Drywall soffits above cabinets require well-made framing.
Covering soffit space above upper cabinets requires you to treat the box as a drywall cabinet. You want all surfaces to have a smooth finish and blend with the wooden cabinets in every respect. It's easier to build the framework on sawhorses and hoist it into place at the ceiling level, rather than build it board-by-board at the ceiling level. Well-crafted framing with smooth edges and sharp angles helps ensure a smooth drywall finish for this project.
Instructions
1. Cut 2-by-4-inch framing boards to shape the soffit box. Build this box by attaching a top plate with short studs approximately 12 inches long to a bottom plate. Miter the boards at all corners for a tight fit. Do this to give the framing box smooth surfaces for a square drywall fit. Use 3-inch screws installed with an electric screwdriver instead of nails, so nothing shifts when you lift the framework into place over a cabinet area.
2. Use 4-inch screws to attach the top plate of the soffit framing to ceiling joists. Carefully screw the bottom plate into cabinet framing, using 1-inch screws to keep from damaging the cabinet. However, make sure that no weight of the soffit box framing is on the cabinets, because cabinets bearing any weight can pull loose from wall studs.
3. Cut drywall sections to nail into place over the framework. Install metal drywall capping at any exposed corners. Cover drywall seams with joint tape and cover with joint compound. Allow the compound to dry and sand it smoothly. Add more joint compound and allow it to dry before sanding. Continue this process until the drywall soffit box has no seams showing.
4. Paint the drywall soffit space. Tape off upper cabinet edges with painter's tape. Drape plastic sheeting over the cabinets and counter space as well and secure the plastic with painter's tape. Roll on satin enamel paint over the soffit drywall area.
5. Attach wood molding trim to cover any raw edges along the top of cabinets. If the box is flush with cabinet fronts, use molding with a lip to hide the drywall edge. If you construct the box with a lip that hangs over the cabinets, don't use any molding along the bottom of the drywall box. If you plan to add crown molding in other areas of the kitchen, add crown molding at the top of the box next to the ceiling. Paint the crown molding to match the drywall or stain it to match the cabinets.
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