false ceiling ideas for living room
faux ceiling beams can add drama and appeal toany architectural style. today we're going to demonstrate how faux or fakebeams can easily be installed with just a minimal amount of tools, effort, or skill. the faux beams can be installed just by two people because they're made of alightweight material of polyurethane. but before we start the install perhaps thiswould be a good time to comment on the overall project of faux beams for your house. before you order the beams you should consider what aesthetic effectyou're trying to achieve in your house.
the higher the ceiling, the larger youwill probably want to size the beams. here we have a 10 foot ceiling heightin the dining room, and we're installing 6 by 8 inch beams. in the great roomwhere we have a 21 foot ceiling height we're going to install 8 by 10 inch beams. spacing the beams is the biggest consideration when planning how many beams you will needand how they will be installed. you must examine your ceiling for obstacles that will dictate or limit where youcan install the beams.
almost all ceilings will have some typeof obstacle: vents, light fixtures, pipes, or any number of structural features that must be considered. this house has a large air return ventthat will dictate the spacing for our beams since we cannot move the outlet, nor do we wantto have the beam overlaying the vent. so we have taken themeasurement of this vent and we use that as our guide across the ceiling.we also have several other obstacles where we might have to slightly adjust our spacing but moving a beam several inches will notadversely affect the aesthetic appeal.
so here we are.our unfinished beams have arrived. we've stained themwhich is a really easy process to do, and now we're ready to install. first, we measure the distance its four anchoring blocks will be placed. next we will pre-cut these blocks with a bevel edge to accommodate the shape inside the beams. we lay out the beam placement fromour pre-planned design. then we snap a chalk lineor use a laser level as our guide. we space the anchor blocks every3 to 4 feet depending on the size of the beams.
next we drill starter holes in the blocks to prevent the wood from splitting. for intending to screw the blocks to the ceiling joist we use four inch deck screwsor you can simply nail the blocks. sometimes you'll have to attach theblocks directly to the sheet rock if there's no ceiling joists where you wantto place the beam. we snuggly tie in the 3/16 by 4 inch toggle bolts. this method will be ok since the polyurethane beams are so lightweight. here's a tip: we indicate with masking tape the location of the block so we can easily locatethem when we are attaching the beams to the blocks.
we are now ready to measure and cut the beams.the polyurethane is so pliable that any fine-tooth saw will work.light sanding will help for a snug fit. place the beams over the anchor blocksand nail 2 or 3 inch finishing nails into the blocks. two nails per side.you can also use wood screws. counter sink the screw heads and fill the holes andany gaps with painters caulk stain to match the beams. for added security you can useconstruction glue along the top edges of the beam. and here we have it.with just a small investment in time, money, and effort, we have easily enhancedthe aesthetic value and appeal of this room.