Walls and Ceilings - Beadboard sheet ceiling- what nails?

I'm going to using beadboard sheets, the thinner of 2 sizes available locally, to cover the exposed rafters on my screen porch. The few web sites I find specify using finishing nails to hold up beadboard ceiling but they also concentrate more on the individual plank type beadboard than the 4 x 8 sheets. Are finishing nails going to hold well enough for the sheets?

I'm thinking to rent a air nailer to do the job so want to be sure I get the right one.

Thanks much!

hi
if your going to mount 4x8 sheet on the rafter that runs across to have good nailling.
if not it will wave and buckle
i would recommend furring first
then used an air stapler for better hold

good luck

The joists are spaced 2'. I thought that would be close enough to avoid sag, you think not? Would I be better off considering something else, maybe pine planks?

Looks like I will need furring. Was really hoping to avoid it but I want it to look good. Would a 15 ga finish nailer be sufficient to attach the strips to the joists and the panels to the strips afterwards?

I used 3/8" beaded plywood on my front porch ceiling. It also had 2' centers but I installed 2x blocks in between the rafters for more support. Strapping would have been easier but I didn't want to lower the ceiling any because of how it meets up with the support beams. I used both a 16 gauge nailer and galvanized 4 penny common nails. After several years my ceiling has no sags.

I used 3/8" beaded plywood on my front porch ceiling. It also had 2' centers but I installed 2x blocks in between the rafters for more support. Strapping would have been easier but I didn't want to lower the ceiling any because of how it meets up with the support beams. I used both a 16 gauge nailer and galvanized 4 penny common nails. After several years my ceiling has no sags.

I'd prefer not to lower mine either, I think there's code on how low it can be but not sure what that height is...

Did you just put a single piece of 2x on the inside of each rafter at the point where the ends of the sheets would be? Nail it in with the nailer?

A 15 gage nail gun is fine, just make sure to get nails long enough to bite into the joists, blocking etc.

Another tip, which also applies to drywall hanging... either start at an end and work toward the other end while nailing, or nail the middle and work your way out to each end. If you nail each end, and then work toward the center your sheet will be wavy.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the tip MudSlinger. I learned that one putting up the walls but a reminder is always good!

As for the nailer, I've been looking to get one but can only afford one, been torn between a framer and a finisher. This is probably the last "lots of nails" portion of my porch project but I plan lots of smaller projects down the road. Seems the 15 Ga finisher is about the best "general purpose" nailer.

Mark, just want to be sure I understand about the blocks... I'm picturing one block, maybe even 2 sandwiched together, nailed on the insides of each joist at the point where the end of the first sheet will fall. That will give me an extra 3 or 6 inches of support for what would have been an unsupported 2 feet in the middle of the sheet. Do I have that right?

Thanks again guys!

Tom

The blocking I was reffering to were pieces of 2xs about 21" long spanning the cavity between the rafters which provided more nailing area between rafters.

If you only plan to get one nail gun I would suggest getting a finish nailer. Although it isn't much good for framing or the majority of exterior work it is mighty handy for interior projects. There are a lot of delicate pieces of wood that hand nailing would either split or knock out square. Plus you rarely have to set a nail. Framing nailers still require the use of a hammer because they will not always draw 2 pieces of lumber tight.

Got it. Thanks for the tip.

OK, I have the blocks installed now, hoping to put up the ceiling next weekend. Its frustrating that I have such limited time to work on this, seems to drag on forever.

Looking at Georgia Pacific's website I find instructions for doing this at http://www.gp.com/build/DocumentViewer.aspx?repository=BP&elementid=4470

I plan to do the things they say such as installing perpendicular to joists but I see a problem where they specify spacing panels 1/8" apart. This is no problem at edges where I can cover the space with moulding but a space between the butt ends of the panels seems like its going to look terrible. Is there any other option or am I worrying too much about it?

I would love to use planks instead of this but cost is prohibitive.

ps- I managed to convince my wife that I really needed a framing nailer too for future projects..... :)

I wouldn't overly worry about leaving a gap between 4x8 sheets. Although I didn't force fit my panels they are tight enough so that the factory lip covers the joint. My porch ceiling still looks as good as it did when I first installed.

The only thing I would do different is I started from the wrong end and at night with the light on a trained eye can tell where the 4' seams are when you walk out the door :wall: Of course from the swing hanging on the other end it looks great.

BTW I too would have preffered using the planks, but us po'folks gotta do what we can :p

I wouldn't overly worry about leaving a gap between 4x8 sheets. Although I didn't force fit my panels they are tight enough so that the factory lip covers the joint. My porch ceiling still looks as good as it did when I first installed.

The only thing I would do different is I started from the wrong end and at night with the light on a trained eye can tell where the 4' seams are when you walk out the door :wall: Of course from the swing hanging on the other end it looks great.

BTW I too would have preffered using the planks, but us po'folks gotta do what we can :p

sounds good, thanks.

so which end is best to start from, closest to door or far corner? I was thinking to start from far corner but could go the other way if it would help.

My porch area is pretty big, 12 x 11 or so, so I'll have 2 full sheets and most of another in one direction, one and a half in the other. I'm more worried about the places where panels will meet end-to-end than the tongue and goove joints.

The 4' joints are less noticable if they cover up the next edge. I started at the door because the framing worked out better [22.5' long] I should have started at the other end.
If all the little overlap edges are going away from your view they are less noticable. With my trained eye they are more noticable at night with the light on than anyother time.
Starting from the far corner should be best - unless you spend more time looking at it from the far corner :)
Since my porch is long a narrow I didn't have to deal with any butt joints. If possible it might be best to hide them with some wood strips. Maybe center the panels and add strips in both directions creating the illusion that it is supposed to be that way.

I saw somewhere that it was best to stagger the butt joints; i.e. first row: full sheet-half sheet, second row: half sheet-full sheet. The source was regarding drywall ceiling but perhaps it applies here too?

Staggered joints are great for drywall where the crack is taped and finished to disappear, unfortunatly you don't have that luxury with plywood. Either you will have to live with the joints at the end of each piece or cover them up with trim. Thats why I suggested having the joints in the middle of the ceiling and covering them with trim.

Staggered joints are great for drywall where the crack is taped and finished to disappear, unfortunatly you don't have that luxury with plywood. Either you will have to live with the joints at the end of each piece or cover them up with trim. Thats why I suggested having the joints in the middle of the ceiling and covering them with trim.

Makes sense. Thanks again.

Just got my stuff put away. 2 out of 3 rows of the ceiling are up and solid. Looking pretty good but Mark you were right on about the moulding at the butt seam, definitely going to be needed! Will finish tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help, this was a big project in totally new territory for me.

Tom

Ceiling is up. Came out pretty well for a first time job.

Mark, what type of molding did you use? I'm going to need to put up wall to ceiling molding on 3 walls and a strip across the middle to cover the butt joints. Not sure how to make a good transition from the center molding to the middle of the wall molding at a 90 degree angle though. I thought of using square stock, kinda like wider door-stop material. That would match the outside of the porch where I'll be using similar to cover my screen stapling. Make sense?

There are many choices of trim to use. It might be best to decide on the wall/ceiling trim first and then figure out what would work best for the joints - even latice strips will work.

My porch is approx 7' x23' so I didn't have any butt joints. I used some trim I found at Lowes - kind of a cross between door stop and shoe mould. Crown mould also looks good on the perimeter. As long as the trim you use to cover the joints meets up with the wall/ceiling trim and looks good it doesn't matter what type of trim you use.

There are many choices of trim to use. It might be best to decide on the wall/ceiling trim first and then figure out what would work best for the joints - even latice strips will work.

My porch is approx 7' x23' so I didn't have any butt joints. I used some trim I found at Lowes - kind of a cross between door stop and shoe mould. Crown mould also looks good on the perimeter. As long as the trim you use to cover the joints meets up with the wall/ceiling trim and looks good it doesn't matter what type of trim you use.

There's no trim anywhere now so I figure to do it all at once. My biggest concern is the point where the joint trim meets the wall/ceiling trim. Anything with curved or rounded edges of any sort on the wall/ceiling is going to be difficult to mate smoothly with the joint cover; that's why I thought to use the square stock (which isn't really square). I guess I just need to take the wife to the store with me and see what the options are.

thanks again.

It seems that all trim designed for ceiling/wall joints needs to be nailed in to both. Problem is that one of my walls is concrete block. I know I could attach a furring strip but I'm trying to finish this with a minimum of hassle.

I'm thinking to use square/flat molding, basically nice lattice strips, all the way around and in the center (to cover butt joint), against the wall but attached to the ceiling only. Do you think this can look decent?

Should be fine. No matter what you use for trim, once it is all up and uniform it won't be that noticable because the bead board will be what catches your eye.

Should be fine. No matter what you use for trim, once it is all up and uniform it won't be that noticable because the bead board will be what catches your eye.

Thanks. I'm thinking it'll look sorta like an upside down floor as far as the trim goes. I might not even trim it at all if I didn't have the gaps to cover.