Exposed beams can add rustic charm to any room. They are often used in rooms with high ceilings. Although you can use beams in a space with a lower ceiling, you need to make sure they don't compromise head room or make the space feel too cramped and closed in. This project uses smaller boards to produce the effect of exposed beams without sacrificing valuable ceiling height. You will need some basic woodworking skills to complete this project.
Instructions
1. Find the ceiling joists in the room with a stud finder. Mark the location of each stud with a pencil. The beams will run across the studs lengthwise, so you will need to create a grid where the beams will go. Start on one side of the room. Measure out from the wall 12 inches. This is where your first beam will go. Make a mark where the first beam will intersect each stud. Now measure 12 inches from your first row of marks, and make another row. Continue until you have reached the other side of the room. You may have to adjust the distance of the beams from each other, depending on the room's measurements and your personal preferences.
2. Measure the length of the ceiling with a measuring tape. You will need this figure to buy wood for your ceiling at the lumberyard or home-improvement store. Give yourself some wiggle room. For example, if your ceilings are 10 feet long, purchase boards that are 12 feet long.
3. Trim the wood to fit, using a circular saw. Four wood beams can be created from one 1-by-4 board. Each ceiling beam should be an inch thick. Trace out the cut lines on your wood board, using a pencil and a straight edge. Feed the board, following your trace lines, through the circular saw to create the individual beams.
4. Finish the wood to the desired color with wood stain. Sand each beam with a fine-grit sanding block, and apply one coat of wood stain. Work with the grain of the wood. You can use a paintbrush or a stain applicator, depending on your preference. Let this coat dry for six hours. Sand the beams again, lightly.
5. Protect the wood with a coat of polyurethane. Add one thin coat of polyurethane to give the beams a shine and protect them from damage. Let the poly coat dry for eight to 12 hours before you install the beams.
6. Hang the beams across the joists, using a hammer and nails. Space the beams 12 inches apart, following the marks you made earlier. Nail the first beam to the joists, using one nail per joist. Continue until that beam has been attached to all of the joists in its row. Continue with the next beam until all of the beams have been installed. Use finishing nails that are color matched to the wood stain.
Tags: first beam, , wood stain, beam will, beams will, coat polyurethane, Continue until