Polyurethane Faux Wood Log Models

A polyurethane faux wood log is a hollow rigid polyurethane profile moulded from the growth rings, axe marks and splits of a solid tree trunk. It builds a convincing log appearance on ceilings and walls as a decorative cladding, without carrying any load. The look is built in two layers: the texture comes from the mould, the colour from the top coat and the patina. Water absorption is below 1%, so it also suits damp rooms and sheltered exteriors.

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What is a polyurethane faux wood log?

A faux wood log is a decorative profile that gives a ceiling or wall the impression of a solid tree trunk. In the polyurethane version the body is hollow: the texture stays on the outer surface while the load-bearing job remains with the building's own structure. That distinction decides most projects, because it lets a ceiling carry the look of timber without carrying its weight. Rigid polyurethane has a density of 150-220 kg/m³ (production target ~160 kg/m³), so a 3-metre profile can be lifted into place by one person; solid timber of the same section needs a crew or a crane.

How is the wood look produced?

The look starts in the mould, not in the paint. A real timber surface is 3D scanned, the mould is cut on CNC, and growth rings, knots, axe marks and split texture are carved into it. During casting that texture transfers to the profile one to one, so it is the material's own surface rather than a print or an embossing. The product leaves the factory with white 1K acrylic primer. That primer is a technical base for paint adhesion, not a finish coat; the wood tone comes from the top coat and the patina.

Stage	What happens	Effect on the look
1. Mould	A real wood surface is 3D scanned and cut on CNC	Sharpness of growth rings, knots and axe marks
2. Casting	Rigid polyurethane is cast, producing a hollow profile	Depth and shadow; a cast surface, not a print
3. Primer	white 1K acrylic primer is applied	Paint adhesion; a technical base, not a colour
4. Top coat and patina	Wood tone is applied, dark tone left in the grooves	Grain reads; the surface never looks flat

Can it be told apart from real wood? Five mistakes that break the look

Applied correctly, the difference is hard to read at normal viewing distance. What usually breaks the illusion is not the material but the application decisions. These five recur most often in our project archive.

Mistake	Why it breaks the look	What to do instead
A single flat colour, no patina	Groove and crest end up the same tone and the surface reads flat	Apply dark patina over the top coat, then wipe it off the crests
Identical pieces laid the same way	Pieces from one mould repeat the same texture side by side	Rotate pieces and stagger the joints
An open log end	The hollow section shows and the illusion stops there	Fit the matching end cap for that section
Gloss finish	Timber reflects matt to satin; gloss gives the material away	Choose a matt or satin top coat
Wrong section ratio	A log is near-square, a beam is wide and flat; mixing them misreads the scale	Near-square sections for logs, flat sections for beams

Faux wood, fake wood, imitation timber: is there a difference?

All three describe the same product; only the wording changes. Faux wood points to where the appearance comes from, fake wood to the material not being timber, and imitation timber to it standing in for timber. The technical answer is identical in each case: a hollow rigid polyurethane profile whose texture is moulded. The one genuinely different product is the EPS log. It can also carry a wood look, but its surface is soft: detail is less crisp, knocks leave marks and it needs more preparation before painting. The two materials are compared in a separate guide.

Wood tones and patina

Colour is less about copying a species than about copying how light sits in the grain. Walnut, oak and distressed tones are the three most requested families, and the method is the same for all: a light base colour, then a dark patina that is wiped off the crests and left in the grooves. The grain reads from that contrast. In rooms with low ceilings lighter tones keep the space open; in high rooms dark walnut and distressed finishes carry further. Colour and model should be decided together, because a dark tone swallows the texture while an over-light one exaggerates it.

Log, beam and rafter: the section ratio sets the look

All three carry the same wood texture; the difference is the section ratio. A log is near-square and reads as a tree trunk. A beam is clearly wide and flat and reads as a structural member. A rafter is narrow and tall, standing for the closely spaced elements of a roof pitch. So a visitor looking for a faux wood log should look at near-square sections, and one after a beam look at flat ones. Standard length is 3000 mm across the range.

Product code	Section (mm)	Length	How it reads
P1981I	80 × 80	3000 mm	Slim log — low ceilings, close spacing
P1981H	100 × 100	3000 mm	Classic log ratio — the most used section
P1981E	200 × 250	3000 mm	Heavy log — high ceilings and wide spans
P1981K	150 × 306	3000 mm	Flat section — reads as a beam
P1981L	75 × 157	3000 mm	Narrow and tall — reads as a rafter

Which sizes are produced?

The current size list for the wood-textured profile family is below. The table is generated live from product data, so it changes whenever the range changes.

Compared with a solid timber log

Getting the look with real timber is possible and sometimes the right call: on surfaces people touch, on details that meet joinery, and where the timber is meant to age. Where a ceiling only needs the appearance, the table turns the other way.

Criterion	Polyurethane faux wood log	Solid timber log
Weight	Hollow; one person can lift it to the ceiling	Heavy; needs a crew or a crane
In damp air	Water absorption below 1%; does not rot or grow mould	Takes up moisture; risk of rot and mould
Dimensional stability	Does not move, crack or twist	Cracks and twists as it dries
Insects	Not organic; no infestation	Can be infested; needs treatment
Maintenance	None beyond the life of the paint	Periodic varnish and upkeep
Fire behaviour	B2 (flame retardant)	Varies with species and treatment
Feel to the touch	A hard surface; not the warmth of timber	Real wood texture and scent
Piece to piece	Identical parts from one mould	Every piece different; natural variation

The parts that complete the look: end caps and corbels

The log profile is hollow, and a cut end left open ends the illusion at that point. An end cap is produced in the matching size for every section. Where a log meets a wall a corbel is used: it resolves the junction detail and suggests that the log rests on something. Caps and corbels share the log's wood texture and primer, and are painted together with it.

Part	Product code	Size (mm)	Function
Closing block	P1981AKA	65 × 30 × 94	Closes the open end on small sections
End cap	P1981HKA	104 × 30 × 100	End closure on square sections
End cap	P1981BKA	120 × 30 × 120	Closes the end of the 100 × 100 section
End cap	P1981FKA	162 × 35 × 162	End closure on mid sections
End cap	P1981EKA	250 × 30 × 195	End closure on flat sections
End cap	P1981GKA	256 × 27 × 255	End closure on wide square sections
Rustic end cap	P1981KKA	300 × 30 × 155	End closure on wide flat sections
Decorative end cap	P1981DKA	300 × 26 × 340	End closure on the largest section
Corbel	P1981AK	64 × 85 × 92	Gives a supported look at the wall junction

Where it is used

Four uses stand out in the project archive: a run of logs across a living room or bedroom ceiling, rustic ceilings in cafés and restaurants where the logs carry the lighting, chalet and lodge ceilings, and outdoors the entrance arch and exposed log ends under eaves. Outdoor profiles are sealed with a UV-resistant, flexible facade paint; indoors a matt top coat is enough. Surfaces in permanent contact with water, such as shower or pool interiors, are out of scope.

Installation and painting in brief

Cut with a fine-toothed hand saw or a mitre saw; the material is dense, so a utility knife will not cut it. Fixing is chemical and mechanical together: PU-based mounting adhesive is applied as an unbroken bead, the piece is screwed from both sides, and the screw heads are sunk and filled. Silicone-based adhesive is not used. The adhesive cures in about one hour, and joints are levelled with 180-220 grit abrasive before painting.