DIY Faux Ceiling Beams
SHOPPING LIST:
1 x 4 x length of your ceiling (buy the boards for whatever length your ceiling is. If your ceiling is 8' in length you will buy 1" x 4" x 8 ft)
2 x 4 x length of your ceiling
Liquid Nails
Stainable Wood Putty
Brad Nails
Sandpaper
Stain of choice
White Latex Paint for whitewash
COST: Our cost came out to $35 per 10' beam.
TOOLS:
Compound Miter Saw
Nail Gun
Clamps
Paintbrush
FINISHED BEAM DIMENSION: 3.5" H x 5"W x Length of your ceiling
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Please read through the entire plan before beginning this project. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Wear safety glasses and work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always pre-drill holes before attaching with screws.
Work safely, enjoy, and ask for assistance if you need it. Good luck!
BUILDING THE BEAMS:
Step 1:
Cut all (3) 1x4s to length
Step 2:
Put a thin bead of glue along the edge of board 1
Step 3:
Place the edge of board 2 unto the glue line so your boards make an L shape & clamp
Step 4:
Use your nail gun to drive your brad nails all along the edge
Step 5:
Once wood glue has dried, unclamp and put a bead of glue along the edge of the board 2
Step 6:
Wait until wood glue has dried and place board 3 unto the bead of glue.
(At this point your boards should make a C shape)
Step 7:
Fill in cracks with stainable wood putty
Step 8:
Once dried, sand excess putty away
Step 9:
Stain with color of choice
(we love the combination of Early American stain topped with a homemade whitewash)
Step 10:
Once stain is fully dry, it's time to make your whitewash.
WHITEWASH:
We have tried a lot of different tutorials out there on whitewash but always feel like the results are too heavy on the white. Because of this, we have made our own style of whitewash by taking:
(1) quart of water:
(1) fully dipped brush of white paint (we use latex flat paint)
and mixing it all together.
This is all the white we put in it and it creates a slight worn look on the wood rather than a white coat like other whitewashes do.
From there, brush whitewash unto beam:
and allow 6 hours to dry-
INSTALLING THE BEAMS
Step 1:
Mark where your beams will go on the ceiling
*designer note: at this point you will have to decide to keep crown moulding if you have any.
For this tutorial we decided to keep ours and cut out a space in moulding to accommodate beam*
Step 2:
After marking where your beam will go, mark where your 2x4 anchor will go on the wall.
**STEPS 3 AND 4 ARE A TWO PERSON JOB, REQUIRING ONE PERSON TO HOLD ANCHOR BOARD & BEAM INTO PLACE WHILE OTHER ONE SECURES THEM.**
Step 3:
Having someone hold the anchor board in place for you, secure
your 2x4 anchor board to your studs in the ceiling
Step 4:
Having someone help you lift and hold in place, take your beam and slip it right over stud
and nail into beam unto anchor board
Repeat for as many beams as you'd like to install.
And you are done!!
Hope you enjoyed!
-Ray
