Ceiling beams give your home a rustic, comfortable look. You can get the look of structural wood beams by installing decorative ceiling beams. A variety of real wood timber beam designs and man-made materials make it possible to have the look, without having to tear out your ceiling to reveal the beams beneath your roof.
Solid Wood
Choose rough sawn, solid wood beams for their rustic, unfinished look. These beams are available new or as reclaimed timber taken from old buildings, with the original mill marks and stains still on them. Some of these are antiques that have aged to shades of gray. A consideration with solid timber beams is their weight, which may have an impact on your ceiling structure. Solid wood beams can be sawed to half-sizes, which reduces their weight.
Box Wood
Choose box for the look of real wood, without the expense and weight concerns of solid timber beams. These are three-sided structures, consisting of three boards nailed and sealed together to resemble a solid beam. They can be stained or painted any color.
Rafters
If you have a high enough ceiling, combine your ceiling beams with rafters for maximum dramatic impact. Exposed beams and rafters in a large room with very high ceilings will enhance the drama of your ceilings, while also creating a feeling of intimacy. These can be installed after your home is built, and can be custom-built for the dimensions of your room.
Faux Beams
Get the look of real wood beams for less money with faux wood beams. Faux wood beams are made of hardened polyurethane, and in addition to being less expensive than real wood, they will never rot, crack or attract insects. They look like real wood because they're formed from molds were made with real boards. Real wood grain and surface imperfections from the actual wood show up on these look-alikes. Choose cedar, pine, oak beams stained in natural colors, or try modern-looking white beams.
Patterns
Ceiling beams can be arranged in different ways to create the look you want. If you have an open plaster ceiling, run the beams around the edge of the ceiling and up the sides of the open areas. Or, choose a box design on a flat ceiling. Box-style ceiling beams create an intimate feeling and visual interest without overpowering the decor. Another possibility is to paint the beams and the ceiling the same color, for a monochrome look.
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