Beamed ceilings bring a sense of homeliness and warmth to living spaces. Regardless of whether the beams are structural features of the room or perform an exclusively decorative function, the design of such a space is transformed. A ceiling with beams made in contrasting colors to the entire surface of the ceiling will attract attention and create a special optical effect of the interior. But even the elements of the floors, painted in the same tone with the ceiling, will not be ignored. Due to their structure and distinctive texture, ceiling beams made of wood or other materials become an outstanding element of any interior.
The presence of beams on the ceiling can be caused by various reasons:
- in private houses of urban or suburban type, beams are an integral part of the building structure, elements of the frame ceilings to support the attic or attic;
- the desire to give the interior a belonging to a certain style (for example, country, rural, eco, shabby chic or Provence are often accompanied by a similar ceiling finish);
- the ability to hide the flaws of the ceiling finish - the placement of beams at the joints of drywall sheets significantly reduces the cost of final surface finishing;
- in hollow ceiling beams, various engineering communications can be masked - from pipes to wiring lines, lighting elements can be built into the cavities of such beams:
- Various interior elements can be attached to beams made of wood, metal or stone - from pendant lamps to TVs.
So, we have decided that the beams on the ceiling can be decorative or perform quite obvious support functions. But what materials can they be made of? As usual, all materials for the execution of beams for the ceiling can be conditionally divided into natural and artificial:
- wood is one of the most common, but not cheap, materials for making beams. For suburban households and private houses located within the city, coniferous wood is most often used, but there are also options for deciduous types of beams made of wood (for country or eco style, this type of ceiling decoration is most relevant);
- metal - beams made of steel or aluminum are often used in loft, industrial and high-tech interiors (lighting elements are often attached to such structures, but only decorative use is rare);
- polyurethane - this artificial material is able to imitate almost any surface - from wood to stone. An essential feature of polyurethane beams is the low weight of the products. Of course, the cost of artificial finishing elements is lower than their natural counterparts. Such beams can be used in interiors of any stylistic affiliation, it all depends on the size of the premises and the quality of the imitation "under a tree" or other materials.
The choice of material, appearance and configuration of beams in relation to the ceiling will be influenced by the following factors:
- the size of the room and the shape of the ceiling (horizontal surface or vaulted ceiling, multi-level or low room height - all these factors must be taken into account when choosing ceiling elements);
- room design style - classic style or ultra-modern high-tech will require a different approach in choosing ceiling beams;
- repair budget - the cost of beams can differ significantly, depending on the material of manufacture, the size and complexity of the modification of structures.
