Faux Wood Workshop

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.

One of the great features of faux wood beams is how easy they are to cut and shape. You don’t need specialized saws or blades. Heck, you could do the entire project with a paring knife if you had to.

You can cut the polyurethane beams with all the same tools you use to cut wood (plus one or two that you wouldn’t normally use for woodworking). Here are the most common options.

Important: As you know, saws cut things (including flesh and bone) and spew stuff everywhere (including your face and eyes). Use blade guards. Wear safety glasses. Stay alert.

Stationary Power Tools

A power miter saw (chop saw) is a great tool for making fast, perfect cuts. But that’s only if your saw is big enough for your beams. Even a big 12-inch sliding saw runs out of capacity when you’re working with larger beams.

A table saw lets you cut any beam to size, one side at a time. But you need skill and concentration to move a big beam smoothly through a small blade. You’ll need a steady-handed helper to support longer beams as you cut them. Use a miter gauge extension to help you hold the beam square as you cut it; a brief slip can make a nasty gouge in your smooth cut. If you do need to rip a beam to a smaller height, it’s the perfect tool for that chore.

A bandsaw can work well for trimming the end of a short beam, either square or at an angle. Trying to control a long beam would be a challenge.

Portable Power Tools

Bringing the saw to the beam is often easier than bringing the beam to the saw. The bigger the beam, the truer this is.

A circular saw works very well for straight, smooth beam cutting — especially a lightweight model that’s easy to handle. As with a table saw, you can cut any size beam by cutting each side individually. And for bulky beams it’s a better tool than a table saw, since the big beam can sit stationary while you handle the small saw. Use a Speed Square or similar tool to guide the saw for perfectly straight cuts.

A jigsaw is an exceptionally versatile tool for all kinds of beam cutting. You can use it to cut any size beam to length, using a wide blade and a Speed Square to help keep the cuts straight. Beyond that, you can use it for cuts that none of the other saws we’ve mentioned can do. Cut an irregular line to fit against a surface like brick or stone. Cut a hole to fit over an electrical box. Cut a notch to fit around an obstacle. If I had to choose just one do-it-all tool, I’d pick a jigsaw.

Hand Tools

But you don’t need lots of power to cut faux beams, and hand tools can do an excellent job without a lot of sweat.

A fine-tooth handsaw can cut a beam to size in short order. You can attack the cut in two ways. One is to start with the beam open-side-down on your work table, and cut straight through starting at a corner. This takes some skill in starting straight and following the lines around all three sides of the beam. The other approach is to start with the beam open-side-up. Cut through one leg of the U, then through the other leg from the other side, and finally through the third side, using the first cuts to guide the saw the rest of the way.

A hacksaw can also work well. It makes a smooth cut, and you might find its narrow blade easier to control than a handsaw. You work around its limited cut depth by proceeding from one side to the next around the beam. Use a fairly coarse blade (14-18 teeth per inch) for best cutting.

Sawing faux beams is really a piece of cake, any way you slice it.

Ready to get started on your project? Be sure your beams and planks are ready too. You don’t want to get “short-changed” on the final result.

There’s nothing like the sight of a pile of newly delivered beams to get you going on the project you’ve been planning. But not so fast. Before you start measuring and sawing, be sure to let all your materials get used to their new home.

Polyurethane beams and planks get longer and shorter as the temperature changes. If they’ve just come off a truck, or have been sitting in your garage or basement for a while, they’re not ready to install yet.

Before you get started, lay all your materials in the room where they’ll be installed. Then slowly back away. Don’t come back until they’ve had enough time to acclimatize to their new environment.

How much time is enough? If you can lay out all the beams and planks in a single layer, wait 24 hours. If you have to stack them in a pile, wait an extra day to be sure they all come to room temperature. Remember that polyurethane is a good insulator, so piling them up really slows down the acclimatizing process.

When it’s time to measure and cut, remember that the faux beams and planks will continue to expand and contract with temperature after they’re installed. So will the room, of course. But to make sure no cracks open up, fit them tightly as you install them, cutting them about 1/8 inch long and compressing them into place. (Use our plastic bag tip to help fit beams tightly into place.)

Also to help prevent the issue of expansion and contraction use the glue on top of the beam as prescribed in the basic installation instructions. This way the ceiling and the beam are more apt to expand and contract together.