Updating old, plain or textured popcorn ceilings has never been more beautiful! This video will show you how to install a floating decorative wood ceiling to add warmth and charm to any ceiling in your house! Easily done in a day, the DIY way!
This project is sponsored by Armstrong Ceilings! It was easy to say yes to this partnership because it filled a need in our home and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me!
Let’s get right to it, shall we?!
Materials
- tongue and groove planks*
- tracks*
- clips*
- trim remover*
- coarse drywall screws*
- stud sensor*
- drill/driver
- 4′ or 6′ level*
- bench*
- friend with strong upper body (sold separately😉)
Install Tracks
Have you ever installed a floating floor? It snaps together but isn’t attached to the subfloor? That’s pretty much how this ceiling system works too! The planks are the pretty part, but the meat of the system is the tracks that are hidden beneath them.
The metal tracks are attached to your ceiling joists and run opposite the direction your planks will run. Locate your ceiling joists using a stud sensor and mark the length of your joists with a level or straight edge.
There are some parameters to follow in regards to how far apart and where to start your tracks. But the installation directions are EXCELLENT. I’ve installed or assembled things in the past with directions so terrible you wonder if anyone at the company actually used them.🤔 Not these!
All you need is #6 coarse drywall screws to attach the track to your ceiling, the length depends on what ceiling material you have (drywall, plaster, etc).
The hardest part is done!
Plank the Ceiling
Before you put the first plank on the track, you’ll want to use the nifty calculation included in the install directions to rip the plank. The width of your room will determine how wide your first plank should be. This will ensure your last board will be a similar width as the first instead of a tiny sliver.
The planks are made of MDF so they cut easily with your circular saw or table saw. The best part is that the cut edge doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty because it will be covered with your crown molding at the end!🙌🏻
To install the first plank, hold it up against the track with the groove side facing out. Slide a few clips on the track and then into the groove of the plank.
These will hold it up! Since it is wood, it will expand and contract a little with changing seasons, so you want to leave a gap between the first plank and your wall. To keep that ap as you install more planks and push agains the first plank, you want to secure it with a few screws. Again you can use drywall screws to drive into the ceiling. But making sure not to crush the track or cause the plank to tilt. Also be sure you’re putting the screws near the edge so they will be covered up later on!
For our dining room, we needed 2 full planks and a little over half of a 3 board to complete one length. I put 2 screws in each board for that first run.
The planks have tongue and groove on the short ends too! So after your first board is up, the second board will slip and lock right into the end of the first one. You’ll be able to see/hear when it clicks together so you know it’s done right!
The clips that are part of this system make the work light and easy. I found it easiest to put clips on the track, lock my plank into the adjacent plank and then slide the clips into place to lock it all together. You’ll want a clip on each track for every board.
You’ll go through the clips like you might your favorite candy, so I found it handy to wear my tool belt to keep them close! Refill often.😉 I might be talking about the candy there…
Before you know it, you’ll be 1/3 of the way across your room!
Cutting the Planks
The only cuts you’ll have to make after the first run is cutting them to length. Get that measurement figured out and you can cut multiples of the same length to help the install go faster inside! (No running back and forth to the saw every time you finish a row.)
I lucked out and had my light fixture box land on the edge of a plank. So I used my jigsaw to cut a ‘U’.
If you aren’t so lucky, you can still use a jigsaw! You’ll just want to drill a hole first to give your jigsaw blade a place to start. Or grab a 4″ hole saw for your drill.
Since I had to take the old light fixture down anyway…I decided to upgrade it while I was at it. Here is the one I ordered from Home Depot*.
Add Trim
When you get to your last row of planks, you’ll most likely have to rip them too. After you wedge them into the groove of the adjacent planks, secure them also with a few screws. Remember to drive the screws where they’ll be hidden in the next step.
If you have the space and time, I highly recommend painting your trim before installation! It’s so much easier to paint it on sawhorses or even laid out on the floor than it is in place against your new ceiling.
I also love battery-powered nail guns. So convenient and quick to setup. Just an idea if you don’t know what you want for your next birthday or Christmas!
Before you know it, your ceiling will be done and warming up the look and feel of your room!
Oh, in case you didn’t realize, click the play button way back at the top of this page to watch my full video on this fun and relatively easy transformation!
And if you haven’t watched it yet, here’s how I removed the wallpaper in this dining room too!
I am obsessed with this project and hope you love it too! Ask any questions in the comments!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
*This post contains affiliate links.*
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