Beadboard ceilings, insulation, plaster and lath

[plessthanpointohfive]

Last year we bought an 85 year old house in Atlanta, GA. It's actually a duplex - up and down. Both apartments have near identical floorplan. The living rooms of both apartments have this UGLY tile on the ceilings - a metal grid system, though the tiles seem to be a paper product (ie cardboard or some other wood-based fiber).

I've suspected the reasons for this tiled ceiling is to cover up a crumbling paster and lath ceiling. So, this weekend I've started taking down the tiles. And yes, there are big hunks of plaster missing with the lath exposed. In some cases the lath is gone, though it seems to be mostly intact.

I want to put up a bead board ceiling because I think it's something I can do that would look good, as opposed to drywall which I've never successfully done or plaster which I think would be more expensive since both ceilings would need to be completely replaced.

I'd like to use the real bead board planks. My floor is oak, 1.5 inch wide strips, running the length of the room. I will be installing the bead board to go in the same direction. Luckily enough, the upstairs floor joists (aka downstairs ceiling) run perpendicular to the length of the room.

Here are my questions:

I would like to insulate the space between the first and second floors in that room for both acoustics and heat. I am guessing that means taking down all the old plaster and lath (messy but probably doable, right?). What sort of insulation should I use?

Here's a compounding problem...the second story subfloor is plank, not plywood or any kind of sheet flooring. It looks like pine, about 6 inches wide, spaced about 3/4 inch apart and then the same oak flooring is installed on that. If any liquid was/is spilled on the floor it would/could leak through to the ceiling of the first floor. This is already evident in the old plaster and even in the tiles - stains everywhere. How can I prevent this in the future? Is there something, like a vapor barrier, I can install on the floor joints before installing the bead board? If so, will it HOLD moisture and therefore be conducive to mold? Especially since there will be some sort of insulation that might absorb the moisture?

And here's my last question, about aesthetics. I don't want to paint the ceiling when it's done and I don't want a dark wood stain either. Is there a product out there that would be like a white stain or a white wash that would make the wood white yet still show the wood grain and the nuances of coloring?

Thanks for any help!

[pushkins]

You would be very wise to remove the existing plaster especially if it has started to crumble before putting up the new bead board.
The insulation you will need could be anything that would fit without being squashed flat (then ineffective). In most cases R13 batts are ideal BUT in this installation you will not need faced batts.

Installing a vapor barrier will be very ineffective any water spills that hit the barrier will simply run on the barrier and come out in another place, Is there a bathroom above this area ?........are you expecting major spills above this area?

There are many "washes" available for what you are describing have a look at Lowe's or H.D

[plessthanpointohfive]

Thanks for your response. I do intend to take down the original ceiling. I don't know how I would install the bead board otherwise.... Seems like I need direct access to the floor joists.

The floor joists seem to be about 8 inches high (the space between the ceiling and the floor above - so I think I can fit insulation in there.

It's just a living room above so there shouldn't be widespread hosing of water on the floor. But it IS a living room and the person currently living up there, and us later after we convert the place into a SFH, eat and drink and entertain in that area so spills happen.

This whole project got started this weekend because I noticed a new stain spreading on the tiles. Turns out my tenant had her water bladder from her biking equipment on the floor and it was leaking. I just anticipate other stuff happening in the future.

Would it be better to somehow seal the oak flooring upstairs? I don't know if this is done....

Thanks, again!

[HayZee518]

first tell your teneant that she would be responsible for any future leaks above you - maybe this will instill in her the fear of water spills from equipment or (entertaining) for a finish that seals the wood pores but not detract from the wood "looks" is white shellac.