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Porch Progress: Adding the Beadboard Ceiling

April 14, 2013 By Rhoda 75 Comments

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I’m back from the beach, but before I left, finally, the weather is cooperating and we got more than one day of sunshine to continue working on the porch.  Dad and I got out there on a recent Saturday and made some huge progress on the screened porch, so I can actually see the end of this one and we should be sipping a cold drink out there by June. It might take me that long to get it all painted.  We’ll see.

In the meantime, here’s how we did the ceiling.  I had always envisioned beadboard out there from the very beginning, so that’s what I bought.  It comes in 4 x 8’ sheets and we needed 6 to complete the ceiling.  All of this came from Lowes, my fave home improvement store.  Two of them were ripped down to fit in properly.

adding insulation

First things first, we added some insulation up in the rafters to help block some of the summer heat, so hopefully this will make the porch cooler.

wiring insulation

It was a little tricky getting this in place, but Dad came up with a solution, using wire and nails.  He tapped nails in the sides of the 2 x 4’s and then we cut wire and strung it from one side to the other, holding the insulation in place. It’s so lightweight that putting the beadboard on top will not be a problem and it will all squish into place.

insulation wires

We both worked on this and I helped nail the nails up and added the wires and row by row we got it all done.

ceiling insulation complete

Insulation in place and ready for the beadboard.  Happy day!

drywall jack

We had to wait a few days for another sunny day, but it finally came and I rented this wonderful piece of equipment to help us out. There is NO way we could have completed this job without this drywall jack.  I got a 9’ drywall jack from a local tool rental company for $26 a day and that was money well spent. We were able to finish in a day.

drywall jack putting together

That top piece goes in place and that’s where the sheets of beadboard will sit and then the machine cranks up so that you can place the plywood or drywall all the way to the ceiling.  Talk about a lifesaver!  I used my nailgun and then nailed everything in place into the 2 x 4’s.

my daddy

Dad working.

beadboard

We set up the sawhorses and he had to make a few cuts to get around some of the 2 x 4’s that were up there. It wasn’t too bad, but there were a few cuts to make.  I did go ahead and prime the beadboard too (with Zinsser oil-based primer)  before we put it up, that will at least help some in the painting process.

making cuts

He had to notch out a couple of spots to fit in there just right.

using the jack

Then we put the first piece of beadboard up on the jack and got it into place.  Once in the right spot. I began nailing with the nailgun until it was all secured.

first board in

First piece done!

beadboard progress

We worked til lunch and got 3 pieces up, then took a lunch break.

last pieces in place

Then we got back to it, finishing the job in one day, about 6 hours total.  What a big job it was and I’m happy this one is behind us too. The rest of the trim out won’t be so bad.

beadboard in place

That jack was the best thing ever!

ripping the beadboard

We got all of it up and then had to rip down 2 pieces to go against the house, using my dad’s table saw.

beadboard complete

All finished and ready for trimming out.  There will be one trim piece down the middle of the beadboard sheets and everything else will get caulked and painted out. I’m definitely going to do a light blue ceiling out here and the rest of the trim will be white.  Can’t wait to get to that part too!

dad resting

Dad and I were very happy to get this one finished on such a beautiful Spring day.  We’ll get the rest of the trim work finished and then I’ll be painting it all out as quickly as I can, getting it ready for the furniture. I already have all the furniture and accessories I need for this space and it will be so much fun to finally get it all in place again.

My dreams of having a screened porch are finally coming true.  It doesn’t take that much to make this girl happy and I’m so glad the Lord blessed me with a porch!

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Filed Under: House Renovation, Projects and How-To 75 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Craig says

    April 19, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    Kudos to your dad! He’s great just like my dad.

    I reread the Kitchen remodel and realized the reason your cost was so low was there was a couple train car loads of labor you and someone else put it in on the subway tile, floor, paint, etc.

    Great reminder on renting the drywall jack, a tool to make it possible to do work by oneself.

    Reply
  2. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    April 20, 2013 at 8:58 am

    Wow, what amazing progress!! You are so going to enjoy that space this summer, Rhoda — it’s BIG! Glad to see Dad back at it — I’ve missed him! 😉
    xo Heidi
    PS — what about a paint party for your porch?

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      April 20, 2013 at 10:22 pm

      Heidi, I would love that, great idea!! I definitely have a lot of painting to do out there.

  3. Sheila says

    April 28, 2013 at 6:52 am

    There’s everyone’s favorite guy! Your dad really is a wonderful man, Rhoda. I can’t get over all that he has helped you accomplish. The ceiling looks great!

    Loved all the pics…

    XO,

    Sheila

    Reply
  4. Dena says

    May 6, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Finding just the right Haint blue for the ceiling consumed me for weeks!

    I finally found a place that had taken samples and fell in love with the light one from Savannah. It was the one that reminded me of the porch on my grandmothers house in Alabama.

    http://thelandofcolor.com/store/products/category/haint-blue-formulas/

    I can’t wait to see it all done and decorated. We spend a lot of time on our porches as well. It’s a great way to unwind at the end of the day.

    Reply
  5. Debbie Finton says

    June 29, 2019 at 8:08 am

    What I want to know, did this seem to help the porch be cooler…

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 29, 2019 at 11:34 am

      Hi, Debbie, it didn’t really make the porch cooler but adding the insulation maybe helped with sun beating on the roof. It was a nice porch!

  6. Sandra Smith says

    June 6, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    How were the seams finished? I have had a really hard time getting 1”x6”x12′ beadboards, and am considering using 4×8 panels instead. Only the seams have me flummoxed. lol

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 7, 2022 at 7:57 am

      We used 4×8 panels too and covered the seams with small trim pieces.

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Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

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