Shop Update: Making Custom, Unique, Rustic Ceiling Box Beams from Seen-Better-Days Barn Boards

How our team gets the job done.

One of our latest projects was a remodeling job for another builder who came to us requesting new ceiling beams. Of course, we use the term “new” lightly since they wanted us to create ceiling box beams with a rustic old reclaimed lumber look to go into a remodeled great room. The only thing really new about these beams are the space they are going into!

The reclaimed wood we used for this job came from an old barn in Northeastern Iowa. The woods are a combination of Douglas fir, white wood, and various other soft woods.

The reclaimed barnwood from Northeastern Iowa. It's in its raw state, ready for finishing.

We always follow a special process in order to clean up the wood and restore it so it’s ready to be used in our projects. 

Our unique process

The first steps is to remove any of the old paint, if requested. Some of our customers prefer to leave the paint intact to keep the original look of the wood.

You can see the original paint on this barnwood. Some clients prefer we leave this on, others prefer we strip it off and bring it to its natural state before we hand distress and finish it.

Next, we apply our specially developed finish. Here, we highlight the woods original distressing, add additional hand distressing, and put in wormholes and rough sawn marks on each piece. We do this to achieve the authentic, aged timber beam look our customers love.

Then we take the newly distressed pieces and add a layer of clear coat.

Applying clear coat to wood after it has been hand distressed by our team.

Since we guarantee the highest quality product, we always make sure to double check each piece for any marks or general wear and tear.

The finished product ready to be installed.

Then the finished product is sent out to be delivered to the customer, ready to be installed into its new home.

The new restored wood pieces loaded and ready to be delivered.

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