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Enhance The Look Of Wood Beam Construction

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This Photo Instructable shows how you can dress up or enhance the look of exposed wood beam construction. This can be done without the high cost of having steel plates made and installed in place with large bolts, nuts and washers. You can do it with a few hand tools, some 1/4 inch mdf board and some wood dowels of a proper size all painted the way you want. Basic woodworking skill are all you need.

2 comments

May 8, 2012. 3:07 PMzomfibame says:

Very cool idea. ... these beams look like they are outside, How long does the thin MDF hold up outside? My experience has been that it does not do great with excessive moisture.

May 9, 2012. 9:51 AMlesteryoder (author) says:

About half of the beams are outside. I don't know how the MDF is holding up after the last two and a half years because I have not had any recent feedback. I did know when I made these fake supports that they were going to be outside so I put a good coat of primer and paint on both sides of the boards. I don't think any of them were going to have direct contact with rain or water but maybe high humidity might have an effect on them. These supports were made this way because this is what the people wanted and steel was way to expensive for them.
Thanks for your comment,
Lester