This is my second dumb question for the day. The house is more than 100 years old. The ceiling in my bedroom is ten feet high. I would like to drop the ceiling to 8'. The room measures 10'X12'.I hate those drop ceilings with the paper panels, and would like to cut holes in two opposite walls, then run 2X4s between them and support them from the ceiling so they don't sag.Insulation, of course, and then a drywall ceiling. The studs in the walls are red oak and exactly one inch thick. Could I go for 36 inch centers rather than 18 inches?
1 studs are pretty thin. I suggest you leave it alone 'cause you're opening up a can of worms by re studding. it would never pass inspection and safety is an issue. any joist would have to be supported inderneath, meaning you'd have to sister a stud to the current stud and rest the new joists on them. Just buy a good plasma tv.
There is no way 36 centered rafters would support 1/2 drywall.
36 centers is a bad idea, your ceiling would collapse within a matter of months(if you could even get the project completed). If you want to drop your ceiling and do not want to cut open the walls there is a easier solution. Go to a commercial building supply store, such as White Cap etc. They make a grid ceiling just like you would put the paper panels in that you can hang drywall on. It is going to be a little more expensive than other ways but it will not collapse. The name of the grid is a drywall suspension system. I hope this helps you out. Good Luck
