skip to main content

Remodeling Flooring Design Dilemma

Engineered wood on beam wraps possible?

Jessica Kenyon Studio, LLC

5 years ago

Hello! I'd appreciate some advice. I'd like to wrap ceiling beams and the treads on a floating staircase in the same engineered hardwood I cover my floors with. Is this possible or do I need to use real wood to form clean 90 degree angles? Here is a pic that is similar to the look I'm trying to achieve. I'd like to go with something that looks like white oak. Thank you in advance :) - Jessica

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

PRO
Johnson Flooring Co Inc
5 years ago
You might be successful on the beams but getting the entire length of each to have perfect miters and joints is questionable. They could be pre-fabricated then installed. The floating treads might turn out a little better but I doubt the front mitered edge would be durable.
PRO
Jessica Kenyon Studio, LLC
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you so much!
Related Discussions
Cedar wrapped beam - contractor struggles
Q
Comments (20)
It usually looks bad anyway--even when done right. Your examples don't look very convincing, either, to be honest. I don't think they look any better than what you got. The photos at the top above work more because they look like ceiling beams, or rafters, or whatevers. What you have is a big ol header. I'd case it out to match the nice built-ins you have that it is actually touching instead of bringing in a random element.
...See More
Beams question (Parallam, Glulam? Wrapped or raw?)
Q
Comments (8)
"($248 for a 27-foot beam)." Yeah, you may want to double check that. Even in a standard Glulam that is way to cheap. I would venture a guess thatthey are $40-50 a LF today, although that is just a guess as I am not in the wood supply business nor have I been in a few years.
...See More
Parallam beams--wrap them, or seal them with polyurethane?
Q
Comments (24)
@ci_lantro, I wanted to do Glulam but the engineer spec'd Parallams for this particular stretch. @seabornman, we are seeing it pop up in eateries in our area and yes, nearly all of it is heavily glossed (too much for me). @Patricia Colwell, by "nice beam" did you mean the Doug fir center beam or the Parallam over the glass slider? We are definitely leaving Doug fir beam exposed. I wanted a totally exposed ceiling initially, but our code required the ceiling to be insulated. @joseph_corlett, I like the way you think. @Mark Bischak, a childhood friend who is an architect said just what you said! Agreed.
...See More
Help with wooden trusses / beams , please!
Q
Comments (3)
Those pictures make me wonder what kind of building, where, and how can such small purlins be possible. If I was doing it I'd start by jacking up the damaged parts, remove all of the electrical and wood bits that were added for the electrical, and sister new purlins to the sides of the broken pieces. If you can't jack up from the floor you're going to need to rig something up to get it all back to where it should be. I would add a purlin on both sides and generously screw through the damaged piece all the way through into the other side. I'd use headlok screws, staggered maybe 12" o.c. The new purlins don't have to extend the entire span, maybe a foot short. I'm not an engineer, and I take no responsibility; like I said it's how I would do it.
...See More
kudzu9
5 years ago
I think it would look weird to wrap beams in flooring materials because: 1) you are unlikely to have strips as long as the beams, and 2) the strip widths are likely to be narrower than the beam dimensions. As a result of these two factors, it would make the beams look like butcher block. Go with real, dimensional hardwood.
PRO
Jessica Kenyon Studio, LLC
Original Author
5 years ago
Excellent points! Thank you!
PRO
Uptown Floors
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I actually did a job like that way back around the year 1998. Must have been a slow period for me to do that work. It was an engineered Australian Cypress and had only four 'runs' No mitered corners. Looked okay to me...rustic side for sure. Why not match the stain color as the floor? Likely to come out different (could be close) than the ceiling depending on the species and texture/roughness.

About those floating treads. Too costly to replace and put the real thing in? They can be pricey depending on the thickness.

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES When to Use Engineered Wood Floors

See why an engineered wood floor could be your best choice (and no one will know but you)

KITCHEN DESIGN New This Week: 4 Kitchens That Wow With Wood Beam Ceilings

By Mitchell Parker

See how designers use structural and decorative wood beams to bring warmth and charm to a kitchen

WHITE KITCHENS 4 Dreamy White-and-Wood Kitchens to Learn From

By Mitchell Parker

White too bright in your kitchen? Introduce wood beams, countertops, furniture and more

REMODELING GUIDES Know Your House: Post and Beam Construction Basics

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Learn about this simple, direct and elegant type of wood home construction that allows for generous personal expression

WOOD Knotty and Nice: Highly Textured Wood Has a Modern Revival

By Mary Jo Bowling

Whether it's cedar, fir or pine, if a wood has a knot, it's hot

KITCHEN DESIGN New This Week: 3 Beautifully Warm, Wood-Filled Kitchens

By Mitchell Parker

See how wood cabinets and other elements make these rooms inviting

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: White, Wood and Wide Open

By James Weske / JW Design, LLC

A Pennsylvania couple and their designer take down walls to create an open, light-filled great room

KITCHEN DESIGN What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen

By Becky Harris

One-of-a-kind lumber warms a room and adds age and interest

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Wild for Wood in Central Texas

By Mitchell Parker

Mesquite, cherry and white oak harmonize beautifully in an Austin family's warm and modern home

GREAT HOME PROJECTS What to Know About Adding a Reclaimed-Wood Wall

By Rebecca Pogson

Here’s advice on where to put it, how to find and select wood, what it might cost and how to get it done

Sponsored

J.S. Brown & Co.

77 Reviews

Columbus Leading Full Service Design Build Firm

More Discussions

Need to select countertop today.

38

Master bathroom shower remodel in progress

18

tub insert tile

5

Choose my floors

7

Need some help on counter tops for kitchen

2