Category: Faux Wood Trusses

The exposed truss look is coming back into style, or maybe it never left. However, getting the look you want is about more than just opening up your ceiling. In truth, most exposed trusses are actually decorative elements that have been added after the fact to imitate an open look without leaving all the messy plumbing and electrical work exposed. 

 

Choosing Trusses

 

Before you can install exposed trusses in your home, you first have to select the type of trusses you would like to use. Architectural trusses that are meant to be load bearing are very costly and heavy, and aren’t the kind of thing you want for this job. Instead, you want to look for faux wood box beams that are made to look like trusses without all the weight and heavy duty hardware. These beams are made of special HDF material that is durable, but is much lighter weight and easier to work with than real wood.  In addition, these beams can be finished in just about any color and style to match the rest of the trim in your home.

 

Installing Exposed Trusses

 

Once you’ve selected and ordered your new trusses, it’s time to plan for installation. It is recommended that a licensed contractor is used to install faux wood trusses.  They will start by mounting a regular 2×4 securely to your ceiling. The U-shaped design makes it simple to slip the faux wood truss over the anchoring board and screw it directly into the board. Since the HDF material is lightweight, the 2×4 anchor is strong enough for support, and it will seam nicely with your ceiling. This job is so easy that it usually only takes two to three people and no heavy machinery to lift the beams into place. In addition, the HDF is easy to cut and trim without the need for specialized tools, so you can ensure that any joints are perfectly matched without gaps. 

 

 

After getting your exposed trusses in place, you’ll be ready to show off the updated space to your family and friends. If you’ve always thought that exposed trusses were too costly or difficult to have in your home, faux wood beams are the way to go. You can see a full selection of beam sizes, colors and styles at Volterra. We specialize in customized wood products that are perfect for your next big project. Contact us today or visit our gallery to see more.

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You’ve probably noticed that more and more builders are returning to a rustic look these days. One common element among houses old and new is the appreciation for decorative exposed trusses on the interior. Trusses add an interesting layer of texture to a room and help bring together the rustic look. You may have even considered adding decorative trusses to your own home at some point. If so, the truss kit is just the product you’ve been looking for. Here’s why.

 

Made to Fit

 

A decorative truss kit is the complete package. This means that all of the components in sizes that accommodate your space, are ready to install you won’t have to do any extensive work trying to design your own truss pattern or make sure all the pieces fit together properly. In addition, decorative truss kits have available matching hardware so you can get an authentic look without having to piece together hardware from your local big box retailer.

 

Easy to Install

 

A truss kit also makes this upgrade a simple weekend project for an experienced carpenter. With faux wood beams and mounting instructions, you don’t need any heavy equipment to lift the trusses into place. Instead, they are lightweight and made to be anchored directly to your ceiling using a concealed mount, according to provided instructions.  The high density foam material also means that you don’t need any special drills or drill bits to get the job done. Once you have the first one up, it’s as easy as measuring equal distances to each of your new truss locations and repeating the process.

 

They Look Great

 

Truss kits can give you the look you’re going for in no time. The durable finish is made to look like natural wood in a wide range of stains and grain patterns so you can match your trusses to any other natural wood accents in your house, or even match it to your new trim if you are completely updating your home. The stained finish is made to last without any chipping, scratching, or refinishing. Trusses are a timeless element of architecture, and they are coming back into style. If you would like to add beautiful trusses to your home, start by checking out Volterra’s decorative truss kits online. We make it simple to order your trusses and have them installed without spending a fortune. These kits are made to give you everything you need to transform your ceilings with simple tools and a little bit of time. Check out our online gallery to see all of our truss designs.

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When you look up and see a beautiful truss system gracing the ceiling of a structure, how much thought do you give to the design? For most of us, the visual effect of the design draws us in, but we never stop to appreciate how or why a truss works. Let’s break down some of the secrets behind truss design so you can fully appreciate how each truss adds to a structure.

The Science of Triangles

Early in human history, it was discovered that the triangle is an especially stable shape. The triangle form allows us to distribute weight over a great distance by creating a solid base with two supporting legs. This is why you see bridges and buildings relying so heavily on triangle trusses to hold them up. Today, we still rely on this discovery to hold our roofs over our heads, but we also find ways to incorporate triangles into our aesthetics as well.

More Triangles or Less?

One thing you’ll notice about modern truss design is that they typically feature a variety of cross braces and beams added to the basic triangular structure. This is important because it creates a bold visual effect, but it can also affect the strength of a particular truss. Adding additional beams that create smaller triangles within the main structure can have a profound influence on the amount of weight that a truss is able to bear. For decorative purposes, you may choose to add more beams to create a distinguished look, even if your trusses will not actually be supporting additional weight. The invention of early trusses made a big impact on how humans could build. Triangle truss design is still a staple of the construction industry today, and we have become so used to seeing these triangles all around us that we often feel drawn to add them to high ceilings after the fact. If you are looking for creative decorative truss designs to add to your room, visit Volterra online.]]>

Exposed trusses can drastically change the appearance of any room by drawing the eye upward, adding a pop of color depth, and even changing the way light falls through your room. While most homes do not come with naturally beautiful trusses, you can easily add some to your large rooms with the help of faux wood.

Selecting a Style

As you shop for faux wood trusses, you will find that there are several common designs ranging from very simple to very complex. The more complex the design, the more hardware is involved and the heavier the beams will be. In general, complex designs are best reserved for very formal rooms with vaulted ceilings, similar to a cathedral, because the extra complexity can make a smaller room feel crowded. On the other hand, there are some very plain options which are ideal for creating a farmhouse aesthetic.

Choosing a Color

The next thing you need to do is select a color for your exposed trusses. If you want your trusses to blend seamlessly into the rest of your room, you need to choose a wood grain pattern and color that matches the rest of the woodwork in your home. You can find anything from dark walnuts to light blondes and ashes. Exposed trusses are a beautiful addition to any oversized room, and they can be easily installed thanks to faux wood products. Shop Volterra online today to see our full selection of truss patterns and colors.]]>

Decorative Styles that Benefit from a Faux Truss Decorative wood beams can add continuity to a design scheme and reinforce a certain architectural style. This is especially true for certain designs that have a rustic flavor. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Farmhouse: The ultimate in rustic accessibility, this style is extremely popular in the US, where functional yet prosperous farmhouse style buildings were the norm during our developmental years. A farmhouse style building has many charming decorative elements, from warm wooden tones to functional exposed shelving and deep farmhouse style sinks. Faux wooden beams in a farmhouse style building aren’t often as grand and ostentatious as other styles. Instead, exposed beams might be flush against a flat ceiling, or stained with light, rustic colors to lend the appearance of age and comfort.
• Lodge: This style is popular in western cabins that want large picture windows and vaulted ceilings to bring the outside in. Tall pitched ceilings keep snow buildup from adding pressure on the roof, and add visual interest to an open interior. Often, a faux truss will add dimension to a large common room and stand out with strong color contrast and intricate lines.
• Pueblo Revival: Popular in arid regions of the southwest, these homes often feature wooden posts that span a flat ceiling and protrude on either side to add ornamental elements to a plain, rounded-corner facade seamlessly blending into the desert surroundings. Often, these faux trusses are strictly decorative, but have dark contrast with the neutral whites and beiges of the pueblo revival style.
• Traditional Scandinavian: If you’re ready to take the “lodge” aesthetic one step further, consider looking into traditional scandinavian styles. The ancestral longhouses of viking times provide the blueprint for long vaulted chambers that housed entire villages. Oftentimes, this style is accented with exposed wooden beams in the facade as well.

Volterra has beautiful faux truss systems that add visual interest to any style home. Browse our available truss systems here, and contact us to learn more.]]>

Know How Many Beams You Need While the design of your trusses is ultimately up to you, most installations space trusses about 4-6’ away from one another. In addition, some people like to have an end cap truss at each end of the room, although this is not strictly necessary. You may need to measure your room to determine how much spacing will look appropriate and use blue painter’s tape to mark the locations so you can visualize where the trusses will be.

Use Blocks of Wood to Secure Your Beams to the Ceiling

Since the center of your beams are hollowed out, all you need to do is secure a small block of wood to your ceiling every 12-18” along the line where your beam will be placed to support the beam. The block of wood can be installed using long screws, and you can slide your faux beams directly over the block and secure them with shorter screws. Just make sure not to overdo the screws through the faux wood to prevent causing cracks.

Don’t Forget to Cover Edges

If you have to make any cuts to your faux trusses and beams, you will want to make sure the edges are covered. Pick up a little bit of extra stain for paint that matches the shade of your trusses to cover any raw edges. This should only take a few minutes, and won’t be highly visible to most people, but you don’t want any unfinished surfaces to stick out like a sore thumb. The hardest part of installing faux trusses is deciding exactly where you want the beams to fall. Once you have it laid out with tape, it should take no time at all to secure mounting blocks to the ceiling and install your brand new faux trusses over them. For inspiration and installation tips, visit Volterra Architectural Products online or speak to one of our team members today.]]>