How many centimeters does the ceiling drop when installing the stretch fabric?

Stretch ceilings significantly alter the space. The undoubted advantages of this finish are beauty and convenience. However, when choosing this interior solution, you need to keep in mind that with it, the ceiling drops by a few centimeters.

To understand how much the ceiling height will decrease, as well as how to save space, you need to figure out what factors affect these indicators.

The following points are of primary importance:

• The canvas itself, that is, the type of material from which it is made.
• The lathing on which the canvas will be mounted.
• The method of its attachment.
• Planned lighting - the number and type of lighting fixtures.
• Communications - what needs to be hidden under a stretch ceiling.
• The height and shape of the room.

At the moment, manufacturers of stretch ceilings offer two types of canvases: film and fabric. They can be glossy, matte or satin. Before starting the repair, it is recommended to study their technical characteristics, including in order to be able to calculate how many centimeters the ceiling will drop.

The stretch ceiling structure is attached to the walls using a baguette or profileassembled around the perimeter. Depending on the material, the canvas is attached to the baguette using a harpoon or harpoonless method.

So, film ceilings can be fixed by either method, and fabric ceilings can only be harpoonless. The difference between the two methods is that with a harpoon attachment along the perimeter of the ceiling, a soft PVC is pulled by welding, or a hard aluminum profile - a harpoon. This system allows you to install the ceiling quickly, as well as reuse the removed canvas.

The lathing material also plays a significant role in saving space.

It is made from:

• Wood.
• Aluminum.
• Metal-plastic.

The lathing of wooden slats is environmentally friendly and practical, but requires a decrease of 3 centimeters in height (minimum).

Reinforced-plastic structures are appropriate when installing multi-tiered ceilings, as well as when installing a structure of non-standard shape, for example, a dome or a trapezoid.

Aluminum is almost ideal for lathing, as it is durable, strong and allows you to save centimeters of space due to the minimum gap between the ceiling and the ceiling.

When using a baguette with a harpoon, the minimum ceiling height loss is 0.5 centimeters. The harpoon-free system of fastening the tensioning web, which is also called French or clip-on, means that during installation, clip-on fasteners will be used, which will more significantly affect the room level. In this case, the loss will be about 2.5 centimeters.

As a rule, when installing a stretch ceiling structure, choose the types of lighting that are most compatible with this system, such as:

• Luminaires with halogen lamps.
• Chandeliers.
• Spotlights.
• Strips with built-in LEDs.
• Luminaires of LED type.

Knowing the nuances of installing these devices, it is easy to understand how they will affect the height of the room. So, spots (spotlights) will require from 5 to 10 cm in height, since you will need to hide their base. At the same time, this option is incredibly impressive, because you can create the impression that the entire canvas is shining.

Chandeliers are the most common choice.

There are two types of chandeliers, which differ in the way they are attached:

• Ceiling. Mounted on a mounting plate, for which you need to prepare the base in advance before installing the ceiling.
• Hook. Fixed with hinges and / or hooks. With such a device, the ceiling level will decrease by 3 centimeters.

LED-type luminaires are the optimal solution for multi-level stretch ceilings. If they are mounted in a structure with a simple canvas, then their competent use allows you to visually increase the height, while in fact the LEDs lower the ceiling by 3 cm.

Halogen lamps have a long service life, high strength and good luminous efficiency, but when installing the eyeliner under such lighting fixtures, the stretch fabric will have to be lowered 8-12 centimeters lower.

When planning, it is recommended to provide for the possibility of air circulation between the surface of the ceiling and the body of the lighting element.

In a modern home, a person is surrounded by many devices that make life comfortable. It is rational to hide the equipment necessary for the operation of the Internet, air duct, air conditioner, fire lines, and so on under a stretch canvas. How many centimeters the ceiling will drop in this case depends directly on the size of the equipment.

It is reasonable to install multi-level ceilings in rooms with high ceilings, since such design ideas may require up to 30 centimeters in height.

The initial state of the ceiling level is also of great importance:

• If, during construction, the ceiling slabs are not laid in a joint, but have a difference in height, the alignment will be carried out at the lower mark.
• If the ceiling has a complex relief, which includes beams, pipelines, projections and similar bulky elements, then this will affect the height of the mounted canvas.

If you want to equip a new ceiling with heat or sound insulating materials, you must remember that they will also require additional space.

Over time, a situation may arise when the stretch ceiling changes its shape and sags. Since the canvas has its own weight and is attached only along the perimeter, sooner or later this will happen. You need to understand that such circumstances are quite natural and there is even a rate of allowable sag.

This is 1% of the diagonal of the stretched canvas (according to the established rules). This sagging is not reflected in the appearance of the ceiling, but it must be borne in mind for those who need accurate calculations of the decrease in height. If the diagonal of the finish is 25 m, then the 0.25 cm option will be the allowable sag.

If the stretching material was installed in compliance with all technical requirements, the new ceiling will serve for a long time and without any complaints.

It is impossible to say exactly how many centimeters the ceiling level will drop when installing a stretch canvas, not taking into account all the listed factors and characteristics. All rooms are varied and solutions are individual. However, having familiarized yourself with all the nuances, it becomes quite simple to calculate the scale of the decrease in height. Most often, this number is in the range from 2.5 to 10 cm. Armed with knowledge and patience, you can install stretch ceilings yourself or contact the services of professionals.

You can find out how much the ceiling drops when installing the stretch canvas from the video below.