As part of our master bedroom/bathroom remodel, we decided to install a plywood ceiling. We wanted to replace the knockdown texture on the existing ceiling, and since the attic above was full of blown in insulation, I really didn’t want to take the existing drywall down. So, we used 1/4″ plywood, copious amounts of adhesive, and finish nails to create a large wood plank ceiling over the existing drywall.
We used maple veneer plywood that matched the 1/2″ maple ply we used on the walls in the bathroom.
Materials:
- 1/4″ Maple veneer plywood x 6 sheets
- Liquid Nails adhesive x 10-12 tubes
- Finish nails
- Wood putty
Tools:
Step 1: Layout
The first thing was finding all of the roof joists, driving two screws into each on the edges of the room, then snapping chalk lines across the ceiling to create a square grid. This helped to visualize the layout pattern and size the panels such that the edges of every panel would fall on a joist. To help prevent the drywall from sagging, I drove extra screws every 12-16 inches.
I planned to leave a 1/16″ – 1/8″ gap between the panels, which turned out was just large enough to see through to the white ceiling. I had some leftover dark brown paint from another project, so I pained over the grid where all of the gaps between panels would be.
Step 2: Cutting Plywood Ceiling Panels
We settled on a panel size of 24″ x 48″. This was a visually pleasing dimension, and allowed each panel to cross 4 joists for nailing.
I started by ripping all panels to width on the table saw.
Then carefully stacked all the panels and cut all to length with a circular saw, using painters tape to minimize splintering.
I used a jigsaw to cut out holes for the fan and light fixtures.
After all the panels were cut, I applied a teak oil finish. This brings out the color of the maple nicely, and matches the finish in the bathroom.
Step 3: Installing Plywood Ceiling Panels
We started in the center of the room and worked outward so the off size panels would end up on the edges of the room. Using a laser level to get square, we applied adhesive to the backs of the panels and started nailing them up.
There were a lot of spots where joists had sagged enough to create low spots (or high spots depending on how you look) in the drywall where the back face of the panel didn’t contact, and nails wouldn’t do any good. We used long 2x4s wedged against the floor to stick the panels up in these spots.
And that’s pretty much that. I finished up with crown molding, which I’m planning a whole post about.
It was a relatively simple, inexpensive way to turn a sad old knockdown ceiling into something much more interesting and unique.
