We have been in a long struggle with out house remodel. Changing the living the room ceiling into a cathedral seemed oh so easy… Until we pulled down the drywall.
Turns out the ‘old bones’ of the house were a bit too old and we had to support the whole system adding in extra beams and bracing throughout. The good news was we knew where we could nail things going in and we are no longer in danger of collapse.
After the roof was supported correctly we took the time to insulate really well- important in freezing Michigan. Next we added an additional layer (optional) of plywood across the whole thing. Partially this was to seal the space during the remodel and partly it would be easier to install the wood lap we wanted to use later.
After drywall, paint, etc… all the joys of remodeling got closer we could readdress our ceiling. We chose a pine board with a tongue and groove system 4″ wide with a ‘V’ groove down the center. This gives a tight line scheme when it’s installed.
Wanting to avoid the ‘deep woods’ look we choose the skinniest version of lap we could get and prior to installing it spent time staining it (you don’t want to stain it after it’s installed over your head, not fun). Not a clear or a wood tone but a solid grey stain that matches our kitchen cabinets, which are visible between the rooms. I did a single coat of stain allowing the wood to show through a bit which is the same tone as the wall color.
My hubby installed the ceiling and being an old house we had to deal with boards connecting at incorrect lines. While old homes are never perfect, caulk covers a multitude of issues and they had it in grey. So after caulking up a few seams and filling a few holes in the wood we ended up with a unique ceiling that we love.
All that’s left is to add the ceiling fan and enjoy. I hope this helps you see new possibilities in your home. Overall we are thrilled and have under $500 into the project.
Quest Type 
1 thought on “Wooden Ceiling DIY”