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I will be ripping out an old plaster/lathe ceiling in a ground floor room of my house. I want to install a 1×4 beadboard ceiling. I was going to attach furring strips to the joists and nail the beadboard to it. Is there any reason to put up plywood instead of furring strips? Any reason to add insulation (for sound from upstairs?)
Also, I plan on installing recessed lights. Should they go in before the ceiling, and then cut the beadboard to fit around the cans?
Is pine beadboard okay if I’m going to paint it (or fir if I wanted to stain it)?
And lastly, my wife says the beadboard should run the length (longer) of the room, not the width. Is there a rule for this??
Any advice greatly appreciated,
Jon Neuburger (A slow, methodical DIY)
Replies
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Jon, all your questions have an either/or answer. The right answer will be the one that works the best for your application. Furring strips across the joists, maybe only to change the direction of the beadbd. Insulation above, probably a good idea. Lites either way (later and you are cutting an easier circle the messier way, above your head). Use a remodel can, leave enough of a tail on your wire to manuever can and mark the centers as you install the bds. Type of wood? Either one I think would be ok for either application. Just stain it/prime it/one coat it before you put it up. When the bds shrink, you wont have unfinished lines show up. And the rule is on the way you run it, whatever way
b she
wants it. Don't mention to her the diagonal approach or you'll have 3 to choose from. Best of luck.
*Other decision criteria for furring are increased depth of joist bay (to accomodate mechanicals, plumbing or lighting) and the ability to "flatten" the ceiling. You don't have to fur perpendicular to the joists; you can sister onto the side of them if it helps with beadboard direction.
*Thanks for your input, Calvin. Could you elaborate on the remodel can installation? Do you mean mount them, put the wood under them, and then cut out the circumference of the can??Thanks again.
*Jon,Remodelor can........more expensive than normal can with mounting bars. It is put up after the ceiling is hung. You cut the hole where you know you won't run into anything (member, you marked the center as you hung the boards), the wire was run to that location and left up there with plenty of tail (leave enough at least to sit the can on the top of your ladder to do the connection). The can has 4 clips that you slide up which flips them out an down outside the can trapping the ceiling between the clip and lip of the can. These clips will release if necessary. Remember to hang your wire so you don't nick it when you cut the hole.Remodel cans have their place, and also can be used for others. Marking and cutting individual boards for a ceiling vs. cutting a circle after bd install might be another. Cut the hole nice cuz that lip needs to help secure it. Thickness of ceiling is another consideration. These will clip 3/8" up to maybe 1". Consult the supplier.They come in ICT, reg. size, and mini. Talk to your lighting supplier.Don't put the board over any can then cut out later. This is even a bigger mess.Answer the question?Best of luck. Jon, that's how they spell my middle name. What'd they do with our "h"s?
*Very Helpful, Calvin. I've never used the cans and I thought you had to mount them to a joist or something up inside the ceiling. I'm ready to start DEMOLITION!!I just dropped the "athan" from my name...Should I know what the Glass City is?
*Jon, you have not said how large the ceiling area will be. My preference is to have it run with the length of the room. Here's a couple of tips:Tip No. 1: You can paint or stain and finish the material before putting it up. It's a lot easier on sawhorses than doing it overhead. Believe me... we're doing over 1100 lf of t&g ceiling right now, and we've given it a beautiful pickled finish.Tip No. 2: If you don't have a trim gun, rent or borrow one. Don't steal one... we use these things to make a living! Nail through the toungue at an angle.Tip No. 3: If you don't own a dead blow hammer with a soft face, buy one... it will pay for itself in a couple of hours (Estwing makes a really nice one with both hard and soft faces for about $30). If you don't think you'll ever need it again, buy a cheap one for $15. Anyone who has does t&g ceilings with a dead blow will back me on this! Anyone who does these ceilings without one is really missing something.My neck is aching from that ceiling job we're on: six skylights and four recessed cans to trim around...Ibuprofenly, Steve
*They never stuck the "athan" on mine and I don't know if you should know, but it's the quaint metropolis of Toledo in NW Ohio. Usta be called the glass capital of the world.......don't mention that to Owens Corning Fibreglass.....Come visit anytime.Don't forget to use ICT cans if you're gonna insulate that ceiling. And get a pair of on the top bifocals for that ceiling if you're nearing 50. You can only tilt your head back so far before you fall off.Best of luck.
*Jon, Last year we built a hunting cabin with all 1x4 beaded pine ceilings.We stained and sealed it before putting it up.The cabin had recessed cans (Prescolite), for most lighting, and they were already up.The easiest way I found for cutting them was to lock together enough boards to get past the cans.Then, mark the circle with a stick with a nail in the center, and cut them out from the back side with a jigsaw.It turned out great.
*I am also planning a ceiling project. I am going to put T & G pine car siding on the ceiling in my great room in our log home. I plan to paint it first with an off white color of paint. (my house is too dark inside, too much wood.) My car siding will be nailed to furring strips that are nailed beside and parallel to the ceiling/above floor joists. I'm planning on using a brad nailer type thing my husband has. (I did the ceiling in one of our bathrooms like this and screwed all the boards in place and it took FOREVER.) I don't have a dead blow hammer. What exactly does one do with one of those. Have I neglected something important in the bath. And I can't afford new glasses.Thanks, Lynnie
*Lynnie, a dead blow hammer generally has at least one soft face, and the head is filled with steel shot. You'll use the hammer to install the t&g material, hammering against the tongue of the board being applied to tighten it up to the preceding board. If you use a piece of scrap as a driver, and use a conventional hammer, you'll need two hands, and the t&g will be hard to align without a helper.The dead blow hammer head actually rattles if you shake it. With a regular hammer, when you strike something, the hammer will "bounce" off the object you struck. The dead blow hammer will simply strike the object and remain in place. You can get one at any big box and at most larger hardware stores. Test it in the store by comparing it to a regular hammer, and you'll see why this tool is indispensible for the work you're contemplating. Be sure and get one with a soft face, so you won't damage the tongue of the material as you tighten it into place.As for the brad nailer: I presume its pneumatic and will shoot an 1-3/8" nail. A regular trim gun with a 16 or 16 ga. 1-1/2" nail will also work. I'd use two nails at each location if I was using the brad nailer.Glad you're pre-finishing the material... the last ceiling we did had a pickled finish which we pre-applied. It came out beautifully, and was a welcome change from the usual painted or stained finish.Good luck, Steve
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I will be ripping out an old plaster/lathe ceiling in a ground floor room of my house. I want to install a 1x4 beadboard ceiling. I was going to attach furring strips to the joists and nail the beadboard to it. Is there any reason to put up plywood instead of furring strips? Any reason to add insulation (for sound from upstairs?)
Also, I plan on installing recessed lights. Should they go in before the ceiling, and then cut the beadboard to fit around the cans?
Is pine beadboard okay if I'm going to paint it (or fir if I wanted to stain it)?
And lastly, my wife says the beadboard should run the length (longer) of the room, not the width. Is there a rule for this??
Any advice greatly appreciated,
Jon Neuburger (A slow, methodical DIY)