Cedar Porch Ceiling

[buckeyefarmer]

A step is common here. Probably because most houses have basements, and rim joist and porch sit on top of basement wall.

 

[jyoutz]

This is my rough cut spruce tongue and groove boards on my porch ceiling. I applied an exterior water sealer with stain on both sides before installing. Spruce is nice to work with for ceilings because it’s light and also it tends to not twist or warp.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

what type of light fixtures do you use in your porch ceilings? I'm looking for something in LED, non can lights.

 

[Duds13]

I got this to replace the main light in front of the entrance:

Amazon.com

I also added two of these equally spaced apart:

Amazon.com

I put Edison bulbs in them. The two smaller lights are on a separate dimmer switch.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I bought a pack of Halo 4” LED lights that require no ceiling box. They came yesterday, will put them up in existing ceiling to try them.
I did find a somewhat local lumber yard with 6” pine v groove for about $22 a 16’ piece. I need 450 sf.

 

[MH8675309]

Before Covid, I tore down my small back porch and started building a bigger back porch that's 16x24. My ceiling is 8 foot long T&G Western Red Cedar that cost $14 each at Lowes. I bought enough to get started, but not enough to do half of the ceiling.

After the Lockdown, it disappeared for a year. I got lucky and found some that had been returned to McCoys that was 10 feet long with damaged ends for $14 each. That got me just over halfway.

When it showed back up on the shelves at Lowes, it was $34!!!

I slowly bought a couple at a time, until I had enough. It was stupid expensive, but I had already committed to it and there isn't anything out there that I liked better.

Before installing each board, I set it on a saw horse and soaked it with Sherwin Williams Super Deck Exterior Oil Based Transparent stain. To me, it makes a very attractive wood into something of extreme beauty. I couldn't imagine not using it, the difference is night and day better!!!

I install each board with a stapler, and when I get to where a light is going to go, I install the board, drill the wood to fit the light, and install the light. Then I move on. I did the same with my two ceiling fans. When I was almost done, I realized that I wanted a couple more lights in my soffit, so I had to play that game of getting 14/2 romex to go about 12 feet to where it needed to be, in a small space.

Be sure to have a solid plan on lighting, and to have everything in place before you install your wood. I went with 3 inch LED can lights, which we really like.

First Year

View attachment 878440

Second Year

View attachment 878442

Forth Year

View attachment 878443

Looks very nice

 

[Duds13]

My finished porch

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Very nice

 

[Duds13]

Very nice

Thank you!

 

[EddieWalker]

You're porch looks amazing. Very inviting!!! I bet your wife is very proud of it.

 

[mjonesnh]

Your porch looks so "homey", very inviting. Love the American Flag on the end wall.

 

[Duds13]

Your porch looks so "homey", very inviting. Love the American Flag on the end wall.

Thank you very much! We love sitting there in the rocking chairs

 

[Duds13]

You're porch looks amazing. Very inviting!!! I bet your wife is very proud of it.

Thank you very much! She is quite happy with it! She's a great decorator too

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Why the decision to run boards short direction instead of long ways?

 

[TractorGunn]

I am having my porch remodeled and will be putting up tongue and groove cedar on the ceiling. Wondering if I should leave the cedar untreated or if I should at least seal it. It's protected from the elements so I'm wondering if it needs anything at all. Thinking about putting a clear Ready Seal on it though. Any recommendations?

Your ceiling looks great, very nice job!

My finished porch

View attachment 881699

View attachment 881701

We have a carr siding (tongue and groove pine) ceiling, installed in 2018 on the house I built. Stained all the pieces before installation, and all the miters were stained on the cut ends prior to installation as well. It still looks new.

Great job, sir, looks incredible!

 

[Duds13]

Your ceiling looks great, very nice job!

We have a carr siding (tongue and groove pine) ceiling, installed in 2018 on the house I built. Stained all the pieces before installation, and all the miters were stained on the cut ends prior to installation as well. It still looks new.

Great job, sir, looks incredible!

Thank you very much for the kind words!

 

[Duds13]

Why the decision to run boards short direction instead of long ways?

no butt end joints. I went back n forth a bit on that decision but really didn't want all those joints.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

no butt end joints. I went back n forth a bit on that decision but really didn't want all those joints.

I figured so. Mine is 6' 8" from house to header, so will be a good bit of waste to go that direction. I'll still land the ends on joists going long ways, so will have some waste.

 

[TractorGunn]

I figured so. Mine is 6' 8" from house to header, so will be a good bit of waste to go that direction. I'll still land the ends on joists going long ways, so will have some waste.

You could picture frame it in and then have less than 6' in between. You'd have to put in some blocking though most likely.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

You could picture frame it in and then have less than 6' in between. You'd have to put in some blocking though most likely.

That thought has entered my mind, but I think I won't mind the joints.
Course maybe dado out a groove on the picture frame to overlap the ends, that's a thought... I would have to run nailers the other direction to do it also. But I could rip the picture frame edges down to minimize waste, and use 12 footers...