Coffered ceilings are an effective way so as to add character, sample, and depth to your ceiling. When you’ve got excessive ceilings, in addition they could make your room look cozier—however the value to have them custom-built can be steep. Fortunately, the fundamental sq. sample of a coffered ceiling isn’t too laborious to make your self, and it solely requires some primary carpentry expertise. You may get the high-end really feel of a coffered ceiling for a fraction of the value if you happen to construct them your self.
How you can DIY a coffered ceiling
That is an intermediate stage venture, so that you’ll want a miter noticed and a brad nailer to do the work your self. Different instruments you’ll want embody a sq., a stage, a stud finder, tape measure, and a pencil. Supplies that you just’ll want are 1” x 3” and 1” x 4” boards, some 1” x 6” MDF boards, and a few baseboard molding, in addition to 2” brad nails and 1-½” brad nails. To complete and paint your ceiling, you’ll additionally want paintable caulk and a few 180-grit sandpaper.
Begin by marking your grid
Start by marking out the ceiling joists together with your stud finder and pencil, after which draw out the strains to your grid utilizing a stage or different straight edge. For a coffered ceiling look, the grid ought to be primarily based on the gap between each different stud. So in case your ground joists are 16 inches aside, your grid shall be 32” x 32;” in the event that they’re 24 inches aside, your grid shall be 48” by 48”.
Construct your brackets
As soon as your grid is marked out, you’ll have to construct a bracket for every intersection of the grid in an “X” form.
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- For the “X” brackets, use the miter saw to cut one 18” piece of 1” x 4” for each bracket, two 18” pieces of 1” x 3” for each bracket, four pieces of 8” 1” x 3”, and two 8″ pieces of 1” x 4” for each bracket.
- To build your bracket, use the 1” x 4” pieces as your top and your 1” x 3” pieces as your sides. Center a 3-½” space between the two 8” pieces of 1” x 3” on the 18” piece of 1” x 4” and attach them to form a trough on each side of the space.
- Use the two pieces of 1” x 4” x 8” to make a trough with the two 1” x 3” x 18” pieces with the same 3-½” gap in the center.
- Then with the 1” x 4” pieces on top, slide the two pieces together to form an “X” shaped bracket.
- Next, build one 8” bracket for each space between “X” brackets or between and “X” bracket and the 1” x 4” part on top for the spaces between your “X” brackets or between the “X” brackets and the wall. These are just straight pieces of trough to support your molding pieces.
Attach the brackets
Center your “X” brackets on each grid intersection and attach them using your longer 2” brad nails into the ceiling joists. Then, center your 8” brackets in the spaces between “X” brackets and nail those into the studs as well. Use your level to make sure that everything is lined up well before moving on to the next step.
Attach your facings
Center your 1” x 6” MDF molding pieces on the brackets and nail them in place horizontally using the 1-½” nails. You’ll need to custom cut these to fit your particular room, so measure the total width and length of the ceiling first and then cut your pieces to fit your space.
Once the boards are attached going in one direction, measure the space between the MDF boards and cut one piece of MDF molding for each space going in the opposite direction. If you have a seam between pieces of MDF, you can push some caulk into the seams with the tip of your finger before moving on. This will allow for a little extra dry-time.
Attach your sides and finish
Next, measure the distance from corner to corner of the inside edge of the squares on your grid. Use this measurement as a guide to cut your baseboard pieces with 45-degree angles at each end like a picture frame. The longest side of your board, from the tip of one 45 degree angle to the other should be the same as the interior measurement of your ceiling grid.
While “measuring twice and cutting once” is usually the best way to go, measuring twice and then cutting your boards just a hair long can help with this part. Getting the angles to line up perfectly can be tricky, so cutting them just a little long and then trimming to fit is helpful.
Once they are all cut and fit snugly together in a square, you can nail them to the sides of your brackets using the 1-½” brad nails. And if the angle isn’t perfect, use some caulk to hide your flaws. Once that’s done, fill any visible nail holes with caulk, let it dry, and sand it down to get it ready for paint.
A visual always helps for projects like these, so before you dive in, watch these helpful Half 1 and Half 2 movies from Spencer Lewis at Insider Carpentry.
