How to Install a Coffered Ceiling

Installing a coffered ceiling in your home can add drama to any room. A ceiling is coffered when it is not flat, like usual, but deeper in the middle with beams around the edges. They coffered style is a little more formal and decorative. With some research, tools, and time you can create a coffered ceiling for your home.

Draw up your plans

For this step you will need: graph paper, pencil, tape measure

What shape do you want your recessed coffer ceiling to be? Measure the existing ceiling and note anything that breaks the plane of the ceiling (like hanging lights). On a piece of graph paper, draw the walls and ceiling with the appropriate measurements included. Coffers look best when they are symmetrical, so keep that in mind as you draw your plans.

After you have drawn the existing ceiling and dimensions on your graph paper, begin to add lighter dashed lines to show where the coffer will be. Draw the general idea of how you want the coffer to look on the ceiling, and see if the design makes sense with the way the room is shaped.

Measure twice, cut once

For this step you will need: tape measure, pencil, graph paper

Now that you know what you want your coffer to look like, measure the ceiling again more carefully. Leave space in your measurements for the width of the beams that will be along the edges. To figure out the lengths of the coffer, start with the original ceiling width and subtract the width of your coffer material. That will tell you how wide the ceiling will be after the coffers are installed. Now divide that number by the number of panels you plan to have. That gives you an idea how long the coffers will be.

Scale Drawing

For this step you will need: graph paper, pencil, tape measure

This time you will draw your plan with exact measurements. Use one square of the graph paper to equal one foot of your ceiling, and draw the ceiling outline, then add the coffer lines as they will be laid out on the ceiling.

Make your marks

For this step you will need: tape measure, pencil, ladder, stud finder

It’s finally time to start doing something on the ceiling itself. Get the ladder and mark the dimensions of your beams on the ceiling with your pencil. Find the wall studs with your stud finder so that you will know where to put your nails.

Cut and mount studs

For this step you will need: protective eye gear, table saw, 2″x4″ studs

Put on your eye protection goggles and begin to cut your wood to the appropriate size for your project. Refer to your scale drawings for the correct measurements. Cut the studs to the correct length. Using the nail gun, nail the stud to the ceiling. Sometimes it helps to have someone else on another ladder to help you steady the studs as you nail them in.

Cut and glue beams

For this step you will need: protective eye gear, table saw, 1″ x 4″ lumber, carpenter’s glue, nails, finish nailer

Cut each beam into three pieces. Remember that one side of your beam will be seen by the room. Put some glue along the top of one of your cut boards and line another board up beside it. Nail the boards together with the finish nailer. Put some glue along the top edge of the top board and nail a third board to it. You should end up with something that looks like a box with one side missing.

Attach your boxes to the ceiling

For this step you will need: ladder, nails, nail gun

Put your finished boxes against the edge of the ceiling and nail them in place using the studs you marked earlier. Repeat this process all the way around the room.

Finishing

For this step you will need: table saw, measuring tape, 1″x1″ boards, miter saw, corner trims, caulk

Now you will need to install small stud sections to fill the gaps between the wall and the beams or between the beams. Measure the sizes you will need and cut the sections accordingly. Put 1″x1″ boards between the beams on each wall. Measure your corners and cut the corner trim with the miter saw. Nail the corners up. Use your caulk to fill any nail holes or gaps that are obvious.

As with any woodworking project, measurement and planning are the key to making your coffered ceiling project successful. Keep it as symmetrical as possible, and measure often. Your preparation will directly affect the beauty of the coffered ceiling.