Category: Faux Wood Beams and Planks

Vaulted ceilings are extremely popular among homeowners these days. They help your home feel open and airy, and they work well with today’s modern open floor plans. However, many people want to decorate that big open space instead of leaving it plain. That’s where ceiling beams come in handy. There are many ways to design a vaulted ceiling with beams to enhance the look of your room. 

Ridge and Rafter Ceiling Beams

Perhaps the most common way to finish a vaulted ceiling with beams is simply to create a ridge and rafter system.  This design features a ridge beam that runs the full length of the vault’s peak.  Rafter beams are installed on the angled ceiling and run from the base of the ceiling, to the peak where they meet the ridge beam.

Parallel Beams

If you’re looking for something a little less common, you could try parallel beams on your vaulted ceiling. In this design, the beams actually run horizontally across the full length of the room, creating a tiered look on either side. This design style is good for rooms that have a shallow vault or rooms that are not very long, because the horizontal orientation will make the room feel larger.

Painting vs Staining

Another important question you need to ask yourself is whether you want your ceiling beams to be painted or stained. Many industrial and modern style homes use plain white beams that fit into the sleek monochromatic theme of the home. However, using a bit of dark coloring can actually enhance your vaulted ceilings a great deal. For this classic style, choose a wood beam in a medium to dark toned stain that matches well with the other colors in your room. If you have other wood trim or wood floors, choose a color to match that. This will tie the whole room together well. With faux wood beams, you can find a wide range of color options that closely match the grain pattern and coloration of your existing wood trim. 

Vaulted ceilings with beams are all the rage. If your vaulted ceilings are feeling bare, it may be time to consider adding your own faux wood beam design. Visit Volterra online today to see our full gallery of ceiling beams and how we have used them to create some stunning results.

Ready to add texture, warmth, and dimension to your home? Do you have a room where you want to draw the eye upward and define the living space? Sounds like you’re looking for faux wood beams and trusses.

Perhaps you’re someone who doesn’t love the term “faux”. That’s okay. Some people feel that way at first. However, once they start researching the real costs and benefits, they start to appreciate the concept more. Here at Volterra, we offer both HDF faux wood beams, and natural wood box beams. This guide is meant to help you compare your options and find the right one for you.

First off, let’s be clear about terminology. Many people get confused about the different terms used to describe decorative beams. “Faux beams” refers to any beams or trusses that aren’t integral to a room’s stability and functionality. So, if the beams aren’t a part of your original architectural plan, then they’re faux beams. That’s right, if you don’t already have some beautiful old-world beams hidden underneath layers of plaster ceiling then it doesn’t matter if the material you’re using is reclaimed wood pried off of an old barn in Provence, France. They’re still called faux beams, because they’re not needed to keep the roof up; they’re simply decorative.

What Kinds of Decorative Beams Are Available?

The thing is, there are a lot of different ways to go faux. Here’s a summary of your options:

What Are HDF Beams?

Here at Volterra, we’re big fans of #4 (as you might have guessed). We’ll tell you why in a bit, but first, let us SHOW you why…

That’s right, those are faux wood beams used in the images above. They’re hollow, constructed from high density polyurethane foam, and fashioned to look exactly like solid wood beams.

Now, when we say foam, you’re probably picturing something soft, spongey, and great for sleeping on, right?

HDF is foam of a different sort. It’s strong, solid, extremely dense, and able to capture specific textures at a near-microscopic level. If you ran a hand over it, you would feel the distinct ridges and planes of a rich, weathered wood grain. And if you picked it up, it would be surprisingly light.

HDF faux wood beams are made by pouring the foam in liquid form into a mold, which was constructed using the exact cast of a real piece of wood. This allows us to duplicate the original external appearance of wood, right down to the graining, knotting, and even the worm holes.

How Do HDF Faux Wood Beams Compare to Real Wood?

Alright, so HDF beams look convincing. But how do they really perform in action? How do they wear over time, and how do they stack up against real wood for your house, your maintenance plan, and your remodeling budget?

Here’s a comparison chart that will let you understand your options better:

How Does Installation Work?

Although it has the most impact on your time and sanity, few people fully consider the process of installation when they choose which kinds of faux wood beams to use in a room. A major installation process will monopolize your space for months, putting every other project on hold. Shoddy installation jobs will ruin your aesthetic and cause major challenges down the road. Individuals who think ahead about installation enjoy the benefits of manageable timelines, not to mention the peace and quiet that comes with having your home to yourself again. So let’s talk a little bit about the installation process for different kinds of beam & truss installations.

We’ll start with this picture…

That’s a massive faux HDF beam of 14”x22”x20’, which only weighs 113 lbs.

A real wood beam of the same size weighs nearly one ton. This is precisely why you’ll never use solid wooden beams merely for decorative purposes on the ceiling–they’ll have to be structural. But what about hollow box beams made of real wood? This is a compromise between the solid wood and faux wood option. However, it will still be more than twice the weight of an HDF beam.

Because they’re so lightweight, they’re easy to install. Often, two people can complete the project in just one day. For some projects, it’s only a matter of a few hours. See for yourself in the video below.

Ready to Go Faux?

Volterra was founded in 2002, and has since become a leading provider of specialty architectural design materials. We’re most well-known for our huge range of beautiful faux wood beams and trusses, which have transformed award-winning restaurants, featured homes, and four star hotels. We also offer natural wood beams as part of our woodworking line. Shop our product selection online and browse our galleries for more ideas.

The exposed ceiling beam is in these days, lending an industrial look to otherwise modern rooms. In fact, the fad has grown so popular that many people are looking for ways to add exposed beams to their homes as well. Some people want to know if they have to buy beams to achieve this look, or if they can simply remove their existing ceiling to expose the beams that are already there. Here’s what you need to know before you take on this project.

Joists vs Beams

The first thing you need to know is that the joists used in the construction of your house are not the same as the exposed beams you see in popular restaurants and home renovation magazines. First of all, those joists were never meant to be exposed, so they are often unfinished and unsightly. Instead of giving you a clean industrial look, they will probably just look ragged and in need of finishing. Secondly, it would take forever to clean up your wiring and plumbing to make it look good in your newly exposed space because these things were probably routed in the quickest fashion during the building of your house, not the most aesthetic. By contrast, the exposed beams you see in pictures are likely finished and installed over hidden joists and supports. This allows you to enjoy the look of a finished beam that has been painted and coated for longevity without having to look at the real guts of the building. Even those open ceilings that do have plumbing and wiring visible often use painted pipes and conduit to conceal much of the mess. These beams are made to be artfully added to any space and they are lightweight so they can be easily installed and removed if necessary. They also tend to be larger and made with a variety of wood grain looks to give you an authentic look and texture so you won’t be stuck with the dull, unfinished look of your interior joists.

Spacing

Another problem with exposing your existing joists is that they are spaced very close together and they only go in one direction. If you want to create a decorative look to your ceiling, you need to use ceiling beams sparingly and decide which direction you want your beams to run so that they can add to the look of the room, rather than making it look cluttered. Even large rooms typically only have a handful of beams spread across the span of the ceiling.

If you’re interested in creating an exposed beam look in your home, visit Volterra online today. We sell finished faux wood beams in a range of colors and sizes to fit any installation. These products are made to be a decorative enhancement to your home that easily fits onto your existing ceiling without a hassle.

While many big box stores are starting to carry a small selection of faux wood products these days, the truth is that there are much better ways to get your hands on premium faux wood products for your home. The best way is to go straight to your local faux wood beam manufacturer and choose your products directly from their catalog. Why? Because they can save you money and open up a whole world of possibilities that aren’t available off the shelf.

Custom Faux Wood Beams

In general, big box stores are only able to accommodate space for the most popular colors and textures. If they do offer a wider selection, it usually requires placing a specialized order that can take weeks to arrive, and likely comes with additional shipping costs. By contrast, when you contact a faux wood beam manufacturer directly, you will find a much larger selection of colors, styles and finishes to match your home. This means that you can get exactly what you’re looking for and won’t have to worry about any additional work when it comes to making your faux wood blend into the rest of your decor. In addition, a faux wood beam manufacturer can help you order custom lengths and sizes of beams, as well as providing you with all of the information you need to properly mount and install your beams.

Saving You Money

Everybody knows that big box stores mark up their products significantly so that they can turn a profit. Oftentimes, the prices they display are much higher than what you would pay if you ordered directly from the manufacturer. This is because you won’t be paying the big box store’s shipping and handling fees, plus you won’t have to overbuy based on the limited selection of products they have in store. Instead, you can order the right quantity the first time, and have them sent straight to you without any extra fees. You can also find all the right mounting hardware already in stock, so it can be delivered alongside your beams for seamless installation. Check out our video below to see the installation process.  

As faux wood beams grow in popularity, you are sure to see them popping up in your local hardware stores. However, it pays to do your own research and contact a faux wood beam manufacturer directly if you want to save time and money, and get the right product every time. Don’t forget to visit Volterra online to shop our new online store!

Whether you’re planning on adding faux beams to the interior of your house, or you want to use them to build a gazebo or other structure outside, understanding durability is an important part of your planning. You don’t want to invest in products that will not stand up to the test of time, so it’s important that you know your faux beams are virtually maintenance free.

Heavy Duty Construction

Durable Finish