Installing Faux Wood Beams

This post is sponsored by Cutwater Industries. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands we truly love!

For reference, this is the breezeway we started with.

While we loved the overall aesthetic, it was missing one last design element - natural texture. We had previously painted the space and added new tile and I envisioned adding hand-hewn beams to complete the look. 

We found Outwater Industries last fall when we exposed our Bedford stone fireplace and began searching for a faux wood mantel. We were so impressed with their customer service team (they offered to send samples free of charge to confirm we selected the perfect color and style for our space). Once the samples arrived, we were equally amazed with how durable yet lightweight their products were. 

When it came time to finish our breezeway, we knew we wanted to work with Outwater Industries. We went with their old world faux wood beam.

With their rugged, hand hewn texture, these beams add a country charm to any interior! 

 Installation Process:

Before ordering, we recommend analyzing your space and looking for any obstacles that may affect your beam spacing and placement (vents, fans, etc.) Our 10x26 square foot room is narrow with two ceiling fans so we went with three beams to keep them evenly spaced.

Once the beams arrived, exact placement was already decided which made installation a breeze. We made a rough chalkline as to where the beams were to go to ensure a level and straight fit.

The lightweight beams are made in a U shape which allows the installer to attach directly over a 1x6. We cut the wood into four pieces and evenly spaced across the ceiling to attach the beams. 

To attach the 1x6's to the sheetrock, we used toggle bolts.

This method worked fine as the polyurethane beams are so lightweight. After our pieces were attached to the ceiling, we measured and cut the beams using a hand saw.

We then attached the beams to the marked 1x6 pieces with a nail gun. As any DIYer would tell you, measure twice and cut once!! This step is very important to ensure a tight fit. We cut a bit longer than our measurements so the beam would fit perfectly and tight. You can always sand the edges down too. 

We always recommend measuring for each beam as sometimes walls are not square (as is the case with our older home). 

The beams completed our breezeway and we LOVE the natural texture that they add! When my dad saw them for the first time, he assumed they were real wood and didn't know how we got them up there. They look SO REAL - but they are lightweight! Outwater Industries definitely helped my wood beam dreams come true with this project! 

I hope this post gives you some insight about how easy it is to install these beautiful beams which are so popular right now! I'm already thinking of other areas in our home we can add more!