Replace vinyl ceiling w/Azek beadboard?
Taylorsdad
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
We have a small job that has to get knocked out before the next big project ramps up next week and I want to avoid any surprises as none of us have done this before. It certainly seems innocent enough, but I’ve been bitten on the a
before.
Has anyone replaced the vinyl exterior porch ceiling panels with Azek 1/2″ x 6 beadboard before? Specs: the house is in NY, it is 7 yrs. old and the ceiling length is 35′ with an average width of 8′.&
#160; The vinyl is sitting in what looks alot like a J bead channel on the outer perimeter and doesn’t appear to have many/any? intermediate fasteners. Any insight is appreciated.
Replies
just my two cents, but from the photos I'd say why bother???
I am in full agreement with that thought. But I'm the contractor, not the client and thats what they want - well, I doubt the husband actually cares. Its a neighborhood of million dollar homes and everyone is hell bent on being at the top-end of best homes in the neighborhood (good for us!). Honestly though, it looks much worse than the photo depicts.
gotta go with JR on this one--why Azek and not wood-- the wood will look 90 times better, and installed well will hold up just great--can be color change easily and won't have the expansion problems of the Azek. Other wise why bother?
That with JR makes 4 cents--Mike
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Do you have direct experience with Azek problems? Please tell me more about the problems with the stuff as I have no problem recommending against it. I'd rather install the wood but the client felt the durability and no maintenence made it a good choice.
What is funny is that they are replacing vinyl with vinyl.Vinyl - short for poly vinyl acetate or PVC.Azek - PVC.Now PVC is a very generic term, many differ formulations and manufacturing process. And it can be manufactured into many different patterns and materials.Sorta like saying manufactured wood product, which could cover MDF, particle board and plywood.But still Azek is vinyl.
The garbage thats in there now is flimsy and sagging - again, it isn't noticable in the photo. The purpose of this thread was to find out if anyone has done this before and to find out the general opinion of the performance of this product. If it outperforms wood, then they made the right choice, if it doesn't I'm going to recommend against it.
Look in the photo section. Some about 3-6 months ago someone had some pictures of a porch ceiling that was done with a plastic beadboard type of material. But I don't think it was Azek.
I haven't used the azek beadboard before, but I've been pretty impressed with the samples I've seen. It's nice and thick with good clean lines.
I have used Azek trim quite a bit, and I really like it. I don't think we can answer your question adequately, though, until we know what's underneath the exising vinyl. One thing about Azek is that it's much floppier than wood, so I would be concerned about some slight sagging if the joists are far apart. You might want to add strapping or maybe even plywood to mount the azek in that case. Ply has a couple of advantages - you don't have to worry about sags, and it can be shimmed to provide a flat surface if what's underneath is out of whack; you can install the azek in any direction you like; And you can glue it up, requiring fewer fasteners and somewhat limiting azeks tendency to move from temperature changes.
Good luck!
Hey taylorsdad, I was pullin' yer chain a bit....so here's a real answer
the Azek beadboard is a decent product...I second what other posts have said about it being floppy, & about not knowing what's under the existing vinyl....My biggest concern if I were in your shoes would be that, if I'm seeing your photo correctly, all the trim on the porch is currently wrapped in metal or vinyl...I'd be focusing on how to get the new ceiling into the small gaps at the head of the existing trim(s).....
IMHO I would use wood--Heres why--expansion is far less on wood than Azex and it is so smooth that over that great expanse it will look--well not like wood--kinda like perfect PVC--Million doller house with a 99 cent porch ceiling--geez what a lose of potential beauty.Just let me say I like the stuff--really I do--just not in this particular application. As for maintanace on a porch ceiling it should be the same as with the Azek -hose it down once in a while and maybe paint every 6-8 years--how much abuse can a protected ceiling suffer fromA good side wall house job around here will last 5-6 years so how ofen could it possible need paint-All in all if I was sitting on a porch and I could gaze up at a wood bead board ceiling--ever see them painted sky blue--you bet your bottom doller I would much rather see the slight imperfections of wood over the unblemished surface of PVC--except for that one nail that curled around and ruin the whole thing---J/KOk now I up to 6 cents so I gotta go, Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
"except for that one nail that curled around and ruin the whole thing" Glad to hear I'm not the only one that happens to! Thanks for the input. What I find compelling is that from a craft-persons standpoint the material is viewed as the cheaper product and yet in this case the client's assumption is that it is the better product because it costs more. By this afternoon they'll have agreed to the real deal. Thanks again, Bill.
You're welcome--Hope to see a pic when your done...
Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I recently put up about a thousand square feet of it, what a PITA! Azek instructions on proper installation suck.
Anyway we strapped the ceiling 8" o.c. and stainless steel brad nailed the tongue with 1 1/2" 18 ga at an angle. Also liberally used polyurethane construction adhesive. Left the bead board 1" short of all edges for expansion and trimmed out with azek crown.
A few caution notes. Keep you hands very clean or you'll have a bigger jobs cleaning it up. Check that all material is from the same batch, they have a big, big problem matching the color and finish... and it's impossible to tell untill it's installed.
Also no one makes a decent filler for nail holes we have been using white crayons and it appears to be working.
Sledge, you gave me everything I needed. Thank you. Your statement about gluing the joints was a particular question I was hoping someone would address. Sounds like more of a pain in the a## than anything. We have no perimeter molding either which adds to the problem. I'd like to know if the stuff is considered to have as more, just the same, or less movement than the real deal.
expensive stuff. around here an 18 ft. piece is $32. I did 40 sq.ft. in a bathroom and it cost me almost $600.
I've been told carburator cleaner takes is the thing to use for cleaning it up. Thats just hear-say though. dont blame me if it melts.
Somebody doesn't like you very much! I'd have to believe it would be quickly damaged by carb cleaner.
TD,
I recently replaced all the vinyl soffit and fascia on my home with PVC beadboard. Not Aztek specifically but a comparable product. My issue was I live in Florida and the "snap" together Georgie Pacific vinyl installed does not hold up to 74+mph winds in three subsequent hurricanes.
Installing the PVC in a glue and nail together installation (PVC plumbing cement works great but don't get it on the face f the product) should prove to be a little stonger. Its been up about 4 months so we shall see? The one thing I will tell you is cleaning it is easier as its solid and smooth not ridged with texture that the vinyl had that held dirt.
I like it becuase it more rigid than the vinyal and actually quite easy to work with. It does "gum" up my mitre saw blade so cleaning it each day after use was a must and the white "sawdust" is a nightmare as it statically sticks to EVERYTHING.
In Florida, wood is just food for termites and rot so knowing it will be there long after I'm gone and not having to paint it makes it worth the extra cost to me in both time and materials. Hope this helps.
Mike
I did it a couple of years ago on a wrap-around porch ceiling. As Andy mentioned, your joists have to be fairly closely (16" OC is fine) spaced cause the stuff is floppy.
As I've said here before, it doesn't expand and contract in response to humidity change, but it does in response to thermal change. Also that expansion and contraction happens width-wise (like wood) as well as length-wise (unlike wood). Read the spec sheet, use common sense (don't butt each board tightly up to the last if it's the coldest day of the year), and plan on a little extra time if you haven't worked with it before. Oh, I'd use stainless nails as long as its gonna last a long time.
I found the stuff O.K. to work with because each piece of material is so uniform.
I've done a few jobs with the Azek beadboard and like it very much. I have used it on numerous occasions to line the interiors of outdoor showers (here on the island, everyone has an outdoor shower) I just pin the tongue with 15 guage 2" stainless nails. No adhesive. I agree with a prior comment about keeping your hands clean. It will dirty. I think the look is good and clean and for the past few years, the product has warn very well. No maintenance. The cost is pretty steep though. I saw an earlier comment that quoted $32.00 and 18 ft board. Down here, it is almost $45.00. The last shower I did cost me over $1,200 just for the interior walls. I am dong a large addition to my house and have a 2' cantilever that runs along the north wall of the house. I will finish that with Azek beadboard when the time comes.
Good luck with the job.
Brian.....Bayview Renovations