We are going to install tongue-and-groove boards on the ceiling. The boards are 440 cm and fit perfectly, so we don't have to cut them. I've installed a few, but damn, it's hard to fit them together. The planks are long and they bend. Even with two people, it's really difficult to get the tongue fully into the groove. If the planks were shorter, it would probably be easy, but I don't want to cut them unnecessarily. Any tips on how to make this easier?

Thanks in advance!
 
I have nailed a lot of long planks but haven't encountered this problem, not even with planks from byggmax. Maybe not an answer to your question, or maybe it is - i.e., what is going wrong in your case? Manufacturing defect?
You aren't nailing both long sides at once, are you?
 
Hello
I am a car mechanic, but I still suggest that:
* You/you cut two strips/defective raw boards (flexible) or similar that are 2-3 cm LONGER than the height of the room (floor-ceiling).
* Clamp the leftover (sawed-off) piece, angled 90 degrees, with the pressure point on the already mounted raw board.
* Choose the pressure point 1.3-1.6 m from each side/wall.
* Lift the raw board... etc.
Now you/you have the "helping hand" that might make life easier...
Or/and:
* Lubricant? Soap solution? Hand cream... (As long as it doesn't smear or stain, of course..)

Of course, you must remove debris in the grooves or other defects...

Maybe a relative can act as "raw board" and stand on the floor and press lightly...
Good luck!
 
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In some "DIY woodworking handbook" I saw a tip that I used when I, alone, nailed up a 13 mm planed panel. And it worked.

Make a couple of forks (looks like a tuning fork) from two thin pieces, maybe 10x45 mm with a spacer at one end about 100 mm long, which is about 5 mm thicker than the tongue and groove board. I screwed and glued the spacer. The total length of the thin wooden pieces is about 300-350 mm. The upper prong is then placed on the board that is already nailed in place, and the lower one holds the "new" tongue and groove board in place. It acts like a pair of extra hands. Yes, I know, my description is a bit poor, but you probably understand.
One more thing, round off the edges to avoid damaging any plastic sheeting.

And think of me when you nail, the room length in my case was 5.1 m with end joints.
 
Mikael_L
I have helped install long beadboard panels in ceilings that were somewhat tricky.

I remember we started on one side, and once we got about 1 meter of the boards in place, we attached the panel with three nails at the end, so that the nails would be hidden by the molding later (we used a nail gun and pin nails).

So, get a beginning in place, drive in the end securely, nail it, and then continue forward.

We made about 2-3 decimeter long tapping blocks from some cut-off pieces of panel, since you can't hit the panel directly, the tongue will break, and then it's game over. But the block fits perfectly as it's tongued correctly.
 
Thanks for the tips. It's a slanted ceiling, so Bengt's solution might be difficult. But I got an idea from it anyway. Smart to round off the corners a bit so you don't damage the plastic.

Any more suggestions?
 
Used these "forks" when installing raw wood planks in a sloped ceiling. They were a great help.



 
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EN45. Exactly that principle, but I used lighter lumber. A picture is worth 1000 words.
 
Very good, that must be absolutely perfect if you only have two hands.
 
Yes, it was excellent even though we were two. Saved a lot of work with them.
 
Thanks for the help. Made two of those forks and it worked great. Also used a "takstötta" (jack on a leg). Perfect both for securing them and for nailing. It's amazing to get such good help so quickly through this forum. I probably searched for an hour on Google without finding any decent tips.
 
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