Are you wondering how to distress wood beams? We’ve got you covered with 25 unique ways to achieve that perfect reclaimed look.

Distressed wood beams can make just about any space look awesome.

Whether you’re going for a rustic farmhouse feel, or a modern industrial vibe, adding a few reclaimed beams can make all the difference.

Unfortunately, reclaimed beams can be extremely expensive and hard to find.

So what are you supposed to do?

As it turns out, you can achieve the exact same look by purchasing brand-new beams and distressing them yourself!

It’s true.

With a little bit of elbow grease, you can create beautiful reclaimed-looking wood beams without breaking the bank.

But how, exactly, do you do it?

Start With A Wire Brush

If you want your beams to look truly reclaimed, you’re going to need to start with a wire brush.

A wire brush will help to rough up the surface of the wood and create that weathered look.

You can purchase a manual wire brush at just about any hardware store.

However, if you really want to make your beams look as good as possible, I highly recommend investing in a Porter Cable Restorer and the wire brush attachment.

This is, hands-down, my favorite tool for distressing wood.

Not only will it save you tons of time, but it is the easiest way to make a brand-new wooden beam look like it’s been aging in a barn for the last century.

The best part is that you can use this tool for so many other projects. Honestly, this tool is a must-have for any diy’er–in my opinion.

Use A Handsaw (For Straight Saw Marks)

One of the most common ways to distress wood beams is to simply use a handsaw and saw into the wood.

This will create deep, straight lines in the wood that will help to give it that reclaimed look.

For the best possible result, I recommend taping a 1/2″ strip of wood to the back edge of the saw, then sandwiching it against the wood in order to make shallow-angled saw cuts in your beam.

This will emulate the look of an old hand-sawn beam and give you a beautiful reclaimed look.

Burn It With A Blowtorch

One of the best and most fun ways to distress a wood beam is to burn it with a blow torch, then sand back some of the burn marks.

If you do this on a freshly cut beam, it will help to create a deep, dark patina that will give your beam an amazing distressed look.

To get started, simply heat up the blow torch and start running it over the surface of the wood.

Be sure to move the torch around so that you don’t burn any one spot too badly.

If you want to get the most out of this method, I recommend distressing the wood with a wire brush and a few other techniques before you take a torch to it. This will help emphasize the distress marks and give your wood an even more authentic reclaimed look.

Use A Chainsaw (For Ragged Saw Marks)

If you want to create some really deep, ragged saw marks in your wood beams, then using a chainsaw is the way to go.

This method will give your wood beams an amazing distressed look that is sure to impress.

I will say, if you decide to go this route, you need to be extremely careful. Since chainsaws cut quickly and can cause lots of damage in the blink of an eye, I only recommend this method if you’re going for an extremely distressed look.

Break Out The Chains

Another great way to distress wood beams is to simply take a length of chain and beat the hell out of them.

This will create deep, random marks in the wood that will help to give it that reclaimed look.

In order to get started, you’ll need a length of heavy-duty chain. Then, just start swinging.

Speaking from personal experience, be careful not to hit yourself in the shin. That’s a whole new level of pain.

Use Rasps And Files

Rasps and files are great tools for creating random marks and distress in wood beams.

There are all sorts of different rasps and files available, so you can really get creative with this one.

I recommend starting with a few different types of files, then experimenting to see which ones you like best.

Personally, I prefer a Nicholson #49 Cabinet Maker’s Rasp. But there are all sorts of different options out there, so feel free to experiment until you find the ones that work best for you.

Use A Drawknife (For A Hand-scraped Look)

This is a great method for those who want to add some character to their wood beams without going too overboard.

Simply take a drawknife and start scraping it along the surface of your wood beam.

This will create shallow gouges in the wood that will help to give it that distressed look.

Keep in mind, this method does take some time and patience. But if you’re willing to give it a shot, you can create some beautiful distress marks with a drawknife.

If you’ve never used a drawknife before, I recommend starting with a curved blade, like this one from Highland Woodworking. The curved blade will give you slightly more control than a straight blade, which will help you achieve the perfect level of distressing.

Make A Rotating Saw Blade Distresser (For Circular Saw Marks)

One of my favorite beam-distressing techniques is to use a table saw blade to make a rotating saw blade distressed. These scratches can emulate the circular marks that appear on rough-sawn beams that were cut by a circular sawmill.

To do this, all you need to do is slide a wooden dowel through the center hole of an old table saw blade. Then, place the dowel against your beam so that the blade lays flat against one of the sides. Finally, with a thick pair of work gloves on, spin the blade so that it carves marks into the wood.

The dowel will help keep the marks consistent and give you greater control.

If you really want to make the most out of this technique, you can use a hammer to bend a few of the saw teeth out of alignment with the others. That way, when you slide the saw blade across the wood, one of the teeth will gouge into the wood.

* Safety First: When you’re working with any kind of tool or blade, use common sense and take the necessary safety precautions. That means wearing gloves, safety glasses, and anything else you feel you need to keep from hurting yourself.

Run It Through A Band Saw

If you own a band saw big enough to handle your beam, then don’t be afraid to use it.

Just set your fence to match the thickness of your beam and run it through slowly. As you pass the beam through the saw, let the blade kiss your beam.

This will leave some nice-looking saw marks that will add character to your wood.

Use An Angle Grinder

An angle grinder is another great tool for creating distress marks in wood beams.

To use it, just put on a medium-grit sanding disc (I like using 60-grit) and start sanding away at your beam.

This will create some deep scratches that will give your wood a nice distressed look. Just be careful not to go too crazy with it, or you’ll end up removing too much wood.

Try The Vinegar And Steel Wool Method

If you’re looking for a more natural way to distress your wood beams, then you might want to try the vinegar and steel wool method.

To do this, simply soak some steel wool in vinegar for a couple of hours (or overnight). Then, rub the vinegar all over your wood beam. The mixture will react with the tannins in the wood and give your beam a nice weathered look.

Important: Be careful with this method on woods with high tannin levels, as this mixture will turn your beam black. In particular, you should take special care when using this mixture on oak, walnut, mahogany, and cherry–all of which are high in tannins.

Use A Hewing Axe (For A Hand-Hewn Look)

If you’re looking for a more rustic distressed look, then you might want to try using a hewing axe.

To do this, simply take your axe and start chopping away at your wood beam.

This will leave some nice-looking hand-hewn marks that will add character to your wood. Just be careful not to go too crazy with it, or you’ll end up removing too much wood.

Drop It On Some Rocks

If you’re looking for a simple yet effective way to distress a wood beam, you can always just drop it on a pile of rocks.

This will create some nice-looking dents and scratches that will give your wood a distressed look.

Bore Some Holes In It

If you want your wood beams to look like they were pulled from an old timber-framed barn, don’t be afraid to bore some 1″ holes in them.

Unlike many of the other methods in this list, if you decide to bore holes in your beams, it’s best to make them look uniform. In other words, don’t just randomly drill a bunch of holes in your beam.

Instead, measure the same distance from each end and drill 1 hole on either side.

Or, you could drill a single hole somewhere in the middle of the beam.

The goal here is to make your beam emulate a pegged/pinned timber-frame joint.

Use The Stain-Sand-Stain Method To Enhance The Distress Marks

If you want your distress marks to really stand out, then you might want to try the stain-sand-stain method.

To do this, simply apply a dark (or black) stain to your wood beam after you’ve already distressed it, making sure it flows into all the depressions, cracks, and scratches you created.

Once the stain dries, lightly run a random orbit sander over the beam. The goal here is to sand the non-distressed parts of your beam to bare wood while leaving the stain in the distress marks.

Once you’ve sanded back the non-distressed parts of your beam, apply your final stain. This method is excellent if you really want your distress marks pop.

Let It Sit In The Sun for A Few Months

If you aren’t in a rush to use your beams, you can always just leave them out in the elements for a few months. This will give them time to get that grey, weathered look that’s so popular in reclaimed wood.

Just be sure to keep an eye on your beams and look for any rotting or bug activity. After all, who wants to install a bunch of rotting, bug-infested beams in their home?

Use A Chisel

It might seem a little simplistic, but if you want to give your wood beams a nice distressed look, you can always just use a chisel.

To do this, simply take your chisel and start chopping away at your wood beam. This will leave some nice-looking marks that will add character to your wood.

Poke It With An Awl

If you’ve ever examined a reclaimed beam, almost all of them show signs of bug activity. So, if you want your wood beam to look like it was pulled from an old barn, you might want to poke some holes in it.

To do this, simply take an awl and start poking holes in your wood beam.

If you want this to look as authentic as possible, try to group your awl marks. Since most bug activity happens in groups, this will make your wood beam look more authentic.

Scrape It With Anything Sharp

If you want to add some scratches and scrapes to your wood beam, you can always just scrape it with anything sharp.

Whether it be a screwdriver, pocket knife, saw blade, razor blade, or random scrap of metal, reclaimed beams are often covered in scratches from being dragged around or banged up.

So, if you want your wood beam to look like it was pulled from an old barn, don’t be afraid to scrape it up a bit.

Cut Some Fake Mortises

If you really want to achieve the pulled-from-an-old-barn look, cutting some fake mortises is just the ticket.

Whether you use a router or chisel, adding a mortise or two to a wood beam can transform it into a statement piece. And, if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even run some fake tenons through them and flush cut them to the beam.

I’ve seen this a number of times on real reclaimed beams. So, if you’re going for an authentic reclaimed look, this is one of the best methods on this list.

Break The Corners With A Hammer

Imperfection is the key to achieving the perfect reclaimed look. So, if you want your wood beam to look like it was pulled from an old barn, you might want to break the corners with a hammer.

To do this, simply take a hammer and start whacking away at the corners of your wood beam.

If you’re going for a really rugged look, don’t be afraid to split a few big chunks off. Just be careful not to go too crazy and split your beam in half.

Rub Some Dirt On It

This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you want your wood beam to look like it was pulled from an old barn, simply rub some dirt on it.

Just be careful not to use too much. You don’t want your wood beam to start dropping chunks of dirt when you’re installing it.

You just want it to look like it’s been through the elements a bit.

Drag It Behind Your Truck

If you’re really looking to give your wood beam a distressed look, you can always drag it behind your truck.

This will leave some nice scrapes and scratches that will add character to your wood. And the best part is, they’ll look completely random.

Just be careful not to damage your truck in the process, and definitely don’t drag it down a busy road.

Instead, haul your beam out to a rural country road, chain it a good distance behind your truck, and start driving slowly. You shouldn’t have to go more than about 5 mph for a few hundred feet to achieve a nice distressed look.

As with any of the methods on this list, use common sense, and don’t be stupid with this one. The goal is to put some scrapes and scratches in your beam, not rip around a corner doing 60mph.

Order Beams From A Saw Mill

If you’re going for a lightly-distressed look, you might just consider ordering your beams from a local sawmill and installing them ‘as is’ without ever cleaning them up.

No sanding. No planing. Just rough-sawn beams right from the mill.

Be Careful Not To Overdo It

If you want to distress wood beams like a pro, the key is knowing when to stop. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone too far when distressing wood, only to wish I could go back in time and stop myself from overdoing it.

Then again, if you’re going for an extremely rugged, almost driftwood kind of look, then you can completely ignore this advice.

Final Thoughts

There you have it – 25 of the best ways to distress wood beams for that reclaimed look. If you’re looking to add some character and charm to your home, any one of these methods will do the trick.

Just be careful not to overdo it, and always err on the side of caution. Remember, it’s easy to do a little extra distressing. But once you get too aggressive, there’s no going back.

One final note: before you use any of these methods to distress your wood beams, always use proper safety gear. Eye protection is a must, dust masks are encouraged, and hearing protection is also a great idea.

Other than that, have fun and get creative!

There’s no right or wrong way to distress wood beams. Just have some fun with it, and don’t be afraid to get a little weird! 😉