Beam Me Up

4/26/2006

How many walls do you have in your bedroom or kitchen? If you quickly answered four then you re missing one very important area of the room -- the ceiling. These days designers refer to the ceiling as the fifth wall of a room.

To bring attention to the ceiling and make it connect with the overall style of the room, many homeowners add decorative crown moldings or ceiling medallions. But there s also another creative idea to enhance your ceiling: faux beams. Made of lightweight urethane, the beams come in both smooth white and woodgrain styles.

When people talk about revolutionary-type products, Fypon s beams really fit the category, says Don Zeman, host of the nationally syndicated home improvement radio show Homefront with Don Zeman. Beams on a ceiling add drama and character to any room. One of the hottest trends today is to add beams to cathedral ceilings in family rooms and throughout kitchens to add architectural flair and warmth to a setting.

Fypon beams are available in both smooth white and woodgrain versions. With continuous beams running up to 20 feet long, the woodgrain versions are available in cedar, white ash and red oak textures that can be stained to resemble real wood.

The versatility of these beams is incredible, says Zeman, whose News from the Homefront consumer tips runs nationwide on television. You can create a coffered ceiling treatment by installing them in a grid-like pattern that serves as a visual accent in a room. This is usually done in more formal rooms, like a dining room, living room or home office.

A more relaxed style would be to use the beams for horizontal placements staggered every few feet on the ceiling. This can help achieve a Craftsman, country or cottage style in the room.

Urethane beams can be stained, painted or faux finished. Each beam is made of durable urethane that resists rot, decay, humidity and insects, making it the ideal low-maintenance product for the home.

Real wood beams are expensive and heavy, oftentimes requiring extra structural support in a home, says Zeman. The urethane beams are lighter in weight and have a hollow interior, making them easier to install. Creative homeowners can match them up with moldings and decorative corbels to personalize their ceiling treatments.