Adding wood box beams to your interior design is a fantastic way of adding interest and detail to the fifth wall in your room design. Wood beams with unique character can add dimension by taking an otherwise boring ceiling to a new level.
Vaulted ceilings look especially grand when beams are utilized to enhance the appearance. With many types of wood beams to choose from, these interior design additions might be the finishing touch to your home décor. Explore the many benefits of adding high-quality wood box beams to your home or commercial space.
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Wood Box Beam Benefits
Solid wood beams have several challenges, even when using reclaimed beams. That’s why using high-quality, wood ceiling box beams or hollow beams made out of pieces of wood can often be the better fit for your home improvement project and space.
1. LIGHTWEIGHT
Solid wood may be beautiful, but it’s also extremely heavy, particularly when you consider a real wood beam that is many feet long. Securing a solid wood beam to your home when it isn’t being used as part of the structure can often mean needing to reinforce areas of the walls. This adds to the expense of the project and can become invasive with some walls needing to be opened or moved to accommodate the beam. The complexity of installing a real wood beam also means it isn’t a great project for DIYers, and we usually recommend a professional contractor do the work.
Hollow wood ceiling beams changes the game. Because they’re made of ⅝” -inch thick pieces of wood that lock together on the edge, they’re significantly lighter than a solid wood beam and still look like the real thing! This means that a hollow box wood beam can be added for considerably less cost and labor, while still giving you the look and interior design style you’re trying to achieve.
2. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY
Many people believe that beams have two functions: support or decoration. However, box wood beams have a third function as well. Much like a soffit may be used in the kitchen to conceal plumbing or wires, a box wood ceiling beam can be a great way to run wires, cables or even pipes through a space without opening up a wall or the ceiling.
Because these beams are completely hollow inside, it’s easy to use them to conceal cables or pipes that would otherwise need to be hidden beneath the drywall. This can mean lowering the costs of your renovation or remodel because you can leave existing walls and ceilings alone, add the decorative look of wood ceiling beams and run new wires or plumbing through the space all at the same time. They can also be installed vertically along walls to add more framing to a room or even be utilized as a rustic fireplace mantel with matching corbels for added design.
Like all wood beams, box beams are also an excellent way to help hide ceiling flaws. If you have an older home that would benefit from the appearance of wood beams but you don’t want to completely remake the ceiling to support solid wood, box wood beams can have real benefits. Because they aren’t solid, they can be more easily adapted to issues in the ceiling, such as bowing or sagging, disguising these issues and revitalizing the area.
3. MORE CONSISTENT APPEARANCE
Wood is a natural material, which means that it’s going to have some degree of variation in size, color, grain and overall appearance from piece to piece and, sometimes, within one piece. Some of this variation is what gives wood its character and its beauty, but sometimes too much variation can be a problem to be avoided.
When it comes to ceiling beams, it’s ideal to have beams that are relatively the same shape and size to give the room a consistent appearance. Hollow wood box beams milled from a specific species of wood provides a more consistent option for contemporary ceiling designs.
When wood is used to create hollow wood beams, there’s no wasted material. The pieces of wood are matched together to give you consistent results that still have the rustic, beautiful appearance of wood. And just like real wood beams, we offer a variety of looks to match the a consistent appearance. Stains can be chosen that meet your interior design specifications, whether you’re looking for a dark espresso that stands out or a white washed beam to keep your aesthetic light. There are a range of colors to choose from.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Box wood beams are only made with sustainable wood species at Elmwood. For example, a beam running along the ceiling may only need three sides, while a beam running along the ceiling and one wall will only need two sides.
This uses significantly less wood, while still giving you the beauty and character you want. When you choose wood for your box beams, you gain even more environmental benefits.
While reclaimed wood has already lived a former life with weathered purpose, sustainable woods are also an eco-friendly option avoiding the use of synthetic materials used to create “faux beams”. In addition, sustainable wood box beams contain no plastics and do not give off VOCs the way that some beams made from vinyl and plastic.
Consider Box Beams for your Ceiling Design
Adding box beams to your ceiling can have a lot of positive benefits on the looks and function of your space. With sustainable wood options, you can also get the benefits with less of an impact on the environment and added character from the wood itself.
With finishing touches and warm wood tones, box beams are designed to become a focal point and stunning accent in any room you install them. Consider using box beams for your next DIY project! Not sure where to get started or have some details you’d like to discuss? Contact our team at Elmwood Reclaimed Timber and we’ll help provide the guidance you need to make a final decision. You can even order beam samples to try it before you make a complete order.
