Nantucket® BeadBoard Company originated on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, a small island off the coast of Cape Cod. In 1993, an Island cabinetmaker began to manufacture a sheet product with beaded grooves that simulated the appearance of tongue and groove paneling found in many of the historic Nantucket homes. This sheet product became known as Nantucket ® BeadBoard.
Many initial applications of Nantucket® BeadBoard were restorations or renovations in existing Nantucket homes. Older Nantucket homes would often contain wainscoting throughout the halls and rooms, and the addition or removal of wainscoting was originally a tedious process. The typical size of the individual boards would vary between two common sizes, 1x4 center match tongue and groove and a 1x6 center match tongue and groove. The boards had a tongue on one edge, a groove on the other edge and a bead in the center. When combined together they formed a pleasing vertical pattern. Tom Miller duplicated the bead detail of the traditional tongue and groove planking creating the “V-bead” profile. With this profile contractors and homeowners could match new additions to original paneling.
the “Standard bead” profile was designed to take advantage of the 4 foot width of modern building sheet good materials. This “Standard bead” profile worked extremely well on new construction and its slightly wider and deeper profile produced a sharper visual accent even after repeated coats of paint.

Nantucket® BeadBoard sheets, in the “V-Bead”, “Standard Bead” or “V-Groove” profiles eliminated the need to work with single boards. Both profiles could be produced in lengths up to 16' long. Entire walls and ceilings could now exude the grace and elegance of tongue and groove paneling with a fraction of the labor. However the convenience of a full sheet of BeadBoard came at a cost—the weight. BeadBoard sheets required at least two people on installation. Although MDF (medium density fiberboard) the material BeadBoard is manufactured of, was stable and had an excellent surface for paint, it could not be considered light. When the sheet lengths reach 16' they became difficult to handle—and not every application required a 4' wide material.
Strip products with shiplap ends were developed to address the issue of weight. The shiplap strips were narrower than the sheets of BeadBoard, and had the “V-Bead” and “Standard Bead” profiles—but with their reduced width the shiplap strips were easy to handle. The width of the shiplap strips ranged from 9" to 10" depending on the bead profile used. Using these shiplap strips, contractors and home owners alike could install Nantucket® BeadBoard on ceilings, stairways and other difficult locations with ease. Since the bead profiles on the sheet products and the shiplap products were the same, they could be interchanged depending on the application.
To maintain competitive pricing the BeadBoard manufacturing facility was moved to New Hampshire in 1998. This allowed for larger shipments of raw material and finished products without the expense of island freight. The move also facilitated the addition of a full paint department. Customers were now offered a choice between unfinished or primed BeadBoard products.

In 1999 Nantucket® BeadBoard introduced a moisture resistant product line. Sheet and shiplap products were manufactured using Extira®. This new material is extremely resistant to moisture and decay. Interior bathrooms and exterior porch ceiling were just a few of the applications to benefit from this new building substrate.

Nantucket® BeadBoard has an ongoing commitment to innovation and quality. Please contact us with any questions regarding production with or installation of our products.
Nantucket® BeadBoard
Classic appearance, modern convenience