Vinyl Beadboard Soffit for Porch Ceilings

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• My husband and I are considering beadboard ceiling for our garage to replace the old blown ceiling which is in ill repair. He hopes at some point in the future to do some work in the attic above this ceiling. He hopes to replace present boards with floorjoices so we can use the area for walk in storage or as a bonus room, but this would not be for some time.

  Can this bead board be removed and replaced or will all the money for the ceiling be lost and a full replacement needed?

  • @ Myra - It can be removed fairly easily. You may break a couple pieces in the process so I'd be sure to have a few extras left over. Basically you nail a piece up on a nailing flange. Then the next piece locks into the first covering up the nails and you nail the 2nd piece. You keep following that pattern. You could take them down by reversing the procedure.

    • Use screws instead of nails so if you need to take down a piece it is a much easier removal.

• I like the look as well but I have a problem with vinyl beadboard soffit on our porch ceiling. I believe it was installed correctly but in the summer it expands and buckles between the roof beam and the wall of the house. In the winter it shrinks so much that the edge will fall out of the channel when the wind blows. Several pieces blew completely off the ceiling and I'm thinking of ripping it all down and doing something different for the ceiling. The porch is 10' wide and I believe that this is too much span for vinyl due to its high expansion coefficient. Any ideas for a low maintenance option that is not vinyl?

  • The beadboard wasn't installed properly. I've got 10' span on my porch with no problems. Was the ceiling strapped first? Properly nailed? does it have proper J channel on both ends?

    • Are you in florida--sarasota is closest and st pete tampa being 30 mins to one hour away?

• We are considering vinyl beadboard on our enclosed porch ceiling, however, can't find the product at our local stores. Who is the manufacturer? Thanks.

  • @ John Ford - The product we use is from Certainteed.

    • Todd,

      Can you please tell me the exact name of the product from Certainteed? We're wanting to do a 10' by 20' porch ceiling with the vinyl beadboard. Thanks, Frank

      • Here ya go
        http://www.certainteed.com/products/vinyl-siding/soffit/310365

        • Todd, Thanks so much. Two walls have vinyl and two walls are just 2X4 framing of the screen porch. What other pieces will I need J- channel for all 4 sides? Also, I'm putting this on a plywood ceiling, should I condider the vented or solid soffit material? Thanks again, Frank

        • Yes J-channel for the perimeter. With a solid plywood backing I'd use solid soffit. Good luck.

• At AIC Millworks. They sell a light weight vinyl beadboard manufactured by Parkland.

• Where can I find instalation instructions for the vinyl beadboard ceilings? I am pretty handy around the house and think I can do it myself. Saw that Certainteed was a supplier, but at Home Depot, or Lowes, or some other contractor supplier. Need the instructions to install the most.

  • @ Jerry - Let me look around for some instructions. However, vinyl beadboard is very easy to install. You install it the same way vinyl soffit is installed (http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/siding/side_3.htm). Typically you'll need some type of sub-framing (wood) that runs perpendicular to the beadboard spaced at 16" to 24" (I prefer 16"). Usually this is achieved by using 1x3 strapping nailed to the rafters. Before you begin with the beadboard you'll need to install vinyl "J-Channel" around the perimeter of the ceiling. Next you'll install the first piece of beadboard with the "female" end inserted into the "J-Channel" and then nailing the "male" end to the strapping with roofing nails. Be sure you don't nail the nails to tight to the beadboard nailing flange. You want the vinyl to move when it expands and contracts. The next piece of beadboard locks into the previous and you nail the "male" nailing flange all over again. This continues until you get to the far end where the last piece locks to the previous piece and the far end locks into the "J-Channel".

    Make sense?

    • So what would something like this cost on a 224sf porch ceiling? I have a contractor quoting me almost $2200!

      • It depends on how much trim work is required. The materials for just the beadboard are going to cost $300 to $450 for the contractor to purchase. If you need a bunch of trim work the cost is going to go up quickly. For the beadboard there's probably another $500 in labor...so you're at at least $1,000 with zero trim work, zero prep, etc.

• Thanks, Todd. Your note, along with the instructions and video at hometime.com has given me what I was looking for. Another detail is the ceilings are "recessed" inside the soffitt on two sides and up against brick walls on the other two, so I'm gessing I will have to install the J-channel around the perimeter and "squeeze" the last piece into three J-channels. Will that be very tricky? Last question is where to buy the vinyl, soffitt-like, beadboard in panels large enough for a ceiling? Thanks a bunch for the quick reply and great information.

  Jerry

  • @ Jerry - You are correct, the last piece is always the hardest to put in, take your time and it will work out.
    Most hardware, building supply and big box stores either carry the beadboard or can order for you. Typically it comes in 10' lengths.

• Oh Thanks so much for all the info. We will sure consider using this for our porch on The Stone House!

• Todd,
  We have an unfinished patio roof that we will be finishing. The roof is sloped, open beam, has two sky lights, and will mate against two side walls. How do you finish at the sky lights? Any other suggestions for this overall configuration?

  • @ Joe - I would create a trim detail around the skylights that has a receiving pocket deep enough so that you can tuck the beadboard behind it.

• My husband are going to put soffit under our two carport on the water and we have been looking for something for the seam that we are going to have. Will we need two pieces of J channel or is there a such thing as K Channel

  • @ Cheryl - Most siding companies make an "H" piece for just that purpose.

• Hi,
  i need to remove a section of vinyl beadboard (plain type) in the middle of my porch ceiling to put in a fan (there is currently a light can there). is there any way i can get a middle piece out without starting from one end and working my way out removing many? thanks.

  • @ Brian - All you need is a siding tool, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004SUQW/homeconstimpr-20
    This allows you to "unlock" the locking seam and then remove the panel.