How To: A DIY Cedar Lined Porch Ceiling

There have been a lot of outdoor projects on our "to do" list this summer. After (more or less) completing the renovation/build on our home over the winter, once the snow melted, there were so many things in our front and backyard that needed addressing. Grass, for instance. A new driveway. A porch. You know, pretty crucial stuff. You can always close the door on an unfinished room inside your house, but when the exterior is in such rough shape, it is hard to hide!
When we were completing the reno of our house, we had our main contractor build the structure of the porch, lay composite decking, install railings, and the columns. I'll get into more details about those choices in another post soon, but one of the elements of this porch that we DIY'd (that "we" is pretty liberal... it was all Dan and my Dad on this one) was the cedar lined porch ceiling.

I have swooned for ages over those cedar ceilings that you see in porches and outdoor rooms. They smell and look amazing, right? With the dark gray siding that we chose for our home, plus the white accents, I knew that all the elements would work together and that the wood would add some warmth to the overall scheme. We really want to make the porch somewhere we actually sit and hang out and enjoy.
Here was our starting point: a freshly built, but still "naked" porch ceiling. We have been living with it like that since we moved back in in January (7 months and counting...)!





What we used:
>> 6 foot lengths of tongue and groove cedar (our area was roughly 5 x 20), purchased from Home Hardware
>> cedar cove moulding to wrap around the edges
>> 18 gauge two inch brad nails
>> 13 strapping
>> 2 wood screws
Total cost was around $500 for all materials. We had been quoted $1000+taxes for materials and labour by a contractor, so we definitely saved on doing this ourselves.
Let's break it down into steps.
Step 1 // Before you starting putting any boards up, you want to ensure that your strapping was all done correctly, that you have marked out where your lights are going to go, and all wiring is complete. For our porch, Dan needed to add some 13 strapping to bridge the gaps where the electrical cutouts were needed for potlights. He cut the strapping using this RYOBI cordless circular saw. This saw is great for quick rough cuts, very light and easy to use.





And then put it up using his RYOBI lithium drill.





Step 2 // Time for the fun part - actually putting the cedar up! First up is to cut the wood. You want to do this with the Ryobi circular saw, or even better, with a chop saw like this one from RYOBI's One+ system (it's on Dan's wish list!!). Safety first, guys! Always make sure to wear your goggles and whatever other protective equipment you have.
Start at one end and nail gun in the first piece. We did this using our new RYOBI 18-gauge brad nailer. You want to nail angled into the tongue so that you don't see the nails.





Step 3 // Continue by adding board after board until you have covered entire area. Dan and my Daddio were working on this project together, so my Dad cut and Dan nailed each piece in. It went SO QUICKLY! My Mum and I took Maya for a walk and coffee date, and then by the time we got home, they had finished putting up all the pieces! Couldn't believe it.





Want to see the final steps for this project? Head over to the blog to see more...
http://thesweetestdigs.com/2015/09/15/how-to-a-diy-cedar-lined-porch-ceiling/
Want to see the ceiling in all its' glory? Ta-da!





Because it's cedar and it's not directly exposed to the elements, we have decided not to stain it or put any kind of sealant on it. Cedar ages beautifully and continues to give off that amazing smell. If you were worried or wanted a shine, you could of course use some kind of clear sealant - totally a personal preference!





Have you guys had outdoor projects to tackle this summer? Done any building? Feeling incredibly thankful for a handy hubby/friend/Dad like I am?






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/10139079/how-to-a-diy-cedar-lined-porch-ceiling site