How to Install a Tongue & Groove on Front Porch Ceiling
- 1). Measure the porch ceiling, from the end to end, perpendicular to the direction of the ceiling joists.
- 2). Transfer the measurement to a ceiling plank, marking it with your pencil. Cut the plank to size on your miter saw.
- 3). Hold the plank up on the ceiling, with the grooved side facing the starting wall and the length of the board running perpendicular to the joists. Leave 1/4 inch of space between the edge of the board and the wall, so the wood will be able to expand with climate changes. Use your trim nailer to sink two nails through the face of the board at each point where it crosses a joist.
- 4). Measure and cut for your second plank. Press it against the side of the first plank, locking them together by their tongue and groove edges. Secure the board by shooting one nail through the side of the board at an upward angle at each point where the board crosses a joist.
- 5). Repeat the process for each of the other planks, working your way across the ceiling. Length-cut your last pieced on a table saw to fit, if necessary.
- 6). Install ceiling trim around the perimeter of the ceiling, using your miter saw and trim nailer.
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