Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (2023)

Get all the ins and outs, plus installation and pricing information, on this traditional and modern finishing treatment.

Vonglenda taylormibobvilla| Updated April 13, 2021 11:04 am

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  • Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (1)

Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (5)

Photo: armstrongceilings.com

Famous in the narrow aisles of hardware stores and popular at home improvement shows, beadboard offers a great way to brighten drab walls and ceilings. Trim boards are flat planks with one or two "pearls" (semi-circular raised ribs) milled vertically into the face of the plank. When installed on a surface, it looks like two or three thinner boards side by side. Traditionally, beadboard was applied to the bottom of walls (i.e.,disguise), but now it has also become fashionable for ceilings, where it gives the room a warm, country atmosphere. If you're intrigued by the idea of ​​putting up a beadboard ceiling, read on - we'll give you all the details and explain how to achieve the look.

From functional to elegant

In the late 1800s, beadboard (often milled from white pine) was introduced as an interior wall covering. Its dual purpose was to add a degree of insulation and to protect the lower part of the wall from the impact of chairs and abrasion from boots. Plus it looked great! Beadboard remained popular during the Victorian era, but its appeal waned slightly in the Roaring Twenties.Glamorous wallpapers are all the rage. However, the bead board never completely disappeared and can still be found today in homes built in every decade of the last century.

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Outdoor batten boards made of weather-resistant fir or longleaf yellow pine were also a staple for cottage-style covered porch roofs, a timeless design that never went out of style. Beadboard didn't come into vogue on interior ceilings until the 1950s, when it became a way to cover old plaster with unsightly cracks. For farmhouses and cottages, beadboard was the enhancement material of choice, which is why it is still associated with country charm.

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material issues

Here are the beadboard basics you need to know:

  • Pine is the most common material used to make bead boards, which are about 5/16-inch thick, 3 ½-inches wide, and come in 8-foot lengths like thisHakwood Astkiefern-Perlplanken(Available fromheimdepot).
  • Beadboards feature a tongue and groove assembly, which means that one side of the board has a tongue (hump) that runs the length of the board and the other side has a corresponding groove. By placing them side by side, an interlocking brace is created that keeps the planks flat and level.
  • In terms of price, plan on around $1.50 per square foot (planks only) to cover the roof. A professional installation can add another $2 to $3.50 per square foot.
  • While you may be familiar with installing tongue-and-groove solid wood flooring boards, ceiling installation is more difficult, so you may want to hire a professional. However, there's a new (and DIY-friendly) trend in beaded ceiling panels that range from $2.50 to $4.19 per square foot and come in over a dozen wood tones, which we'll detail in the Installation section. .

Advantages and disadvantages

Although beadboard ceilings are popular, there are a few material considerations to keep in mind before purchasing.

BENEFITS

  • Installing bead boards on the ceiling changes the look of the entire room. A ceiling is the largest visible surface in a room that is only broken by a lamp or fan. Beadboard draws the eye upward and creates visual texture.
  • Owners who hate their existencePopcorn ceiling textureyou can rely on beadboard to hide it completely, eliminating the hasslescratchThe equation.
  • Beadboard is superior to other professionally installed ceiling treatments such ascompartment covers, which can easily cost more than $10,000.
  • DIY beadboard kit systems can be installed by a homeowner with basic carpentry skills.
  • Standard unfinished wood plank can be painted to match or complement other finishes in the room.

OPPOSITE

  • Unless you are an experienced crafter, the traditional wooden bead board is not a DIY project. To save money, you can hire a contractor to install it and then paint it yourself.
  • Aleaky roof or faulty roof installationsit can cause water damage to the trim board, which may need to be replaced.
  • Although the bead board is mentioned above as a plus, it makes a big statement, not a subtle nuance, so make sure it's the look you want for the long haul. While you can remove the trim board by prying each board (or clip), you'll end up with multiple nail holes in the ceiling that need to be filled before repainting.

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installation information

Below are details on how to attach standard trim boards andTablero de reborde Armstrongs WoodHaven(available from Lowes), made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and virtually identical to solid wood panels for design purposes. Regardless of the type of bead panel you choose, you must add a molding (ceiling trim) around the top of the room to give it a finished look and to cover the small gap between the bead panel and the wall (required). for the extension).

Hire a professional to do it.

Get free, no-obligation estimates from licensed contractors in your area.

Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (7)

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Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (8)

Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (9)

Photo: Haus Zillow andEast Hampton, New York

STANDARD-BEADBOARD

Installing standard batten planks is challenging because each plank must be blind nailed to ceiling joists or siding strips (planks installed perpendicular to ceiling joists). The process involves using a dowel (a nail gun that fires dowels) angled toward the tongue of the plank, penetrating the joist or trim strip while the plank is pressed firmly against the previous plank. The same process is used to install hardwood floors, but doing the task overhead is difficult and time consuming, and if the studs aren't installed correctly, the boards won't fit perfectly and the results will look amateurish.

Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (10)

Photo: armstrongceilings.com

BOARD SYSTEMS

Armstrong's WoodHaven Trim Board installs with special clips that attach directly to studs or joists without the need to blind nail each board. Beadboards slide right into clips that are not visible from below. Installation of each row of planks is a simple matter of clipping in and sliding the planks into place. This creates a "floating ceiling" as the planks are held in place with the clips and are not attached directly to the joists or trim.

Two other installation methods are also available with this system. Beadboard planks can also be installed by attaching special rails to the ceiling, then clipping the rails before sliding the planks into place. The third highly innovative way to install WoodHaven Beadboard is by attaching it to an existing ceiling structure. This opens up a whole new world of design options for basement dwellers. Distinctive Easy-Up clips attach to existing railing and batten boards snap easily into place.

A post by Gunn Construction & Building (@gunnconstruction)them

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small maintenance

Beadboard ceilings are easy to care for!

  • Run a long-handled duster over the floorboards about once a month to remove dust particles.
  • If necessary, wipe the floorboards with a soft, damp cloth.
  • Immediately repair any leaks in the ceiling above or in the plumbing and plumbing to ensure you don't have to replace water damaged bead panels.

Hire a professional to do it.

Get free, no-obligation estimates from licensed contractors in your area.

Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (11)

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Everything you need to know about bead board ceilings (12)

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MATERIALS

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