A coffered ceiling can add to the visual appeal of any room by adding an architectural element to your ceiling. It is made up of beams attached to the ceiling joists that cross at 90-degree angles to form a grid pattern on the ceiling. You can cut and install your own coffered ceiling beams to create a customized ceiling design. Installing these beams is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process; however, you can complete this project with basic carpentry tools.
Instructions
1. Measure the width and length of the ceiling with a measuring tape. This determines the length of the coffered ceiling beams.
2. Locate the with a stud finder. Mark the location of each ceiling joist with a pencil. You need to line up the coffered ceiling beams so that they cross or run directly beneath ceiling joists.
3. Make a mark on the ceiling at each end of the wall, directly below a ceiling joist, at 16-inch intervals. Snap a chalk line on the ceiling between each pair of marks. Mark and snap lines at each end of the remaining two walls to create a 16-by-16-inch grid.
4. Cut sections of 1-by-4-inch lumber to the length of the ceiling with a circular saw. You need one lumber section for each 16 inches of ceiling length.
5. Place a sturdy step ladder at each end of the room. Have a partner stand on each ladder and center one section on the chalk line crossing the ceiling joists nearest one end of the room. Using a drill and a screwdriver bit, insert a 4-inch wood screw through the beam into each ceiling joist. Repeat this process for each parallel chalk line.
6. Cut 12-inch sections of 1-by-4-inch lumber to cover the perpendicular chalk lines between the installed beams. Have a partner stand on a ladder and place one of the sections along a chalk line at one end of the room. Attach the beam to the ceiling joist with 4-inch wood screws. Repeat this process until you have completed the coffered ceiling.
7. Fill in the exposed screw heads with wood putty, using a 1-inch putty knife. Stain or paint the coffered ceiling beams as desired.
Tags: coffered ceiling, ceiling joist, ceiling joists, chalk line, coffered ceiling beams, 1-by-4-inch lumber, 4-inch wood