DIY Plank Ceiling

My office was one of the last rooms in the house with a stucco ceiling. After redrywalling almost every room in the house, we were so sick of it that I had to think of a way to redo the ceiling that didn't involve plaster. We opted for tongue and groove pine panelling since it was affordable and, since it was going to be painted black, we didn't have to worry about the knots showing through. This project was pretty easy but (like most things) time consuming and monotonous. In the end I am glad we did it because I think the result look great! 

Materials

- Brad nailer + compresser

- PL Premium

- Chop saw

- Measuring tape

- Paint

- Patience 

First we snapped two lines diagonally from corner to corner. This would give us a quick way to make sure our holes for recessed lighting were equally positioned relative to the room. Using the template from the lights we purchased, we marked out the proposed locations, using 25% of the room dimension from each wall. Before cutting the holes, however, we figured out where the floor joists and strapping were by cutting into the ceiling. This is important so that you know you have a free joist cavity to house a light. We then cut big holes in the ceiling to run the new electrical (remember kids, hire a qualified electrician). We didn't worry about patching these holes since they'd be covered by the wood panelling. Once the electrical was finished, we got to work putting up the wood planks. To attach these to the ceiling, we used PL premium adhesive and tacked them in place with brad nails. Whenever we encountered a spot for a light, we notched the plank to match the opening.

Once the ceiling was covered, we filled in the nail holes with wood filler and sanded them down once they were dry. 

We chose a matte black paint for the ceiling. I started by cutting in around the edges and brushing all the channel joints first. I then proceeded to paint it with a roller, just like a regular ceiling.

Once the ceiling was painted, I did a fresh coat of white on the walls because I did such an amazing job (/sarcasm) at cutting in.

Here it is finished! You can check out the full room's before and after post here.

Here is a little video of the process! If you like the track in the video check out Pretty Lights, one of our favourite musical artists!