How to Put Paneling on a Ceiling

Remove all furniture in the room. Place drop cloths on the floor.

Run an electronic stud finder across the ceiling to locate ceiling joints. Mark the spots on the ceiling with a pencil. Snap chalk lines to identify the locations of the ceiling joints across the surface of the ceiling. Determine whether you wish to join the boards parallel to the joints or perpendicular.

Measure the length of the ceiling so you can cut the boards accordingly. If the ceiling has beams, measure the distance between the inner ends of adjacent beams so the planks fit snugly inside. Measure every 10 to 12 inches along the beams in each section of the ceiling to take into account slight variations in width.

Measure the true width of a board to determine how many pieces you need to cover the ceiling. Divide the width of the ceiling or the width of each beam by the true width of a board to calculate how many whole boards you need.

Measure any decorative angles in the ceiling so you can cut the panels to fit around them. Measure where on the ceiling the angle starts, and record the measurement. Also measure the angle using a bevel gauge.

Set the miter saw to the length you want to cut the boards. Cut each board to length and set it aside. Rotate the miter saw to the required angle you want to cut the boards, so they fit inside the angle on the ceiling.

Position the first board on the ceiling with its grooved side against the wall, 1/4-inch away. Insert 2-inch brads every 12 to 15 inches along the length of the board to secure it to the underlayment. Slide the groove of the next board over the tongue of the previous board.

Tap the joint to lock the boards together, before inserting nails through its tongue. Continue installing the remaining boards the same way until you reach the gap for the last piece.

Cut the last piece to the required width using a table saw. Slide this final board over the gap in the ceiling and nail it.