, a radius vaulted ceiling is a ceiling structure that may be specifically tailored to suit any room. Like astroid curve vaulted ceilings, radius vaulted ceilings are also available in simple-to-install kits. The basic circular form of the radius vaulted ceiling, commonly referred to as a donut, is the main difference between the radius design and the astroid curve design.

Advantages of Vaulted Ceilings

1. Even while vaulted ceilings do not increase the amount of useable floor space in a room, they convey the impression of additional space.
2. Indeed, a room with vaulted ceilings might seem brighter, particularly if the roof has skylights or other sorts of windows.
3. They may also provide floor-to-ceiling windows with greater wall space.
4. A vaulted ceiling may act as the point of focus of the design.
5. The vaulted ceiling's most important benefit is that it can be incorporated into most of your home's interior design.
6. A room may benefit more from a vaulted ceiling than a simple flat one.

Disadvantages of Vaulted Ceilings

1. Due to the additional framework needed, constructing a room with a vaulted ceiling may significantly increase the cost of the building project.
2. It is more challenging to remove cobwebs from the corners of a high ceiling and replace light bulbs in the fixtures.
3. It will probably lose some of its warmth and comfort, which are qualities that are hard to achieve in a bigger space.
4. It is challenging to install a vaulted ceiling in an existing building using retrofitting techniques.
5. The heat from the room naturally rises to the empty space in the ceiling, where it does the inhabitants no good and is a waste of energy. Vaulted ceilings are known for being energy wasters.

FAQs

Read More

Metal Ceilings: Types and Features

How to Install/Fix Ceiling Covers?

Types of Ceiling used in Building Construction and their Applications