How to Measure a Vaulted Ceiling

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A vaulted ceiling can make a room feel more open.

A vaulted ceiling is a type of high ceiling similar to a cathedral ceiling. Vaulted ceilings can make a room feel much more open, and bring in more lights if skylights are installed. When doing maintenance or construction work like painting or installing insulation on the ceiling, you need to measure it so that you can determine the amount of supplies needed. If installing a ceiling fan or ventilation system, you need to know the area so you know how much air must be circulated.

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Surface Area

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Step 1

Measure the length of the ceiling where the wall meets the ceiling. In this example, it's 20 feet.

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Step 2

Measure the height of the ceiling from the top of the wall to the peak. In this example, we'll say it's 10 feet.

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Step 3

Multiply the length by the height: 20 feet X 10 feet = 200 square feet.

Step 4

Multiply the square footage by two to get both sides of the ceiling: 200 square feet X 2 = 400 square feet.

Volume

Step 1

Measure the distance straight down between the peak of the ceiling to the top of the wall. In this example, we'll say it's 8 feet.

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Step 2

Measure the distance along the floor from the wall to the midpoint of the ceiling. We'll say it's 10 feet.

Step 3

Measure the length of the ceiling where the wall meets the ceiling. In this example, it's 20 feet.

Step 4

Calculate the volume by using the formula 1/2 X Length X Width X Height. In this example, length is 20 feet, width is 10 feet and height is 8 feet.

Volume = 1/2 X 20 X 10 X 8 = 800 cubic feet

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