# beadboard - a ceiling question



## maxwell_smart007 (May 9, 2016)

I am putting up beadboard in the bedroom - it's a small room - 8' wide by 15' long...

I have a plywood ceiling, so no issues installing it either way - which way should I run the beadboard to give the illusion of size?  Lengthwise or widthwise?


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## Curly (May 9, 2016)

Whichever way your wife thinks it should go. 

I would run lengthwise unless the walls weren't parallel. Easier to hide a taper with lots of pieces than with fewer.


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## RKB (May 9, 2016)

IMHO....if it was me I would run it the long way, whitewash it and put up dark colored wood beams.  Have fun.

Rod


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## maxwell_smart007 (May 9, 2016)

The walls are definitely not parallel - a very, very old house!  

I was set on lengthwise myself, until I looked at how out of parallel the wall is...

I am planning on using crown molding, too...


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## Joey-Nieves (May 9, 2016)

It's like a shirt, length wise makes you look taller, sideways will make you look fat, ask any woman.


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## jttheclockman (May 9, 2016)

I my opinion you always  run it the way the door into the room faces. Gives the appearance of length even if it is the narrow end. Then when you run it down the wall it looks contuous and that is what the eye first sees. Even if there is molding to break up the transition.  Have to say I have never seen beadboard or plywood on a ceiling. I have seen and done coffered ceilings. Good luck.


How are you dealing with the seams??? That could be the answer though. If the room is 8' you can get that in a full sheet so no butt joints. The first sheet is key. Make it square.


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## Lucky2 (May 9, 2016)

You should run it lengthwise, it will make the room look much larger.  No matter how square the room is, but, you should be able to work around that. It's just a matter of how you start out. 
Len


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## Charlie_W (May 9, 2016)

One thing you didn't mention was what flooring is there now or will be. If there is a hardwood floor there, you should probably run the same direction.

As for the 8' width, put the full 4' wide sheet down the center, rip the other sheet and put 2' on each side. A little more work but you won't have a center seam....important if the door is centered. 
All this if using 4x8 sheets of bead board.   If using true individual bead board, forget what I just said!

Post a pic when done!


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## mrburls (May 9, 2016)

I just did my bathroom with custom made bead board for the ceiling. First thing I looked at was how it looked when I walked in the main door. I went length wise which was most eye appealing to me and my wife. Coming in off the master bedroom door (the second door into the bathroom) the distance to the first wall is shorter, so it did not matter to us as much. And I'm putting a 6" custom made crown moulding in also. The floor is a herringbone (basket weave) pattern on an angle, so that did not make a difference. The bathroom is 12' by 20' so the ceiling looks good going the length. 
Keith "mrburls"


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## its_virgil (May 9, 2016)

When you walk into the room and look up you should be looking at the length of the "boards" and not across them. Make sense? This direction may be the longer or shorter. But the illusion of the room being larger will happen if the beads run parallel to your travel as you walk into the room. That is my opinion and my wife's, who has a degree in interior design.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## jttheclockman (May 9, 2016)

its_virgil said:


> When you walk into the room and look up you should be looking at the length of the "boards" and not across them. Make sense? This direction may be the longer or shorter. But the illusion of the room being larger will happen if the beads run parallel to your travel as you walk into the room. That is my opinion and my wife's, who has a degree in interior design.
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don




Glad you and your wife agree with me:biggrin:  But as I said when you butt boards together it can look ugly especially if the seam is not quite level. So it may pay in this case to go the other way to hide an end butt joint. You can get away with it more on a side joint. Two ways to look at it. Unless he is getting custom beading boards. 

To me i would get fancy. On both the walls and the ceiling I would do a pattern. I would do a board and batton and it would break up all those lines. To boring for me.   Where is the sense of adventure???


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## Joey-Nieves (May 10, 2016)

I found this picture on google, I covered a wall for my mom once, we cut it diagonally, looked great, although it fought me all the way. we also covered a door and made a diamond.

One should try to be different, and a little weird.


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## jttheclockman (May 10, 2016)

At one time there was a home fad and maybe still is where one wall has wood of some sort applied on an angle and even in patterns such as this.  











Here is a nice look something what I was trying to explain. I think it needs to have those broken lines to take away from the straight lines. Seems to be more popular than I realized. Not up on my home fashions


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