Nickel Gap Vs Shiplap Ceilings: What Are The Major Differences?

For those seeking a rustic or modern farmhouse design style in their home, installing shiplap is a popular choice. There are many creative places to use shiplap in your house, adding warmth, coziness, and texture to a room. Shiplap is relatively easy to install for DIY enthusiasts with basic tools. However, it can take some time to learn how to install shiplap on a wall properly because it's challenging to manage the gaps and make them look uniform. 

Trying to install it on a ceiling enhances those challenges. When installing shiplap on a wall, some people use the thickness of a nickel to create the desired measurement of the gap. Trying to shove nickels between the shiplap boards on a ceiling becomes far more difficult when working by yourself. You might want to save some time by using a product called nickel gap. This is a type of wall paneling — like shiplap — that maintains a uniform gap between the boards for you during installation. Nickel gap uses a tongue-and-groove edge that allows you to connect the boards without having to measure and space out the gaps yourself.

The simplified installation process is the primary difference between shiplap and nickel gap planks, especially when it comes to using them on a ceiling. Additionally, while you could create your own shiplap planks by routing your own rabbet edges, most people would need to purchase the nickel gap boards pre-made because of it can be challenging for DIYers to create a perfect tongue-and-groove joint. The price per foot of shiplap is comparable to nickel gap, but each has some distinct pros and cons that can affect which is right for your ceiling. 

The primary reason to install shiplap planks on a ceiling is to improve the aesthetics. You can cover an existing popcorn ceiling or another material that you don't want to see any longer. Although you can install shiplap on the ceiling, it's more common to use these planks on interior and exterior walls. You should know before installing a shiplap ceiling that it can be extremely difficult to maintain a uniform gap between shiplap boards. You almost always need two people for the job, one to hold the nickels or spacers and another to secure the boards in place. Nail holes will need to be filled with putty for a clean look. Extra tall or angled ceilings can make things especially challenging. You'll need to plan carefully and have quite a bit of patience when installing shiplap on a ceiling.

You can buy pre-cut shiplap at many lumber stores such as Home Depot. However, one advantage of using shiplap on a ceiling is that it's easier to make yourself than nickel gap planks. Making the tongue-and-groove of nickel gap boards requires high-quality tools and quite a bit of expertise, while shiplap boards only require you to use a router with a rabbet bit. The rabbet bit will remove material from the edge of the board, allowing it to overlap with another board. 

Tongue-and-groove nickel gap planks are ideal for ceilings because they reduce extra steps needed to keep the gaps uniform. Unlike shiplap, the nickel gap plank design allows you to connect each board with minimal stress and effort, which is helpful when working over your head on a ceiling. Another benefit of using the nickel gap boards for a ceiling is that it lasts a long time. When the grooves on the edges of the nickel gap planks slide into each other, they create a more seamless look and reduce stress on the nails or track clips holding everything together and improving longevity. 

If you prefer a modern look that's easy to clean, a smooth finish is desirable. This is especially important on a ceiling, where textures and rough wood provides a place for dust and pet hair to stick. While they can be sanded and smoothed, shiplap boards frequently have a rougher finish that adds to the rustic feel they provide. On the other hand, nickel gap planks almost always offer a smooth finish, especially when you purchase then pre-cut from a hardware store. Because of this, they can be easier to clean. 

Creating your own nickel gap boards is more challenging than making shiplap planks because of the need to create the tongue-and-groove joint. This may increase the time and effort it takes to complete your ceiling project. It's far easier to purchase premade tongue-and-groove nickel gap boards at a store like Home Depot.