Faux Wood Workshop

Artificial wood beams make it affordable and practical to add authentic-looking wooden beams to your home – but they go further than that. With products like our Tuscany Arched Beams and Woodland Beams, you can add an architectural flair to your interior that would be difficult – and prohibitively expensive – to achieve with real wood.

One of the toughest jobs in carpentry has always been bending wood. Hundreds of years ago, the immense wooden beams used to construct sailing ships, cathedrals and houses often had to be bent into shape and that took many hours of laborious, often dangerous, work to accomplish.

Today, machines and technology have helpsimed make the process quicker and more efficient; but still use the same principles shipbuilders have been practicing for over a thousand years.

The problem, of course, is that wooden beams tend to be straight – at least as straight as the trees they were cut from. Theoretically, you can cut curved shapes out of that wood, but given the width of most marketed trees, that limits the amount of curve you could achieve by cutting alone.

More commonly, carpenters use the same methods they’ve been using for centuries – saturating a wooden beam in water or steam and painstakingly bending it by machine press millimeter by tortuous millimeter.

As a result, curved wooden beams combine not just the impracticalities of real timber beams – weight and mounting issues – but add a prohibitive extra layer of cost to account for the hundreds of man-hours it took to bend the beam into shape.

That means arched timber beams tend only to be seen in the most upscale of properties; carefully designed interior and exterior spaces in which no expense was spared, and nothing less than the best was acceptable.

For the home improvement enthusiast, however, artificial wood beams offer an affordable way to bring that same layer of sophistication into their own home transformation project, but at a fraction of the cost.

Products like the Tuscany Arched Beam were molded directly from a real, painstakingly curved timber beam – but then recreated using lightweight, tough polyurethane. This combines the beautiful appearance of real wood with a lightweight casting that can easily be added to a ceiling with little more than screws.

What really sets artificial wood beams apart in this instance, however, are the range of things you can do with one that you’d never be able to achieve with a solid timber beam – like creating ornate wood truss designs that wouldn’t look out of place inside a church or castle.

As another example, the Tuscany Arched Beam could easily be modified and fitted with recessed lighting – casting beautifully arched spotlights on the floor below. Unlike a real beam, the wiring can be hidden seamlessly inside the hollow U-shape of the artificial wooden beam – and cutting the holes for the recessed bulbs takes nothing more than a hole cutter attachment and a power drill.

Given that many of our customers claim that our artificial wooden beams are impossible to tell from the real thing once installed, the additional range of possibilities our faux wood beams offer seem to make them a logical – and practical, cost-effective and stylish – alternative to real curved wood beams.

1. They’re affordable: Real timber beams, especially aged or distressed ones, can be monumentally expensive. Fake wood ceiling beams give you the same look at a fraction of the price.


Faux Wood Beams Can Transform a Room

2. They’re stylish: From ceiling logs to aged Yosemite timber, there are fake wood beams to suit any style of construction project. One of the best features of our polyurethane wood beams is that you can buy them unfinished, and stain or paint them all to match perfectly – which can be tricky when using real wooden beams.
   

   Molded from Real Timber

3. They’re authentic: Our fake wood beams are molded from real timber, complete with real tooling marks, which means they look absolutely authentic. Once installed and stained (if you didn’t buy the pre-finished) most customers agree that the only way to know they’re not the ‘real’ thing is to reach up and touch them.
4. They’re easy-to-install: A solid timber beam needs bracing to install safely. Our fake ceiling beams, or reclaimed wood beams, can generally be installed with just construction glue and screws.
5. They’re lightweight: A solid timber beam can weigh hundreds of pounds, and requires a number of people and some specialist equipment to install safely. In contrast, faux wood beams are light enough that two people can safely install them.
6. They’re versatile: Creating a cathedral roof? Trying to get the look of exposed wooden beams where none exist? Creating an arbor? Adding a mantel? Faux wood beams are only really limited by your imagination. Check out our photo gallery and testimonials to see some of the amazing design projects people have completed using faux wood beams.
7. They’re weatherproof: Our fake wood beams are 100% polyurethane, which means they’re waterproof and can resist the elements in a way real timber just can’t. If you’re installing our beams, or accessories like corbels or planks, on the exterior of your home, an application of high quality clear coat exterior polyurethane with a UV inhibitor will keep the color from fading for years to come.
   

   Hollow, Lightweight, Versatile

8. They’re insect-proof: Just ask anybody who works with real timber beams and you’ll hear horror stories about termites, woodworm or hornet’s nests buried in wooden beams. By contrast, our fake beams are made from tough polyurethane and the hollow design protects against insect infestation.
9. They’re hollow: You can do things with fake wood beams that would be impossible with solid wooden beams – like use them to run hidden ducting or electrical wires, or for installing recessed lighting.
10. They’re ‘green’: If you care about the environment, our faux wood beams are a perfect alternative to cutting down trees. We also make our faux wood beams from polyurethane, not Styrofoam, so our manufacturing process is a lot better for the environment. We don’t use CFCs or formaldehyde during production, and all our stains and finishes are 100% water-based.

Have you ever noticed that those great home makeovers you see on TV never seem quite so simple to do yourself? It doesn’t matter how many walls you paint, sofas you reupholster or cushions you throw about – your efforts never quite live up to what you see on screen.

That’s because those top TV interior designers keep a few tricks up their sleeves to work their onscreen magic – and here’s one of the best: Look up.

Look up, because your ceiling holds the key to one of their most effective design secrets. In fact, just a few changes to that commonly overlooked (or is that under looked) part of your room have the power to transform your living space.

The irony is that most people’s ceilings never get much more than a fresh coat of paint during a home remodel – and by ignoring their roof, most homeowners ignore the opportunity to transform their room.

Ceiling Beam Choices: Real, Reclaimed or Simulated Wood?

One great way to add a new dimension to your room is with the use of exposed ceiling beams. A classic architectural feature, wooden beams give your room a lofty, rustic feel and can make your room feel longer and broader.

For those living in older homes, exposing existing wooden beams is a fairly simple affair. You’ll need to pull down the plasterboard or beams covering them up and invest in new plasterboard.

And even those living in more modern homes can benefit from the design details wooden beams bring. Obviously, you won’t be able to expose existing architectural beams if your ceiling doesn’t have them – but you can always add your own.

Depending on the style and décor of your house, adding wooden beams to your ceiling could be nothing short of an interior design inspiration. Give your design plan some serious thought before hand; and if you think they make a match, you have two options:

The first are real wooden beams: For the purist, adding real wooden beams to your ceiling might seem like the way to go. The benefit, of course, is that authentic exposed beam look. The downsides, however, include not just the cost, but also the problems of installing beams safely in your ceiling. Full wood beams are very heavy, and will need to be anchored safely. This is the sort of thing most people should leave to a professional carpenter.

Your second, more practical option could be the use of simulated wooden beams. These are hollow wooden beams created specifically for mimicking the look of exposed beams, without the installation headaches.

There are many options to plump for when it comes to simulated wooden beams. For lightness and cost, you could choose polyurethane molds of real exposed timbers, which perfectly match the look of authentic wooden beams. Alternatively, go one step further with hollow beams made from actual reclaimed wood – which takes the exposed beam aesthetic one step further.

Simulated Wood Advantages

There are more advantages – not just regarding cost. The use of simulated wood beams also offers you a much broader choice of color and style and the ability to match many beams perfectly – which isn’t such an easy task when using full size, timber beams. These advantages mean you can cost-effectively match all your beams to the style and décor of your redesigned room.

Of course, simulated wooden beams aren’t for every home. They work best in larger rooms with higher ceilings – offering a new visual dimension that makes your living space look larger and broader. For smaller rooms, they can often make things cozier and more closed in (although, design gurus, perhaps that’s the look you’re going for?)

Regardless, if you’re considering using simulated wooden beams in your latest design project, check out our photo gallery, which features many styles of their simulated wood beams being used in kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and even further afield. They’re a great source of inspiration – and even better, the pictures are accompanied by design tips and tricks you won’t find on those home improvement shows.

One of our customers sent us some photos recently that really impressed us. One especially impressive bit was the way he fitted the ends of a couple of big beams against the very irregular rock surface of his fireplace. I mean, take a look at the one on the right.

We’ve talked about scribing here before, and the basic technique is pretty straightforward. In the photo, we’re using a compass to draw a scribe line on one beam where it butts against another beam. You hold the compass flat and straight, and slide it up so the point follows the beam’s contour while the pencil draws a line. You do this around all sides of the beam and then cut along the lines. Finally you test-fit and use a saw or file to fine-tune the fit.

The catch is that you’ve got to place the beam you’re scribing in exactly the right position relative to the thing it’s butting against. That’s easy when you can lay out a couple of beams on the floor before installing them, as we’ve done here. But when you’re scribing against a rock wall ten feet off the floor, it’s a bit more of a challenge.

The key to success is that you’ve already attached all the mounting blocks for the beam to the ceiling. (You have, right?) So with a helper or two, you can fit the beam over the mounting blocks and hold it in place — or even temporarily screw it in place — while you do the scribing.

So here are the steps:

1. Cut the beam a little longer than its final length. Allow enough length for the beam to extend into the deepest cranny of the wall it’s butting against, plus another inch or two for tweaking and final fitting.

2. With a helper, slip the beam over its mounting blocks. Have the helper hold it in place, or temporarily drive a few screws to hold it, so you’ll have both hands free to do the scribing. Because the beam is oversize at this point, the far end might be bumping against another beam or surface. Do the best you can to hold it so the end you’re scribing is properly aligned.

If you do use temporary screws, position each screw near the far end of the mounting block, away from the wall you’re fitting against. Then, when the beam is in its final position an inch or two closer to the wall, you’ll be able to re-use the same screw hole through the beam and still hit the mounting block.

3. Scribe lines using a compass around all sides of the beam. Make sure to hold the compass straight as shown in the photo, so the point properly follows the irregular surface as you draw the line. Also make sure your scribe line won’t leave the beam too short!

4. Take the beam down and cut along the lines with a jigsaw or coping saw. Angle your cut inward by 20 or 30 degrees so the cut edge is well-defined and a little “sharpened.” This will allow the edge to deform a bit for a tighter fit as you press the beam into place.

5. Test the fit, and use a saw or coarse file to make adjustments as needed. Resign yourself to several trips up and down the ladder to get it right, and don’t rush it. Keep in mind that you can fill small gaps with matching caulk.

6. When the fit is nice and tight, cut the other end of the beam to its final length.

7. To ensure that no raw polyurethane will ever show at the ends of the beam, stain the cut ends to match the beam’s finish.

8. Mount the beam in place with screws and adhesive, and carefully fill any gaps at the scribed end with matching caulk.

9. The usual: La-Z-Boy, cold drink, self-congratulation, good night’s sleep.

Click here for more tips, videos and instructions on installing faux wood ceiling beams.

The world is suddenly curved. I kid you not, this is big news.

Until now, every faux beam we’ve ever sold (or anyone else has ever sold) has been straight.

Straight: Adjective. Extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend.

Which meant you couldn’t do certain things with faux beams, like make rounded arches and trusses. Our customers kept nagging us for curved or arched beams, so they could be more creative and make classic architectural structures like hammer-beam trusses.

The big news

So the big news is: Arched faux beams have finally arrived!

Arch: Noun. A curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening.

Our new Arched Woodland beams are a dream come true for the sophisticated designer and remodeler. And we’re proud to be the only supplier of arched beams on the planet.

What you can do with them

Imagine the possibilities:

• First and foremost, you can finally make arched trusses entirely from faux beams. Until now the only option has been real wood, which is expensive and typically needs lots of added structural support. For most remodeling projects, the whole idea has been either impossible or not worth the time and cost. With curved faux beams, it’s a new ballgame.
• In addition to complex trusses, you can also create simple arches that span an opening or even from wall to wall. Our arched beams are available with two different curves, so you can choose the right curve for the opening.
• We offer some really nice curved knee braces, but what if you need something on a larger scale? A curved beam can give you just the size and heft you need for a bigger project.
• We also offer several styles of outlookers with various kinds of integrated knee braces. But for a larger structure, you can create more massive outlookers by combining straight decorative header beams with the new curved beams as braces.

The specs

You can get the new Arched Woodland beams in two different curves, several cross-section sizes, and a variety of finishes.

Beams with a 36-inch radius are 6-1/2 feet long with a cross section of 6 by 6 inches or 8 by 8 inches. Beams with a 157-inch radius are 12-1/2 feet long with a cross section of 6 by 6 inches, 8 by 8 inches or 8 by 10 inches.

The beams come unfinished or with a factory finish of walnut, cedar or oak. And you can get them with a Class A fire rating.

Click here for all the details.

Let’s start with a definition, for those who may be new to home remodeling and architecture lingo.

Corbel: \ˈkȯr-bəl\ A bracket of stone, wood, brick, or other building material, projecting from the face of a wall and generally used to support a cornice or arch.

These right-angled supports, most often seen along roof lines, have been used since the late centuries BCE, when China first introduced the great granddaddy of today’s corbels (called a dougong) to hold extra weight and maintain buildings’ structural integrity. And, since way back in the day, corbels have added a little extra pizzazz to said buildings’ exterior.  In Classical architecture this meant ornate marble molding, and during the French Gothic period gargoyles became all the rage.

Today, however, with feats of modern technology and engineering — basically improved man made building materials and tools—the necessity of corbels has fallen by the wayside. The extra exterior supports just aren’t needed to hold your roof up anymore.

But (lucky for us at FauxWoodBeams.com) that doesn’t mean you can’t take a cue from the days of old and use corbels to add some personality to your home.

Here are some ideas to use corbels in your redecorating:

Exterior Design

As mentioned before, the most common way to make the most out of your corbels is to use them to support (or at least pretend to support) your roof’s ledge. Choose the design and style that goes best with your home’s vibe—whether this means rough sawn wood to enhance a rustic look, or carved Cyprus for a more Victorian touch—and go to town.

You can also place your corbels below windowsills, around your garage, or fit them into other unique architectural nooks your home may have. Check out these photos for more ideas.

Interior Details

Continue your corbel design inside. One way to do this is to use the corbels to enhance your ceiling beams, be they faux or real. Simply attach the corbels to the wall at the vertex of wall and ceiling. This way your ceiling beams don’t end abruptly, but rather come to a smooth and seamless finish. Here is an example of corbels used in this way.

Maybe you don’t have visible ceiling beams. Instead, corbels can be added around a mantle or the interior of a window. Use them to hold up shelves, window curtain rods, or cabinets. Basically, scour your home for nooks and crannies that look like they need a little extra support, or just some spicing up.

Of course, we have a zillion—okay, that’s an exaggeration, we have seven—styles of corbels to choose from. Make sure you click through to check them all out, and then write back with your thoughts.

Here’s the now much anticipated (I’m sure) link to our corbels.

Custom Woodland Cedar Beams

Custom Woodland Cedar Fireplace Mantel

Check out the color called Cedar!

We are excited to offer this new color to our Woodland Beams, Corbels and Mantels . For years, we have been providing unfinished beams so you can stain then yourselves, as well as offering our beams finely finished in color "Walnut"

We have heard your requests for another option. The most common request was for a color that resembled Cedar beams.

The new color “Cedar” has been added to the Custom Woodland Beams, Custom Woodland Mantels, and Mojave Mantels.

Woodland accessories such as kneebraces and corbels, now also have the option of cedar color.

Also available in cedar is Mojave mantles and corbels.

 

Getting a Knotty Pine look on Faux Wood Beams

Thinking about getting the knots on your new Faux Wood Beams to stand out like real knotty pine wood? Follow these few easy steps to get your beams looking great! First you must pick the stain for your beam, in this example we used American Walnut by Minwax. You will need to apply the stain to the knot area of the beam using a small paint brush. When you have finished, you will need to remove any extra stain. you can blot it off using a rag. After the stain has fully dried, you will need to coat the beam with an overall stain.We used English Oak by Minwax. You can use a larger brush to stain the whole beam. Remember to remove any extra stain. Let the beam dry and your all set! Here are some beams that a customer had this process done to. Click to enlarge

When you butt one beam into the side of another one, you want the joint to be so tight that it’s invisible.

With smooth beams, you can just cut the butting beam square, and it should fit against the main beam without a problem. It’s a different story with rough, distressed beams.

Sure, you can cut the beam square, butt it to the main beam, and fill the gap with caulk. But you’re likely to have a lot of gap to fill, and the result can look messy and unprofessional.

To do it right, you should scribe the end of the butting beam to match the contours of the main beam. All you need is a simple circle-drawing compass and a jigsaw or coping saw.

1. Lay the beams together as shown in the photo, at the exact position where they’ll meet.

2. Spread the compass an inch or so. Hold it flat and slide it up along the beams as shown, so the point follows the surface of the main beam while the pencil draws a line on the butting beam. Do this all the way around the top and the other side.

3. Tilt the jigsaw shoe to an angle of 10-15 degrees, so that you’ll cut away more material toward the center of the beam and make a sharper outer edge. Carefully cut along the scribed line on all three sides of the beam. You can also use a coping saw.

4. Test fit the beam, and remove any high spots with a coarse file until you have a perfect fit.

5. Stain the cut end of the beam to prevent any possibility of raw polyurethane showing through a crack in the joint.

Now you’re ready to install the beams and have the satisfaction of seeing a perfectly invisible joint.

Corbels are beautiful architectural features that add class, flair and realism to your project. A corbel visually anchors the end of a beam so it looks solid and well supported.

But how do you know what size corbel to use? The answer depends on the kind of beam you’re using.

Suppose your beams have well-defined edges that are square and straight or just slightly rounded. These include our Raised Grain, Woodland and Sandblasted beams. In this case, choose corbels that are the same width as the beams or just slightly narrower.

The first photo shows a corbel slightly narrower than the beam it supports. An equal-width corbel would also look great with this beam.

On the other hand, suppose your beams have irregular edges that are distressed and significantly rounded. Our Timber beams are like this. In this case, choose corbels that are at least a couple of inches narrower than the beams. This lets the corbel rest against the flat part of the beam and avoid overlapping the rounded edges.

The second photo shows corbelsnarrow enough to rest against only the flat part of a heavily distresssed and rounded beam.