Neal’s friend tore down an old barn and gave Neal the opportunity to purchase this old pine wood. He jumped at the opportunity. We cleaned the wood, ripped each piece, painted the porch ceiling black, and started installing the wood one plank at a time. Hence, we will show you how to install a barn wood ceiling for a stunning result!

Note: We have two blog posts that describe the steps for installing barn wood on a ceiling. Both projects required some of the same steps but there are some differences due to the size of the porch ceilings. This blog post describes installing barn wood on a larger porch ceiling whereas the other blog post describes installing barn wood on a much smaller porch ceiling. We suggest you read both posts if you are considering a similar project.

Below is a picture of the porch ceiling before we added the old barn wood.

Here is an after picture of the barn wood ceiling

This is after we added the rock on the face of the house, built the fireplace, wrapped the columns, and tiled the floor. To see our total porch renovation from start to finish, click HERE.

Prep Work

First, Neal has to raise our ductwork. There was constant condensation collecting on the porch ceiling from the vent for our living room above the porch.

We raised the ductwork, added insulation, and then replaced the plywood. We also had to remove the pieces that covered the joints of the plywood so that the barn wood would lay flat on the ceiling.

Painted the Ceiling Black

We started installing wood planks; however, because the wood was imperfect, we decided to paint the ceiling black so the gaps between the wood planks would not be obvious.

Hence, we took down the few pieces we had already installed, rolled the ceiling with black paint, and started reinstalling the first few pieces…again. Sometimes, you learn as you go on DIY projects!

Installed the Boards

A few things we did when installing the boards…

Layed Out and Sorted All the Wood

As soon as we began installing the boards, we realized it would be easier to lay out all the boards, and measure the lengths and widths of each (I labeled each board with a sticky note). This enabled us to compare the width and length of each board.

As you can see below, Daisy helped us.

Sorted by Color

Each board was a different color – – gray, light brown, and dark brown. Hence, laying out the boards also helped us to see the colors and thus make sure the pattern had variation.

We favored the gray pieces but did not have enough for the entire ceiling, so we had to mix them among the brown pieces. Notice the variation of color in some of the final pictures in this post.

Ripped Each Row of Boards for Consistent Widths

We used a table saw to cut each board the same width in each row. Each row varied in width – – some were 10.25″ to 12″ in width. We just had to be sure that each board within a row was the same width.

Squared the Ends of Each Board

The boards were different widths and lengths and we wanted to vary the color throughout the ceiling. We were trying to maximize the length of each board while cutting each board so that the end would be on a joist for us to screw the end of the board.

Used Screws to Install Each Board

We used screws instead of nails so the boards would be more secure. Nails tend to work loose over time as the wood expands and contracts at different temperatures.

Screwed Each Board in the Joists

Neal made sure he screwed each board every 16″ in the joist so that the boards would hold securely in place. This also required us to stop and cut each board one at a time so that each end would be securely screwed in a joist.

Notice that the ends actually tuck above the apron (the white board across the top on each end of the porch). It really gives the ceiling a finished look. Later, we will talk about installing crown moulding

You can see that some of the pieces are a little short, but we knew we would add crown molding to cover this.

We continued to add pieces. We did not have scaffolding; each of us stood on a ladder. I held one end while Neal screwed in the far end and worked his way toward me.

Cutting Holes for Canned Lights

We stopped along the way to cut holes for the canned lights (before we completely covered them). Neal used a jigsaw to cut the circles for the canned lights. We had the breaker off to be safe.

Loving the Texture!

I love the texture of each board. Below is a close-up of some of the planks. Below is a close-up look of the finished ceiling.  We were so pleased with how this turned out. The variation of color, texture, and sizes of the boards made it beautiful!

Below is a picture of the finished barn wood ceiling before the tile floor.

So you can really appreciate the transformation, this is a picture of the porch before we added the rock on the face of the house, before we built the fireplace, and before we wrapped the columns. Click here to see our outdoor fireplace project and click here to see how we built our porch columns.

Install Crown Moulding

Notice that we added crown molding around the fireplace and across the far left (lakeside). We did not add crown molding on the rock side (far right of the picture) because the rock is not a flat surface. Here is a closeup of the crown molding.

The Final Porch Renovation

We enjoy sitting on the porch watching the sunset with family and friends. On warm afternoons, Suzanne uses the porch as her office or to read a good book. We even enjoy the porch in the winter because of the fireplace. However, our favorite use of the porch is hanging out with family and friends catching up and telling stories.

To see Porch Renovation: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Stunning Transformation, click HERE.

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