Wrapping Structural Ridge Beams: Thoughts on materials and approaches

With all of the “open concept” remodels being undertaken today on older homes, adding large structural beams has become increasingly popular. People love the unobstructed sight-lines they make possible, but the beams themselves aren’t the most attractive.

To address their aesthetics, a few common approaches are undertaken:

• Drywall Wrapping

  • The beam is wrapped on 3-sides in sheetrock. The bottom corners are capped in corner bead, and the ceiling joints are taped and floated.

  • Pros: This is your most cost-effective solution

  • Cons: It’s a messy process, creating tons of dust and requiring finished spaces to be meticulously protected to prevent dust and overspray from priming and painting. All the finishing has to happen in place, meaning all of that mess is happening inside your home.

• Urethane Foam Faux Beams

  • If you can find and off-the-shelf solution to fit around your beam, this is a great option.

  • Pros: Less costly than solid hardwood. Less labor to install; they’re light enough to be installed by 2 people off of ladders only (no scaffolding required). They’re also pre-finished, so no mess and minimal down time.

  • Cons: ore expensive than some finishes due to freight (over length for common carrier delivery). The lengths are limited and seams can’t be easily sanded and touched up because they’re textured and finished in a factory with proprietary techniques. Also due to how they’re produced, long lengths will appear repetitive due to the molding process used, so for a 24’ span, you would see same pattern repeat 3 times and have 2 obvious seams to disguise.

• Composite Wood Panels

  • By using MDF composite panels, your carpenter can create a seamless, perfect beam of any length.

  • Pros: Relatively inexpensive materials. Won’t crack or warp with changes in temperature and humidity.

  • Cons: Labor-intensive to install. A sheet of MDF 3/4” thick weighs about 80 pounds. This requires scaffolding and 2+ workers to install safely.

• Composite Veneered Wood Panels

  • The same MDF panels mentioned above can be wrapped in a thin layer of wood veneer for aesthetic purposes.

  • Pros: More elegant appearance. More cost effective than solid wood (generally speaking), and more stable that solid wood

  • Cons: There will be seams which have to be addressed somehow. This could be done by adding an accent moulding. Sequence matched and/or reconstituted veneers in non-standard lengths (10’, 12’ +) make seams less noticeable, but they double or triple the price of the veneer. Often with the cost of veneering and fabrication, you might as well use solid material.

• Solid Wood Panels

  • The most popular choice in beam wraps is solid wood. They have a lot of advantages in this application

  • Pros: Can be distressed for a more visually interesting look. The seams can be staggered to make them much less noticeable and with sanding and toning, they can practically disappear. While the material costs may be higher, they can save on labor. Solid material can be lock-mitered also so that seams practically disappear, or they can be assembled on the ceiling to make installation simpler in some instances.

  • Cons: Cost. This is the most expensive wooden option. Since this is a natural material, it may warp, crack, or check over time, but this can be minimized with proper finishing, storage, and joinery methods.

I hope this is helpful. There are many good options out there for your beam wrapping needs and this isn’t even an exhaustive list, but these are the options we most commonly see in the Denver, Colorado area and are what our clients generally opt for.