I’ll soon be hanging a beadboard ceiling in the kitchen of a house we are building. I have all the materials on site and we’ll be using 1×6 Windsor One beadboard.
We will run the beadboard parallel to the joists so I’ll run 1×3 spruce at 16″ OC perpendicular to which we’ll hang the beadboard (thanks to people on this forum for that recommendation in a previous thread).
Question 1: I’ve heard several references to using strapping to ensure a ceiling is flat and level. My thinking is to use screws on the strapping to allow for backing them out to adjust the level and using a string from the corners and various places to detect high/low spots. Are there any other suggestions on how to ensure the ceiling is level prior to nailing the beadboard?
Question 2: The boards come in lengths of 16′ but the room is 20′ in the direction that we’re running them so there will need to be joints.
A. Is it advised to use scarf joints as I would with trim or is this overkill? We’ll caulk and paint once it’s up.
B. If the pieces were random length, I would plan them out like a strip floor. They are the same so my instinct would be to run them 16′ + 4′ and then 4′ + 16′ and then repeat. I don’t know if the pattern would look better then if I made cuts and tried to randomize? The joints will be caulked and painted so hopefully they wont be too noticeable but I’m curious as to the approach taken by others.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Replies
Jonathan,
Question 1:
If you want to shim under the furring drill clearance holes which will make the process easier, otherwise the wood tends to jack when you back out the screw.
Question 2:
Butts will be fine, just like a floor, and like a floor I think overall random will look best. A biscuit joint will mock a the T&G end joint of good flooring.
Prefinish the tongues at a minimum. Back priming will help control movement.
It is all pre-primed so I am in good shape there. Joining with biscuits is a great idea. Thanks.
I agree with Cynwyd, I think "random" would look best in this situation. I put the word in quotations because it shouldn't be truly random, but carefully planned to look random...make sense?
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Regarding your layout of 16's on a 20' run, if you go 16+4 then 4+16, you'll see two rows of joints as you look across your ceiling perpendicular to the direction of run. I personally don't think that would be a very pleasing look.
A method that would take you more time would be to stagger each course by two joist bays, then repeat every 8 rows. So you would have rows of 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 &16 feet in length, then repeat. We've found in doing paneled ceilings that trying to create a random look only works if it's regular, and this pattern is regular but looks somewhat random. If you're careful with your material, this layout should not create any more waste, either.
Bruce
The High Desert Group LLC
"Fine homes done right, one at a time"
I agree with Bruce. Stagger the joints so you don't repeat on a joist except every eighth one. If the joint cracks, and it will as the house moves and breathes, you won't be staring at any discernable pattern.
I like 30° scarfs. With yellow glue it makes it easier to hide them so it matters little where they fall.
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Paneling the underside of your porch roof with wood is strictly an aesthetic endeavor, of course. But with a little know-how and a lot of patience, beadboard wainscoting is a way to add a touch of tradition and charm to a covered entryway - or to a bathroom, kitchen, or mudroom, for that matter. And it makes for a much nicer view when you wake from that rocking-chair slumber.
I'll remember to avoid vwoodwerks from now on. Spaming, it's a bad thing.