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Cathedral ceiling fan

Eric Colbeck| Posted inGeneral Questionson

I am building a roof with a cathedral ceiling. Based on my readings here I have designed it with no drywall penetrations to prevent moisture intrusion. My spouse really wants a ceiling fan and I am wondering if anybody has a good way to mount a ceiling fan that does not penetrate the drywall.

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  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#1

    Eric,
    It's admirable that you are trying to limit penetrations through your ceiling air barrier. That said, it's perfectly possible to have one or two electrical boxes in your ceiling. Just make sure that you do a good job of air sealing at the electrical box where the ceiling fan is mounted.

    At least one manufacturer of airtight electrical boxes, Allied Moulded, makes special boxes for ceiling fans ("fan support boxes") that are designed to be airtight. Allied Moulded calls their airtight electrical boxes "Vapor seal boxes," which is a little confusing (because we're interested in airtightness, not vapor permeance). Here is a link to an Allied Moulded web page that mentions their airtight fan support boxes:"Vapor Seal Air-Sealed Electrical Boxes."

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