The use of wooden finishes for simple stylization of any room in the house is a very interesting and at the same time the right decision. Such materials contribute to the creation of increased comfort and coziness of residence, as well as provide a healthy atmosphere in the house. That is why the use of inexpensive imitation of timber in the interior is gaining more and more popularity. The material is made from various types of wood, can be processed independently or purchased in a form completely ready for installation. High performance characteristics of such a material allow its use not only inside but also outside buildings. With the help of beam imitation, you can easily implement modern styles and spend an unusual remake of an apartment. Wood material is perfect for complete cladding of walls and ceilings, and can also be used as a decorative element of decoration.
The use of imitation timber for interior decoration allows you to create the feeling of living in a real log house, regardless of whether the owners live in a private or apartment building. The boards made of natural wood will create a comfortable atmosphere, a unique microclimate in all rooms of the housing. Other advantages of this finish include:
original look of interiors;
the cheapness of this method of decoration (in comparison with other wood materials and, of course, with the real construction of a log house);
the simplicity of assembling the finish yourself;
ease of modern styling of housing;
creating true harmony through environmentally friendly finishes.
As such, there are no minuses in this type of interior decoration. Nevertheless, working with some types of imitations can be quite complicated and require special accuracy from the performer. And, of course, in comparison with the usual painting or wallpapering, it will require larger costs.
Material characteristic
Timber imitation refers to the affordable wood materials used for interior and exterior decoration. It is a board with a profile in the form of a half rectangle with slightly rounded corners. Each board is also complemented by a groove and a spike, which allows for quick assembly of individual elements and easy connection between them. Since imitation of timber is made of natural wood by the method of sawing logs, such lumber can have different grades:
Class
Characteristic
A
A class that does not have any defects has the highest quality.
Ab
May include a small number of resin pockets (small resin formations between annual rings).
C
Usually includes defects such as healthy (light) or dried (dark) knots.
Materials of manufacture
Different wood species are characterized by differing performance characteristics. Therefore, when choosing a suitable imitation of a beam, it is necessary to pay attention to what kind of wood this lumber is made of:
pine: soft breed, easy to process; due to the high resin content it is quite well preserved; refers to the budget category;
spruce: such wood is particularly light and soft, but has little strength;
larch: refers to the most durable species; difficult to process, but finished larch products last as long as possible; finishing materials from such a tree can even be used for bathrooms and kitchens;
linden: has a fairly high softness and elasticity, is easy to process and lends itself well to grinding; tolerates minor effects of moisture;
cedar: refers to the most wear-resistant breeds, but because of this it is included in the elite (expensive category); easy to process; the cut of wood has a very beautiful pattern.
Variety of color palette
To preserve the maximum naturalness of the interior, it is worthwhile to give preference to unpainted lumber or products that are coated exclusively with impregnation, varnish or wax. Then the color of the wood will depend only on the type of wood from which it is made. The most beautiful are considered larch and cedar. Larch has a light reddish hue, but cedar wood can be supplemented with both yellow and light pink shades. Pine and spruce have a brownish-yellow tint. But linden often has a rich yellow tint.As for the painted imitation of timber, sold in many construction stores, its color scheme is practically unlimited. In the catalogs of modern manufacturers you can find both models that are close to natural shades (brown, brown-reddish, coffee), and products in unusual colors (blue, bright green, pink, red).
Buying a more expensive painted imitation of timber is preferable if necessary to quickly style the interior.
How to choose a material for decoration
Choosing a really high-quality imitation of a beam that can last a long time will help you to search for lumber according to such criteria:
grade (products with low grades are suitable only for wall sheathing in inconspicuous places);
wood species (it is especially important to consider the breed when decorating rooms with high humidity);
the evenness of the boards chosen (their visible deformation and even barely palpable waves on the surface indicate incorrect drying or storage conditions; the connections of such elements will constantly disconnect);
absence of chipping and chipping in the grooves and in the spikes (they can be checked using the Kleimer mount).
Quality control for each purchased board is optional. The buyer only needs to make sure the responsibility of the selected seller. That is why it is highly not recommended to buy a large batch of sawn timber, packed in a film (which you can’t feel, see).
Self-assembly steps
It is not difficult to carry out the installation of an imitation of a beam, precisely following the recommendations of specialists and the advice of builders. Work is carried out according to the following instructions:
A vertical crate is made on the wall to be sewn. It will consist of slats with a size of 2.5 × 4 cm. The step between adjacent slats should be 40 cm. It is important to position the crate as even as possible relative to the plane (it is necessary to level the crate under the level, laying under its slats trim or pieces of plywood). The lath is fixed on the wall with dowels.
To the finished crate, the first board is screwed with the spike down.It is important to precisely adjust it horizontally, since the rest of the boards will be aligned in the first. In the lower part (where the baseboard will be mounted in the future), the imitation of the beam is fixed with self-tapping screws. At the top, it is attached to the wall by a Kleimer inserted into the groove.
Subsequent rows of boards are neatly driven with spikes into the grooves of the previous row, fixed with clamps. So the whole wall is typed. Thin slats are beaten in the corners for additional fixing of the boards: a pair of such slats will help to easily close the joint between the walls. It is recommended to fix the rails with small carnations (even without hats).
How to handle and how to care
When buying painted boards, owners will not need primary processing of materials. In the case of the purchase of lumber, it will be necessary to process the wood with the following compounds:
antiseptic impregnation or oil (mandatory treatment): prevents the occurrence of fungus, damage to the tree by insect pests, increase resistance to moisture;
stain: allows you to change the shade of wood, lighten or darken, make the color brighter; the best option for preserving the natural color of the boards and simple room styling;
paints for wood: ordinary enamels and water-dispersion compositions will completely repaint the boards in any shade;
wax or varnish (finishing treatments): wax increases the resistance of wood to moisture and mechanical damage, remains a thin film on the surface of the wood enhances its color, maintains a dull appearance and allows you to "breathe"; varnish also increases the shelf life of the wood, but the surface will become glossy. According to the manufacturer, re-treatment with varnish and wax will need to be done in 2-6 years.
Interior options
Imitation of a bar can be used for decoration of walls or ceilings. Such a material will not work as a floor covering.Unlike a wooden lining, it is mounted on the walls only horizontally: due to this feature, it turns out to simulate the walls of the log house. As for the location of the boards on the ceiling, they can be fixed both along and across the windows. Other methods of fixing imitation of the beam are also common - with the laying out of different patterns. As for the combination of wood finishes with other types of coatings, it is recommended that this be done with special attention. After all, with a full covering of the room with wooden boards, you can achieve a single direction of the interior. When using auxiliary materials, you need to think about the future design to the smallest detail.
Before completely lining the room with lumber, calculate the area that will remain available. Keep in mind that the lathing on 4 walls + the thickness of the imitation beam slightly reduce the free space.
Wall decoration
To decorate the walls with imitation timber, you need to carefully consider the future design of the room. For example, you can use lumber painted in two almost the same or similar in terms of warmth and intensity of color to create a certain style. You can also sheathe wood with only 1-2 walls, and cover the rest with wallpaper or paint. Often, these techniques are used in living rooms and bedrooms. Also very interesting is the option of combining wood with a brick or its imitation. To do this, usually 3 walls are sheathed with wood, and the rest are glued with foam panels under a brick (well, or simply left without decoration). It is possible to use imitation of a bar in different tones or colors for horizontal separation of walls: highlighting the lower part. And you can use only 1 type of imitation of the beam to conditionally separate 1/3 of the lower part of the wall: fix 1 row of a darker board between the light rows.
Ceiling decoration
Finishing the ceiling using imitation timber can be carried out in various directions. The most popular solutions include:
Board lining along or across windows.
The simplest option, allowing you to easily repair in any room area. It is usually used for covering the attic ceiling.
Diagonal trim.
A very interesting option that allows you to give the interior greater dynamism.
Sheathing in a checkerboard pattern.
Used to stylize a rectangular or square ceiling. In this case, its area is divided into 4-6 parts. In adjacent parts, the skin should be different: in one it should be perpendicular, in the next - longitudinal.
Stylization of a conventional ceiling.
Imitation of a bar is also suitable for fixing to a normal bleached ceiling. In this case, the boards can also be located longitudinally or transversely. The distance between the individual boards can be from 0.7 to 1 m.
What styles are applied and what is combined with
The ideal option for using beam imitation for room decoration is to choose one of the following styles:
loft, rustic and country: warm cozy styles involve the use of natural and almost raw materials, so they are perfect for decorating walls with boards and bricks;
Provence: involves the use of clarified or natural wood materials and conventional painting; provides the creation of harmony and comfort;
Scandinavian: allows the use of both boards and bricks in white, so it can be easily implemented using imitation of timber;
urban and modern: suggest minimal piling up of space, decoration in bright colors; it is for such directions that boards in gray, light purple or olive colors are perfect; True, it’s worth using them to finish only 1-2 walls, the rest is better to be painted;
ethno: bright painting of boards selected for decoration, a great option for the implementation of an unusual style; necessarily the walls with imitation of the beam will need to be decorated with panels and other bright decor;
marine: sand and turquoise boards will be a good solution for creating an original and very comfortable room.
Living room
The use of beam imitation to decorate the living room opens up many options for owners to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in the hall. The most interesting combinations of colors for decorating the hall with wood include:
cream walls + light brown floor (+ optional white sills, door frames and window frames);
olive walls + light brown or taupe floor;
lilac or light pink walls + light gray floor;
white and blue walls + white floor;
dark brown walls + brown floor;
3 gray-brown walls + 1 olive or turquoise + light brown floor;
dark gray walls (you can make one richly purple or purple) + gray floor;
yellow and light purple walls + light gray floor.
In directions close to the loft and country, the ceiling can be whitewashed and supplemented with imitations as dividers. For other directions, you can use the beam for complete sheathing of the ceiling or for fastening around the perimeter of the ceiling.
Kitchen
To stylize a kitchen with the help of a bar imitation, it is best to dwell on three classic design options. Winning and profitable implementations include:
warm kitchen;
It implies the use of a light brown finish (both for walls and for the floor) with slight notes of yellow or reddish. It is advisable to use slightly different materials for wall and floor decoration. But the ceiling is better sheathed in light cream wood. The warm kitchen always maintains a positive, homely atmosphere.
strict kitchen;
A dark gray wall finish and a gray floor finish will create a nice, austere tandem. The ceiling can be sheathed with wood or trimmed with other materials, but its color should be white. A strict kitchen is easy to clean and at the same time it contributes to long thinking, making informed decisions.
bright (neutral) kitchen.
An option that requires constant cleaning and removal of dirt, dust, grease. For wall decoration, it is better to choose a cream or white color. It is better to make the floor very light brown or even gray, light gray. The ceiling should also be white or light cream. In such a kitchen, everyone can find peace and harmony.
Bedroom
To stylize the bedroom with the help of beam imitation, it is recommended to select materials in neutral ones - beige, light gray, light cream or pastel color (light olive, lavender, light blue). Direct finishing can be carried out in the following ways:
Full wall covering.
Sheathing of two walls (usually the walls located to the right and left of the bed are sheathed).
Wall covering behind the head of the bed (it can be additionally decorated with imitation of timber and the wall opposite the bed).
Wood sheathing 1/3 of the wall below (the upper part in this case is painted or glued with wallpaper).
Lining with light / dark wood at the bottom of the wall and lining with imitation of timber in contrasting (or the most different color) of the upper part of the wall.
Bathroom
Work in two directions will help to emphasize the originality and sophistication of a bathroom design using imitation of a beam: the selection of contrasts or the use of neutral shades. In the first case, it is recommended to choose dark brown boards with a light grayish tint as the main color for a spacious room. But the plumbing should be bright white. If, in contrasting design, light finish is preferable (due to the small area of the room), then it is better to choose light beige, white or coffee color. But it is recommended to choose plumbing in dark gray, maybe even black. With a neutral stylization, both plumbing and decoration should have light shades: light beige, light coffee, cream, light gray.Also, the decoration may have a neutral pastel color: lightened purple, yellow, pink, olive or blue.
Conclusion
Using imitation of a bar, it is possible to easily update both an ordinary summer house or a brick house, and a modern apartment. Such a finish can be chosen among untreated lumber and independently prepared for use or purchased fully prepared: treated with an antiseptic, painted. When selecting materials, you need to accurately calculate the required number of products. Owners can do the installation of the beam imitation with their own hands, since such work takes a minimum of time and does not require special skills from the performer. But so that the ongoing alteration of the rooms is both eye-catching and really beautiful, you should carefully select the style in which the repair will be carried out. Wooden finishes are ideal for implementing simple rustic trends, as well as for creating ultramodern original interiors.
The use of wooden finishes for simple stylization of any room in the house is a very interesting and at the same time the right decision. Such materials contribute to the creation of increased comfort and coziness of residence, as well as provide a healthy atmosphere in the house. That is why the use of inexpensive imitation of timber in the interior is gaining more and more popularity. The material is made from various types of wood, can be processed independently or purchased in a form completely ready for installation. High performance characteristics of such a material allow its use not only inside but also outside buildings. With the help of beam imitation, you can easily implement modern styles and spend an unusual remake of an apartment. Wood material is perfect for complete cladding of walls and ceilings, and can also be used as a decorative element of decoration.
Content
Finishing Features: Pros and Cons
The use of imitation timber for interior decoration allows you to create the feeling of living in a real log house, regardless of whether the owners live in a private or apartment building. The boards made of natural wood will create a comfortable atmosphere, a unique microclimate in all rooms of the housing. Other advantages of this finish include:
As such, there are no minuses in this type of interior decoration. Nevertheless, working with some types of imitations can be quite complicated and require special accuracy from the performer. And, of course, in comparison with the usual painting or wallpapering, it will require larger costs.
Material characteristic
Timber imitation refers to the affordable wood materials used for interior and exterior decoration. It is a board with a profile in the form of a half rectangle with slightly rounded corners. Each board is also complemented by a groove and a spike, which allows for quick assembly of individual elements and easy connection between them. Since imitation of timber is made of natural wood by the method of sawing logs, such lumber can have different grades:
Materials of manufacture
Different wood species are characterized by differing performance characteristics. Therefore, when choosing a suitable imitation of a beam, it is necessary to pay attention to what kind of wood this lumber is made of:
Variety of color palette
To preserve the maximum naturalness of the interior, it is worthwhile to give preference to unpainted lumber or products that are coated exclusively with impregnation, varnish or wax. Then the color of the wood will depend only on the type of wood from which it is made. The most beautiful are considered larch and cedar. Larch has a light reddish hue, but cedar wood can be supplemented with both yellow and light pink shades. Pine and spruce have a brownish-yellow tint. But linden often has a rich yellow tint.As for the painted imitation of timber, sold in many construction stores, its color scheme is practically unlimited. In the catalogs of modern manufacturers you can find both models that are close to natural shades (brown, brown-reddish, coffee), and products in unusual colors (blue, bright green, pink, red).
How to choose a material for decoration
Choosing a really high-quality imitation of a beam that can last a long time will help you to search for lumber according to such criteria:
Self-assembly steps
It is not difficult to carry out the installation of an imitation of a beam, precisely following the recommendations of specialists and the advice of builders. Work is carried out according to the following instructions:
How to handle and how to care
When buying painted boards, owners will not need primary processing of materials. In the case of the purchase of lumber, it will be necessary to process the wood with the following compounds:
Interior options
Imitation of a bar can be used for decoration of walls or ceilings. Such a material will not work as a floor covering.Unlike a wooden lining, it is mounted on the walls only horizontally: due to this feature, it turns out to simulate the walls of the log house. As for the location of the boards on the ceiling, they can be fixed both along and across the windows. Other methods of fixing imitation of the beam are also common - with the laying out of different patterns. As for the combination of wood finishes with other types of coatings, it is recommended that this be done with special attention. After all, with a full covering of the room with wooden boards, you can achieve a single direction of the interior. When using auxiliary materials, you need to think about the future design to the smallest detail.
Wall decoration
To decorate the walls with imitation timber, you need to carefully consider the future design of the room. For example, you can use lumber painted in two almost the same or similar in terms of warmth and intensity of color to create a certain style. You can also sheathe wood with only 1-2 walls, and cover the rest with wallpaper or paint. Often, these techniques are used in living rooms and bedrooms. Also very interesting is the option of combining wood with a brick or its imitation. To do this, usually 3 walls are sheathed with wood, and the rest are glued with foam panels under a brick (well, or simply left without decoration). It is possible to use imitation of a bar in different tones or colors for horizontal separation of walls: highlighting the lower part. And you can use only 1 type of imitation of the beam to conditionally separate 1/3 of the lower part of the wall: fix 1 row of a darker board between the light rows.
Ceiling decoration
Finishing the ceiling using imitation timber can be carried out in various directions. The most popular solutions include:
The simplest option, allowing you to easily repair in any room area. It is usually used for covering the attic ceiling.
A very interesting option that allows you to give the interior greater dynamism.
Used to stylize a rectangular or square ceiling. In this case, its area is divided into 4-6 parts. In adjacent parts, the skin should be different: in one it should be perpendicular, in the next - longitudinal.
Imitation of a bar is also suitable for fixing to a normal bleached ceiling. In this case, the boards can also be located longitudinally or transversely. The distance between the individual boards can be from 0.7 to 1 m.
What styles are applied and what is combined with
The ideal option for using beam imitation for room decoration is to choose one of the following styles:
Living room
The use of beam imitation to decorate the living room opens up many options for owners to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in the hall. The most interesting combinations of colors for decorating the hall with wood include:
Kitchen
To stylize a kitchen with the help of a bar imitation, it is best to dwell on three classic design options. Winning and profitable implementations include:
It implies the use of a light brown finish (both for walls and for the floor) with slight notes of yellow or reddish. It is advisable to use slightly different materials for wall and floor decoration. But the ceiling is better sheathed in light cream wood. The warm kitchen always maintains a positive, homely atmosphere.
A dark gray wall finish and a gray floor finish will create a nice, austere tandem. The ceiling can be sheathed with wood or trimmed with other materials, but its color should be white. A strict kitchen is easy to clean and at the same time it contributes to long thinking, making informed decisions.
An option that requires constant cleaning and removal of dirt, dust, grease. For wall decoration, it is better to choose a cream or white color. It is better to make the floor very light brown or even gray, light gray. The ceiling should also be white or light cream. In such a kitchen, everyone can find peace and harmony.
Bedroom
To stylize the bedroom with the help of beam imitation, it is recommended to select materials in neutral ones - beige, light gray, light cream or pastel color (light olive, lavender, light blue). Direct finishing can be carried out in the following ways:
Bathroom
Work in two directions will help to emphasize the originality and sophistication of a bathroom design using imitation of a beam: the selection of contrasts or the use of neutral shades. In the first case, it is recommended to choose dark brown boards with a light grayish tint as the main color for a spacious room. But the plumbing should be bright white. If, in contrasting design, light finish is preferable (due to the small area of the room), then it is better to choose light beige, white or coffee color. But it is recommended to choose plumbing in dark gray, maybe even black. With a neutral stylization, both plumbing and decoration should have light shades: light beige, light coffee, cream, light gray.Also, the decoration may have a neutral pastel color: lightened purple, yellow, pink, olive or blue.
Conclusion
Using imitation of a bar, it is possible to easily update both an ordinary summer house or a brick house, and a modern apartment. Such a finish can be chosen among untreated lumber and independently prepared for use or purchased fully prepared: treated with an antiseptic, painted. When selecting materials, you need to accurately calculate the required number of products. Owners can do the installation of the beam imitation with their own hands, since such work takes a minimum of time and does not require special skills from the performer. But so that the ongoing alteration of the rooms is both eye-catching and really beautiful, you should carefully select the style in which the repair will be carried out. Wooden finishes are ideal for implementing simple rustic trends, as well as for creating ultramodern original interiors.