Faux Ceiling Beams

10 Materials
$80
3 Hours
Advanced
I’ve been wanting faux ceiling beams for a while but because of the size of our kitchen, Rob didn’t think it’d be possible. We are now halfway through a little renovation in our kitchen/living room and I’m happy to say he was able to figure out how we could incorporate faux beams!!! He has a professional connection with someone who was able to get us reclaimed barn wood from Upstate New York and I must say that these beauties were worth every penny and all the work (which really wasn’t as much as I had imagined).


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BEFORE:
Nothing special--just a plain 'ole white ceiling!


SUPPLIES:
-wood (we used reclaimed 2x6 beams)
-GRK 3-1/8” trim head screws
-Dewalt drill/screw gun
-Makita circular saw
-wire brush
-Dewalt palm sander with fine grit sandpaper (or you can just sand by hand without the palm sander)
- Irwin 100 ft. Metal Chalk Reel
-Zircon stud finder


*Note about the wood: we recommend that if you don't have a local reclaimed wood person you can purchase from and you're buying new wood instead, that you get 2x8 rough sawn spruce planks. These will likely run you roughly $25 a board.


STEP 1: Lay out/measure wall and ceiling
First, Rob and I figured out where we wanted our beams to be on our walls. We have a fairly small kitchen so we settled on having just four beams.







We figured out the spacing of the beams by measuring the length of the wall, then made marks where the edge of each beam would go. After we did this for one side of the room, we moved over to the other side where the beams would run and marked that wall the same way.


Then, we ran a chalk line down along the ceiling in order to be able to accurately (or close to it) line one edge of each beam to it as a guide to where we would mount the beams.


STEP 2: Prepare wood
Next, we prepared the wood by using a wire brush to clean off any residue or debris. Then, we lightly sanded in order to create a smooth surface. If you are buying new wood, this step would be irrelevant and you may want to scuff up and stain the wood for a rustic look.


STEP 3: Measure ceiling for beam size and mark studs
After our beams were prepped, we ran a measuring tape down the width of our ceiling to figure out how long our beams would need to be.


You're definitely going to need two people for this project!


While we were measuring the width of the ceiling, we went ahead and found the studs with a stud finder, marking them with a pencil.


STEP 4: Cut beams
Next, it was time to cut the beams. We squared off each beam by cutting off one end, then made our measurement from the squared off end, using the measurements (minus 1/8”) we obtained from STEP 3.
***NOTE: We cut the beams 1/8” shorter than what our measurements were so that we wouldn’t have to fight with trying to fit the beams in and them being too snug.


***If you don’t have a circular saw to cut the beams, I’m sure if you make your measurements before purchasing the wood for your beams (if you’re purchasing new wood), someone from Home Depot or Lowe’s can cut the wood for you—wherever it is you purchase your wood from.


STEP 5: Mount beams
Finally, we took 4” trim head screws and mounted the beams to the ceiling at the stud marks. We screwed the ends of the beams at an angle where the beams met the wall.


When we screwed in the end of the beams, we put in two screws--one on either side of the beam.


Unfortunately, the final picture isn’t overly amazing because we’re still in the middle of our reno but I’m still super excited how the beams came out! I’ll make sure to post a final photo of the kitchen once all the work is done so you can get the full effect. Once we get the spackle and paint finished, we’re going to be ripping out our top cabinets to have open shelving as well as painting the bottom cabinets. We’re hoping to have everything completed in the next month or two. YAAAYYY for a more open living space!


All-in-all because we had tools and most supplies on hand, it only cost us about $70 for the wood and $10 for the screws.


Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 11 questions
  • Diane Diane on Jul 07, 2018

    HW can you do this project with a radiant ceiling?

  • Carol Cole Carol Cole on Jul 07, 2018

    Great job. Are you going to do the center beam there in wood?

  • Dl.5660408 Dl.5660408 on Feb 24, 2019

    Is your ceiling a standard 8ft. or taller? Love the idea, can’t wait until you post the finished reno

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