All about polyurethane beams

False beams are an unusual decor item used in interior design in the style of Provence, loft, classic, modern and others. These designs are gaining more and more popularity in recent years, their advantages have been fully appreciated by the owners of country mansions and large city apartments. The modern market offers a wide selection of false beams from a variety of materials, one of the most popular is polyurethane.

The main advantage of any false ceiling beams is their box-like structure with a void inside. The installation of these structures is not difficult, and thanks to the presence of a gap on the inside, homeowners are able to disguise wires, corrugated pipes and other utilities. The functionality of beam elements is limited by visual correction of room perception and space zoning - this is not so little.

Beams fit perfectly into any style and sometimes even play a major role in the decor. The section parameters of such beams can be very diverse - they are produced in the form of an angle, a tee, an I-beam, U-shaped models are in greatest demand. On sale you can find false beams that imitate the texture of valuable wood, stone or concrete. The demand for polyurethane is explained by its decorative appearance and a wide range of polyurethane structures, combined with low cost.

However, the advantages of the products do not end there:

• polyurethane is an environmentally friendly material that does not emit harmful and toxic substances;
• products are inert to temperature extremes, moisture and water;
• low weight ensures the safety of fastening and ease of installation;
• beam decor allows you to hide any defects in the surface of the ceilings and the upper tier of the walls;
• if necessary, polyurethane foam beams can be cut with a household hacksaw, while the formation of dust is completely excluded and the amount of waste is minimized;
• even a woman or a teenager can fix the beams.

In addition, PU foam beams retain all the advantages of polyurethane:

• low hygroscopicity with low weight;
• no deformation during typical household use;
• compliance with all applicable sanitary and epidemiological standards;
• polyurethane holds hardware well, the material can hold high loads, is distinguished by tensile and bending strength;
• products made of polyurethane are characterized by inertness to any harmful biological media, the material exhibits fungicidal and bactericidal resistance.

Polyurethane beams most often decorate the interior of a room, but they can equally be used to decorate the facade. Excellent resistance to atmospheric manifestations, increased adhesion to acrylic enamels and strength allows designers to design any exteriors. Polymeric imitations of non-ferrous metals, marble and wood are so realistic that it is very difficult to visually distinguish them from natural materials.

Decorated beams are usually on sale, but in recent years, semi-finished products that have high adhesion to acrylic have been in great demand. Such solutions make it possible to bring to life any interior design ideas.

Polyurethane beams often act as a lifesaver in a situation where it is necessary to quickly and with minimal costs hide flaws that have arisen in the course of construction work.

Ceiling PPU beams are available in a variety of shapes and cross-sectional diameters. They can look massive or resemble thin ceiling patches. The density of the finished product can also differ, since polyurethane is a composite material, then its composition is selected for each specific facing task.

The color scheme is also distinguished by a wide variety. In the overwhelming majority of cases, in stores you can find false ceiling beams, decorated with valuable types of wood (walnut, oak or cherry). The colors may differ in the saturation of the colors and their half-tones. The beam is textured to look like steel, stone or wood.

Most of the beams are produced with a cross-sectional diameter ranging from 60x90 mm to 130x200 mm, although manufacturing in other sizes is allowed.

The hardness of polyurethane foam can be quite low, or it can correspond to iron, that is, it has a range from 40 to 98 units on the Shore scale.

In other words, polyurethane foam ceiling beams can take all kinds of shapes, they are limited solely by the imagination of their manufacturers.

False beams can be used to decorate ceilings of all types - standard painted, as well as stretch and plasterboard. They allow you to effectively zone the space or a false window on the ceiling. PPU-beams successfully imitate window openings; in the course of work, stained glass or mirror panels are fixed between them. In Europe, the technique is popular when the beams from the ceiling zone go over to the wall area.

If the room requires a visual expansion of the space, then when placing the beams, it is important to take into account the following factors:

• if you want the room to look wider, it is better to place the beams on the short side;
• if you need to visually increase the length, it is better to place PPU beams along the length of the ceiling;
• cross-shaped fastening will add volume to the general space;
• the use of one or two beams allows you to separate one work area, for example, a bar counter;
• an important role is played by the frequency of placement: for example, if the ceilings are too high, then the close fastening of the beams to each other allows you to slightly reduce the height;
• on the ceiling of medium and high height, the beams are traditionally fastened at a considerable distance from each other, in addition, installation with a herringbone is allowed;
• mansards without a ceiling look especially impressive, when the beams go through the columns and are fixed with their ends in the walls, thus creating the effect of a chalet or hut.

Securing beams includes several stages of work.

• First of all, for the installation of PPU-beams, it is necessary to prepare fastening beams made of wood so that their dimensions and shape exactly correspond to the dimensions of the intra-beam cavity.
• Next, you should mark the ceiling, that is, draw the lines along which they will be fixed.
• At the next stage, the wedge-beams are fixed on self-tapping screws.
• When installing false beams on the ceiling, smear a little adhesive solution for PPU products. Keep in mind that this is not necessary for fixing the false beams, but for their more firm adhesion to the ceiling covering, so that even small gaps practically do not remain.
• The beam is pushed onto the bars and screwed tightly with hardware on the sides.The screws that attach the false beam to the timber, as well as the joining areas of the beams, are closed with leather overlays that imitate rivets.
• In order to fix the beams on the stretch ceiling, it is necessary to mount special embedded parts, they are similar to those used for hanging lamps. The embedment is a simple bar of optimal thickness. It is fixed to the base ceiling, and then the stretch fabric is stretched so that it is slightly in contact with the lower plane of the beam. The false beam is attached to a wooden beam through the ceiling.

The ceiling made of gypsum plasterboard belongs to suspended ones, so it just won't be possible to attach false beams to it. You will have to tap those areas where the frame logs pass and fix the beams directly to them. This can be done with an elongated anchor or on a bar attached with self-tapping screws to a plasterboard profile.

Any stylistic solution to the interior requires its own type of decorative false beams.

• For example, for classics it is advisable to use false beams decorated with carvings in silver and gold. You can decorate them with painting with patterns or vignettes - such beams can be found on the free sale ready-made, or you can arrange them yourself, using the services of professional artists.

• In modern rooms laconic products of black, white and gray colors will be relevant. For art deco, concrete products are suitable.

• Hi-tech false beams for steel are required.

• To decorate the style of Provence, shabby chic or country the optimal texture will be an aged wood.

• Beams are irreplaceable when arranging rooms in the industrial style. In this case, they should be made under a tree or imitate metal.

The following video describes the installation of polyurethane beams.