How would you cover these exposed beams?

[Chevy-SS]

I recently added big garage addition and remodeled house. I removed a bedroom above the living room, in order to give me a vaulted ceiling. I had to leave some floor joists in place, and I had to sister them up. So now I've got five beams to cover. They are triple 2x10's, each 12 feet long.

Here's a pic:

I looked at some custom caps made from plastic. They look nice, but they cost a small fortune.

I am open to suggestions and would love some ideas on how to make these look somewhat rustic and authentic.

Thanks for any help.

Dave F. in RI

 

[engineer2]

To make them rustic wrap them in rough sawn cedar 1x boards, but that might get spendy.
I've seen them done in pine too.
A less expensive way would be 1/4" hardwood veneer plywood. It's available in any finish. Hickory might be the most rustic looking. Don't know if you can find it in 12 ft lengths to avoid seams.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I have seen them wrapped in drywall and painted but I don't like that look. I have wrapped some in wood too. The ones I did were in pine and not too expensive to do. What is the trim wood? I would probably try to match that as best I could so the stain will match as well.

It looks nice opened up like that by the way. Good job.

 

[Voi]

I am open to suggestions and would love some ideas on how to make these look somewhat rustic and authentic.

I like poplar for jobs like this. I haven't priced it in a while but last time I bought a lot of it rough sawn it wasn't bad. It's soft but up high that won't matter and the contrast of the green heart wood to the pale sap wood can be made to look as rustic as you want.

Will the top of the beams be visible from the upstairs or can the tops be left as is?

I have different suggestions on how to go about wrapping them depending on that answer.

 

[DekeT]

Clad them with this. Your spouse might have a problem but the rest of us would cheer you.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504680&stc=1&d=1449860544

 

[Kaizen]

I'd use 1/4 inch wood like maple plywood and have a seam. they look like they are at 8 feet so no way to blend them.
I took mine out in my kitchen and put in actual barn beams but those can be pricey as well.

 

[gungatim]

depends on the style, I would wrap in 1x pine and stain, but you could also just drywall them use metal corner edge and mud 'em up...

 

[Toofast28]

Old barn boards.

 

[jd_1138]

I would't drywall/mud them. The beams would stick out like a sore thumb if they were drywalled and mudded.

I like the rustic natural wood look myself. I'd go for a treatment that would keep it rustic. I'd put some nice looking wood over it with a nail gun.

 

[Brian_WK]

Your east coast but beetle kill pine is some pretty cool looking stuff that could add some contrast and color.

Brian

 

[rodsnratfinks]

Definitely go wood/rustic. Take take your cues from other wood elements in your home. beams like this can make a nice architectural statement, but if you do something that clashes with the style of the home, they can make it look like you don't know what you're doing.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd try to wrap them like a few others mentioned with some hardwood plywood.

Is it possible to find some type of decorative trim that would go at the center on the beam and cover up a seam/splitting the beam at 6' since they are 12' long ?

 

[Richard Cranium]

Stain the to match your trim like around the doors. If you want to distress them, beat on the with a hammer or a chain. For rustic I really like the looks of cedar.

 

[sublimate]

Personally I'd probably just stain the outer sister-ed joists (match your trim or maybe even darker) and leave it at that. I don't think it has to be wrapped.

 

[larry_g]

Personally I would paint them white and let them disappear into the background. I see no other wood in the picture that you would match them to. What is the rest of the house trimmed with?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Chevy-SS]

I like poplar for jobs like this. I haven't priced it in a while but last time I bought a lot of it rough sawn it wasn't bad. It's soft but up high that won't matter and the contrast of the green heart wood to the pale sap wood can be made to look as rustic as you want.

Will the top of the beams be visible from the upstairs or can the tops be left as is?

I have different suggestions on how to go about wrapping them depending on that answer.

Yes, tops will be visible, thanks for tips.......

 

[Chevy-SS]

Old barn boards.

I would't drywall/mud them. The beams would stick out like a sore thumb if they were drywalled and mudded.

I like the rustic natural wood look myself. I'd go for a treatment that would keep it rustic. I'd put some nice looking wood over it with a nail gun.

Your east coast but beetle kill pine is some pretty cool looking stuff that could add some contrast and color..... Brian

Definitely go wood/rustic. Take take your cues from other wood elements in your home. beams like this can make a nice architectural statement, but if you do something that clashes with the style of the home, they can make it look like you don't know what you're doing..... Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I'd try to wrap them like a few others mentioned with some hardwood plywood.

Is it possible to find some type of decorative trim that would go at the center on the beam and cover up a seam/splitting the beam at 6' since they are 12' long ?

Stain the to match your trim like around the doors. If you want to distress them, beat on the with a hammer or a chain. For rustic I really like the looks of cedar.

Thanks all, I agree about the wood look. I like barn board sugestion. I have been thinking about trying to find some...

Personally I would paint them white and let them disappear into the background. I see no other wood in the picture that you would match them to. What is the rest of the house trimmed with?

Rest of first floor is trimmed out in stained/poly'd brightwork, similar to the way I did this kitchen door and baseboard:

-

 

[maverick302]

If you have the time and want to replicate weathered wood, a wire cup wheel on an angle grinder actually yields pretty good results. Then you can stain it and the stain highlights the grain and the texture. I did it with a little end table.

 

[larry_g]

Rest of first floor is trimmed out in stained/poly'd brightwork, similar to the way I did this kitchen door and baseboard:

-

Most cabinet shops have material for 'end panels' that is just a thin plywood. Have the cabinet shop rip widths to the dimensions of the top and sides. laminate these onto the beams and then finish the corners with an outside corner molding of the same color.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[T_R]

I would stain them. Or if possible replace them with old barn beams and leave them natural.

 

[Chevy-SS]

If you have the time and want to replicate weathered wood, a wire cup wheel on an angle grinder actually yields pretty good results. Then you can stain it and the stain highlights the grain and the texture. I did it with a little end table.

That's a nice result. Thanks

 

[rsanter]

I like them kind of like that.
I would sand them a bit and put a light stain and some clear on them...

Or

If you want rustic I think I would put a 36 disc on a small grimder and just give an patterned touch here and then then stain them and your done.

In either case if you don't like how it turns out you can cover them in finished material and cover up what you did

Bob

 

[1949 caddyman]

Rough them up if you want, then seal & stain the shade you want. Pine needs to be sealed before stain or it can be blotchy.

 

[Moss]

I'd call a sawmill and get some 1" rough cut boards of whatever wood style works price and aesthetically. For me it would probably be pine and I'd stain it before I put it up.

Somewhere like this can probably set you up with something nice for a reasonable cost
http://www.risawmill.com/about-the-sawmill/

 

[The Cobbler]

above poster beat me too it.
1" x 12 rough cut pine is readily accessible around here up to 16'

 

[Farres]

I'd stain or paint. I have similar beams in my home that I painted a dark, rich brown. They came out great. You either want those beams to blend in or stand out.

 

[hippie2cams]

Really all you need to do is cut a top and bottom even with the sistered beams and seal and finish to match other trim in the room and you're done. looks like you just used clear urethane on the doors and cabinets below.

 

[Jeff95TA]

This is what I did in the garage - 1/4" oak plywood with stain to match other trim.

 

[jives]

Wrapping in a nice wood is the most common. Not what I would do. I would paint, but set the nails, fill the grooves between the boards, sand, paint.

Staining is not a bad idea, but the nails, the grooves, and all the character of three 2 x 10s will shine through.

 

[Ben7203]

If you're going to wrap them, try staining one first. I would go with oak or pecan, something to add a little color. If it looks good, cool. Don't like the look, wrap them with barn wood

 

[Steevo]

Put some 1x10 top and bottom, hanging out both sides like an i-beam, then add some of these at the ends:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Superior...2-1-2-in-Faux-Iron-Strap-S-06-Strap/202804482

And then faux paint it all to look like steel beams.

There is a doctor's office in town that has done this in a waiting area, and it looks real.