Tags: Faux Wood Beams, Faux Wood Beams for Ceiling, Faux Wood Ceiling Beams, Faux Wood Planks, Premium-Quality Faux Wood Beams
Thanks to the character and architectural interest they add, exposed beams are becoming a prolific design trend.
Open beams add an additional visual element and can bring texture, character, and contrast to both indoor and outdoor areas. What’s more, opening up a ceiling unlocks extra space and makes rooms loftier and roomier.
Because of this, many homeowners are investing in adding decorative beams to their ceilings.
Unfortunately, installing decorative beams made out of solid wood can come with some issues. If you have ever had a client request a decorative beam installation, you probably already know about the problems that can come with putting up such heavy members against a ceiling.
However, we have some great news. If you choose to use faux wood beams, both you and your client can avoid the potential headaches and inflated costs associated with installing exposed beams.
Faux wood has a number of substantial advantages in this area, which every home builder should know about. If you want to get savvy on the use of faux wood for open beams, keep reading.
Faux Wood Beams Are Easy to Install
One of the primary benefits of using faux wood for open beams is its ease of installation.
Real timber beams are very heavy. This makes installing them for an open beam look quite tricky. Depending on their size, you might need to get extra equipment to hoist the beams into place.
What’s more, some ceilings won’t be strong enough to support very heavy beams. In this instance, you may need to then strip down interior walls to add extra in-built support for the beams.
All of this can make open beam installations more costly for your clients, and more difficult for you.
In contrast, faux wood beams do not come with these problems. The reason for this is they are a fraction of the weight of real wood beams. This makes installation, simple, safe, and hassle-free. Because of this, you will be able to offer your clients a reduced installation cost.
When it comes to how to install faux wood beams, the first thing you’ll need to do is mark where the beams are to go. To do this, you should use a stud finder.
The reduced weight of faux wood beams means that they can be installed on almost any ceiling, however, you should still have your attachment points located directly onto existing studs.
For most installations, all you will typically need to do is cut and attach some wooden mounting blocks to the ceiling. Then attach your beams to these. Thanks to the reduced weight, two people can easily lift and secure the beams.
Take Advantage of Cost Savings
Another benefit of faux wood for an open beam ceiling is its cheaper than real timber. While real timber commands a premium price, faux wood products are much more cost-effective.
If you are constructing new houses, this means you can incorporate the high-end look of exposed beam ceilings for a fraction of the cost. If you are installing them for a client in an existing home, you can offer them a highly attractive quote because your material cost will be less.
Saving on material expenses (while not compromising on quality) is one of the top ways contractors can cut costs and increase profits. This makes faux wood beams a valuable material to take advantage of.
Faux Wood Beams Look Like the Real Deal
One of the concerns around faux wood for open beams is, of course, how it’s going to look. A lot of faux wood products are blatantly imitation and can look cheap.
Not so for faux exposed beams. Although faux wood beams are a lot cheaper than real wood, this doesn’t mean that they don’t look like the real deal.
Firstly, they are designed to be almost indistinguishable from real wood beams. What’s more, because faux wood open beams are installed above one’s head on the ceiling, spotting any telltale signs of imitation is unlikely.
They’re Pre-Finished and Come in a Variety of Colors
One of the decided benefits of using faux wood for an exposed beam ceiling is they are prefinished. This reduces installation labor and also ensures a more even finish between beams.
Besides this, faux wood beams can also be customized to specific color and grain choices. While authentic wood can be stained to suit different design palettes, the results are not as reliable. With custom faux wood beams, you can specify an exact color and know you will get it.
To ensure that the open beams tie in perfectly with the rest of the color scheme, be sure to take some time over choosing a suitable color and texture for the beams.
You Can Use Faux Wood Beams to Hide Wiring and Ceiling Defects
Another area to consider installing faux wood beams is they can easily be used as conduits to run cabling along the ceiling. Because they are hollow, you can easily thread lighting cabling through them.
Besides this, they can also be used to hide marks or imperfections on the ceiling or conceal existing steel framing.
Faux Wood Beams Are Durable
If you are wanting to get the open beam look with faux wood, another to know is that faux beams are highly durable. While real wood is also longlasting, it does have some potential drawbacks in the longevity department.
For one, wooden beams can be vulnerable to termites and other insects. Besides this, they are also susceptible to moisture.
Faux beams on the other hand do not have any of these issues. Because they are man-made, they aren’t a food source for burrowing insects. They also aren’t susceptible in any way to water damage.
Open Beam Installations Have Never Been Easier
Exposed beams can add unique character, class, and interest to interior spaces. However modern building methods don’t generally require the use of heavy structural roof beams.
Instead, builders are now turning to cost-effective solutions to get the same look, at a fraction of the price and effort.
If you choose the right faux wood supplier, you can execute an open beam look that’s almost indistinguishable from the real thing. However, you must source a quality product.
Fortunately, you won’t have far to look. Here at Diamond Resin Products, we specialize in highly realistic faux wood products. Our range of faux wood beams allows builders to carry out a variety of open beam looks, all at an affordable price and with a minimum of installation hassles.
Take a look at our faux wood beams to see the range of colors and textures we offer.