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Ceiling Beams
If you are looking to add interest and drama
to your home, consider installing beams to
the ceiling of your living room, family room,
library, kitchen, hallway, or bedrooms. Ceiling
beams are especially appropriate in traditional
English Tudor style houses; they are very
popular in log houses and Western style houses
where they add a charming rustic look; and
ceiling beams have long been a feature of
Spanish style dwellings common in warmer
parts of the United States. These beams are
made from a variety of materials, and they
can be easily added to existing ceilings.
If you would like to put ceiling
beams in
your house, consider the following:
- Structural beams are installed when the house
is being constructed as they are part of
the structure that holds the roof in place.
They usually need to be installed by a professional
house contractor.
- Decorative beams are simply attached to an
already existing ceiling and have no structural
role. They are usually made from a wood such
as pine or western red cedar that can be
left unfinished or stained or painted. Beams
that are hand hewn are generally more expensive.
Using antique lumber can result in an especially mellow look.
These beams can be installed in a variety
of configurations, including the use of cross
beams and trusses to mimic structural beams..
- Most decorative beams are easy to install
because they are not as heavy
as they look.
Some manufacturers cut the
timbers in half,
giving the impression that
part of the beam
is embedded in the ceiling.
Others produce
a u-shaped beam that is hollow
in the center.
- Beams made from inexpensive Styrofoam are
also available. These are especially
easy
to install because they are
so lightweight
that they can be attached to
the ceiling
with construction adhesive.
Styrofoam can
be stained or painted, but
they will look
best if they are first coated
with a synthetic
plaster. An advantage to these
beams is that
they are so flexible that they
will give
with changes in temperature
or if there are
tremors.
If you want to make your decorative beams
even more authentic looking, install the
decorative beams first, and then hang the
ceiling dry wall between them. |
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