How to Determine the Decorative Beam Size on a Cathedral Ceiling

Fake wood beams are a simple way of adding a decorative touch to your home. A cathedral ceiling feature two sloped wall, which designers refer to as “rises” with a central peak, where the two walls meet. When installing the new beams, the wood should sit flush with the peak and the end of the wall or the spot where the rise starts. Determining the size of the beams should also include picking a width for the beams. Since these are not structural beams, they can be sized according to your taste and decor.

Masking tape
Ladder
Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  Find the spot on the wall where the rise starts. You should notice a vertical wall that extends several feet before the rise begins. The rise is the slanted part of the wall that extends to the peak on the cathedral ceiling.
- 2
  Unroll the masking tape and place the end of the tape on the slanted wall where it meets the lower wall. Carefully unroll the tape and press it against the wall, smoothing out any air bubbles under the tape. Keep pressing the tape against the wall, standing on a ladder for better access, until you reach the peak of the ceiling.
- 3
  Repeat steps one and two for each beam you want in the room. Use one piece of tape for each beam. Move to the other side of the room and use pieces of tape on that area, using the tape to represent the decorative beams.
- 4
  Stand in the center of the room and look at the location of each piece of tape. If you want thicker or wider beams, add one or more pieces of tape to the sides of the original piece. This shows you the exact width of each beam.
- 5
  Measure the width of the tape. Peel the tape off the walls and measure the length. The tape shows you exactly how long and wide you need each beam. The number of tape pieces gives you the number of beams needed for the room.

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