Do-it-yourself stretch ceiling installation

Stretch ceilings designed in Europe for interior decoration are currently in vogue. Multicolored, glossy, matte, fabric or PVC film - they can truly decorate a room. In addition, in the modern world, anyone can do the installation of stretch ceilings with their own hands in a matter of hours.

Stretch ceilings are a combination of fabric or vinyl materials and metal profiles, which decorates the ceiling, hides all the irregularities and other defects that were made during the construction phase. You can stretch these ceilings in any room: living room, kitchen, bathroom, hallway or work office.

Stretch ceilings have their undeniable advantages:

• they will help you create a perfect and even ceiling of all kinds of colors and textures in a very short period of time;
• huge spaces for imagination and design approaches;
• strength, resistance to moisture and dust, environmental friendliness of materials;
• there is no need to clean the room for a long time after installation;
• they give you a chance to experiment with lighting your living space;
• the ability to provide additional sound insulation and improve acoustics.

However, such canvases have some disadvantages:

• ceilings can break with a point mechanical impact, therefore, they require careful use and care;
• can lower the ceiling level by at least 3-5 cm or more;
• if temperature changes occur in the apartment, then such ceilings (most often polymeric) will sag or wrinkle - this fact is especially noticeable in places where there is a draft.

There are several types of stretch fabric designs:

• Sibling. This is a classic look. They are very economical and are suitable for both large and small spaces. To connect several canvases at the same height, there are dividing profiles that have an intermediate decorative plug or backlight.

• Multilevel. They are used in order to create several different zones in a room or to close obvious ceiling irregularities. They can also provide room for design creativity. But multi-level canvases are suitable only for spacious rooms with high ceilings, and installing them is several times more difficult than the above option. For them, it is better to use transition level profiles, which will help ensure a smooth joint and a difference in height. Do not forget that the glazing bead fastening system is not used when installing structures with many levels.

• Soaring ceilings. They are a kind of modification of suspended structures with a built-in LED strip, the light from which is soft and diffused, which creates the effect of a "floating" ceiling. In such cases, the illumination is placed along one wall, around the entire perimeter of the ceiling, or edging its individual parts. The creation of soaring ceilings requires special baguettes, which, in addition to recesses for fabric mounting, have a special niche for LED strips.Also, this type needs special profiles: wall and ceiling, dividing and for level transition, because they can make the location of the backlight more convenient.

This is the first and very important stage, without which it is impossible to install the tensioning fabric yourself. It is divided into several points that must be followed.

First of all, you should remove all furniture and appliances from the room.where it is supposed to stretch the ceilings, since the space should be as free as possible for the installation to proceed quickly and without the possibility of mechanical damage to the canvas. If some objects cannot be taken out of the room, then they need to be moved to the center of the room and covered with a protective film.

Then you need to remove the old plaster from the ceiling, as it can fall off and leave ugly marks on the canvas.

Pre-treat the walls and ceiling with a disinfecting and antiseptic agent to avoid the appearance of mold, mildew and an unpleasant odor after the installation of the structure. Also, the surface on which the fabric will be stretched must be coated with a primer, preferably in several layers.

The joints between concrete walls are best glued with fiberglass tape together with PVA glue. If there are already cracks on the ceiling, they can be filled and leveled with cement mortar, and for large depressions - with foam or plaster. This is necessary so that there are no holes on the canvas after shrinkage.

Laminate or parquet should only be installed after installing the ceiling surface. But if such delicate floor coverings are already installed, then they need to be covered with thick cardboard so as not to damage them with a stepladder.

It is necessary to prepare the walls in advance before installing the canvas: plaster, glue the wallpaper - do all the "dirty work". After installing the stretch ceiling, it is undesirable to do this - dust may settle on the fabric.

Choose the number of levels, designate in advance the number and location of the fixtures.

After preliminary preparation, you need to calculate and mark the lowest point of the structure, because it is from this point that the installation of the profile will begin, with which the canvas will be attached. It is necessary to set aside about 6 cm from the base - this distance will be considered the minimum height of the tensile structure.

If the ceilings have many levels, it is best to make calculations and markings for each position individually. It is very important to observe the strict geometry of the room and its plan, as this is a crucial and difficult moment at the stage of marking. When installing a ceiling with several levels, the distance from the starting base should be increased.

In addition to indicating the lowest point of the facing material, it is necessary to calculate the size of the stretch fabric.

There are several important tips with which even a beginner can make ceiling installation.

• You need to measure only with the instruments that give the most accurate result. A laser meter or tape measure works well for this.
• The measurements must be displayed in the drawing, which will show the room from above and have a convenient scale that reflects the proportions of the room in centimeters in the figure.
• Mark the corners of the room on the drawing and call them clear and simple symbols, for example, Latin letters.
• The perimeter and diagonals should be measured as close to the ceiling as possible and recorded in the figure.

Stretch ceilings can be divided into two categories depending on the type of material used.

• Seamless fabric. These ceilings are made of polyester. The canvas is not quite dense, but resembles a mesh in structure. Because of this, such ceilings can "breathe", that is, let air pass through themselves, thereby creating a cozy microclimate in the room.In order for the canvas to keep its shape well, it is impregnated with a polyurethane mixture at the production stage. Such a canvas is made in 5-meter rolls - for this reason, during installation, there is no need to fasten the canvases to each other.
• Vinyl. Stretch PVC ceilings are made on special machines with canvases up to three meters wide. They are waterproof, very cheap and easy to clean. However, they have some disadvantages: they can be damaged by any pointed object, and they are also unstable to cold.

Some people choose to install plasterboard ceilings, but they, unlike stretch ceilings, have a number of disadvantages.

• To achieve the desired color of the ceiling, drywall must be painted yourself.
• In a plasterboard ceiling, there are many more noticeable seams that are unpleasant for an aesthetic look than in stretch canvases.
• Drywall is not a moisture-resistant material, therefore, it will not save you from a flood that the neighbors from above can accidentally arrange.

• Stretch ceilings are treated with an antistatic agent, so dust does not settle on them. They are also able to repel grease and do not absorb odors, and plasterboard ceilings do not have such properties.
• Standard drywall does not have the good sound insulation that stretch canvases can offer.
• Plasterboard installation is a very complex and time-consuming process that can take more time, involving several people and special expensive tools. This cannot be said about stretch fabrics. Such ceilings can be installed by one person, and the installation procedure itself takes only about 2 hours. In addition, a set for self-installation of a stretch ceiling can be obtained with the fabric.

Fitters with a set of special tools can stretch ceilings in just a few hours. But this does not mean that the installation of canvases cannot be done by an ordinary person who does not have the specific skills of a repairman.

To do this, you just need to have a set of certain tools for work.

• One or two ladders. They are very convenient to use when you need to do work at height. In addition, it has a small platform that allows you to keep the necessary tools at hand.
• Extension. It is used when you need to connect the instrument in a convenient place, far from the outlet.
• Perforator. Necessary when preparing holes for dowels. It is important to remember that holes in a brick wall are made with a hammer drill, and concrete can only be drilled with a perforator.
• Laser tape measure. It is needed for accurate measurements.

• Cordless screwdriver. It is used when you need to screw in self-tapping screws, and they are used for installation in large quantities.
• A special spatula for the installation of canvases. The raw material for it is usually stainless steel. Such spatulas have different shapes, lengths and angles of inclination to the rod. They are also very durable and do not bend under mechanical stress. It is worth noting that ordinary spatulas are not suitable for such a responsible business.
• The presence of a heat gas gun and a balloon to it - this is a very important point in stretching the canvases. Installation of vinyl canvases is impossible without this tool. The price of the device is extremely high, so it is best to rent this device.

Most often, during the installation of ceilings, special guns are used with a power of about 10 kW or more. They are fed with liquefied gas from a cylinder. Also, during the self-installation of stretch fabrics, a room heater is used in order to heat the space, and a hot air dryer is used to smooth out wrinkles and folds on the canvas. It should be noted that the soldering of canvases even with a gas gun at home is impossible. This process is carried out exclusively in production conditions on special equipment.

• Gas level detector. It is used to control the gas level in the room during the operation of the heat gun. It is necessary to follow the rules to maintain your own safety when using devices powered by gas, as it may leak from the cylinder through a damaged hose.
• Metal detector. Used to locate electrical wires, metal profiles and hoods that can be damaged by drilling.
• Impact thread or cord. It is used when it is necessary to mark the lines along which the guide profiles should be fixed. It is a small box of paint that needs to be applied to the thread. Then the thread is washed out and fixed at the required level.
• Clamps - fasteners for fixing the canvas. They help to temporarily fix the canvas in the desired position. Such devices are most useful when the person is working alone.

• Manual hole punch. The tool is designed to punch holes in aluminum baguettes. Holes can be made with a drill, but they will have burrs and look completely careless, and a hole punch can make the same type of puncture.
• Miter box Is a device necessary for cutting baguettes at an angle of 45 degrees to fit them in the corners of the room.
• PVC mounting rings or mortgages. They are distinguished by high rates of heat resistance. They are used to reinforce canvases around pipes, lamps and other utilities. Also, special embeds for cornices are made.
• Also for stretching ceilings it is necessary the presence of pliers, a good hammer, a high-quality laser or water level, a circular saw, masking tape, files for metal and wood, drills for a drill or hammer drill with a diameter of 3 to 6 millimeters, self-adhesive insulation, electrical tape and a diamond file.

The procedure for stretching the ceiling is a rather difficult task, but if you follow all the rules, you can install the canvases with your own hands.

First you need to figure out what methods of fastening the panels exist.

Fastening method with glazing beads. This type of installation was invented by Russian craftsmen and is used most often in Russia, as well as in neighboring countries. This is a very economical method of installing a stretch ceiling, as it does not require any special production or special technical devices. With this installation, the distance from the ceiling to the canvas itself will be the minimum and will be about 1.5 cm. In addition, the use of fasteners of this type frees you from the need to make accurate calculations.

There are a large number of disadvantages in such a system for fastening tensioning fabrics:

• after inserting the glazing bead, the canvas undergoes deformation, and after that the fabric cannot be dismantled and hung again;
• the ceiling can sag a lot, and the seams can be bent, because the installation itself is made only approximately, without accurate measurements;
• after a while, glazing beads may begin to shrink and fall out of the structure.

You can also install stretch ceilings using a harpoon. First, the canvas is cut out exactly to the size of the room, but 7-10% less than the ceiling area. In this case, it is very important to make the measurements correctly. After that, you need to weld a harpoon to it. HDTV machines are designed for just such a purpose.

The assembly is carried out using a specific spatula or assembly spatula. They begin to assemble the structure from the ceiling corners: insert one corner, then the one that lies on the opposite wall diagonally, and do the same with all the others. At the moment when all the corners are tucked into the baguettes, the middle of the walls are placed. After stretching, you just need to install a decorative insert, and the ceiling will be ready.

In the case of using this fastening system, the canvas will sag minimally, since it is already initially cut out slightly less than the area of ​​the room. It is worth noting that the fabric can be repaired, unlike the one where glazing beads are used. However, this pleasure will cost more.

In addition to the above two methods, there is a third - a clip-on fastening system, which is used only for fabric ceilings. The difference is that in this case you do not need to make a decorative insert and use a gas cannon. Cloth sheets are inserted into the baguette according to the "clothespins" principle. The fabric baguette is made of durable and sturdy plastic for a secure clamp.

Here, too, there is no need for accuracy in measuring the dimensions of the ceiling, because the canvas is cut out with a margin of 20-30 cm. The canvas is tucked into the baguette with a spatula for installation. The fabric is inserted and the excess protruding pieces are cut off - now the ceiling is ready. A pleasant bonus is the fact that in this fastening system, as in the first case, a minimum distance is obtained between the ceiling and the canvas itself. But the clip system also has all the disadvantages of the glazing method of fastening.

Below is a step-by-step instruction that will tell you how to properly tension the canvases. Observing strict order and sequence in steps, you can come to a successful result - a perfectly stretched ceiling.

It is necessary to find the location of the lowest point of the stretch ceiling, and then calculate the required level at which it will be convenient to install the bulbs. Then it is worth marking the height line with a pencil or a sheer string. After that, the baguette must be fixed.

On the other hand, the baguette needs to be filed at the points where it should touch the corners. After that, fix it with self-tapping screws, after driving plastic dowels into the walls near the ceiling, with an interval of 20 cm from each other - if the walls are durable, or from 8 to 10 cm - when the walls are unstable. The joints should be sealed with masking tape.

At this stage, wiring and inserts for single lamps are installed. To fix the mounting rings to the ceiling, it is necessary to use metal suspensions; they are also used during the preparation of the frame structure for plasterboard ceilings. After that, you need to mark the location of the fixtures on the ceiling, install the branch boxes and lay the wires.

To prevent the wires from rubbing against each other, and a short circuit does not occur, you need to stretch them through the corrugated tubes. After that, the mortgages should be attached to the ceiling along with the wires, after having hammered glazing beads into the holes and fixing the suspensions from the second edge. The height of the lower suspension line must correspond to the level of the stretch ceiling.

Then the wires should be placed in a loop just below the mortgage platform by 10-15 cm, make a cut from the bottom, which will divide it into two equal parts. Then you need to strip, isolate the wires from each other and sort by color. Before that, you need to install the terminal blocks. You need to do this so that the insulation is slightly covered with a plastic platform, and there is no short circuit. Then you should lay the wires with terminal blocks on the mounting ring - after this manipulation, it will not interfere with the tension of the canvas.

In the center you need to mount a chandelier. To install it, you will need a large mortgage, as well as self-tapping screws and metal suspensions. We must not forget about the height of the structure - it must coincide with the level of the stretch ceiling. Then it should be noted the future location of the chandelier, lead the wire from the branch box and stretch it through the corrugated pipe. After this procedure, you need to strip and wrap the ends of the wire with insulating tape.

Now you need to install the cornice.For this, it is worth preparing mortgages in advance.

This can be done as follows:

• Drill holes and insert dowels;
• Fix straight hangers with self-tapping screws;
• Stretch a sheer cord from one wall to another so that it matches the height of the stretch ceiling;
• Measure the required length of a timber bar and mount it at the location of the cord, fix it with metal hangers. In order for the wood to serve for a long time, it is recommended to soak it in advance with a moisture-repelling composition.

After installing the curtain hanger, it is worth starting to stretch the fabric. Before that, you should hang in the corners clamps specially designed for such purposes. Thanks to this, the canvas will not slip at the time of installation, and a special gasket will protect it from defects. After completing these steps, it is worth placing a heat gun in the room and preparing a spatula with rounded corners in order to insert the canvas into the groove. Then you need to unwind the sleeve of the burner and connect it to the electricity.

Unpack the canvas and inspect it from all sides - it is important to ensure that it is completely intact, without cracks or breaks. Then you need to attach the edges of the fabric to clothespins, previously fixed in the corners. Fix the canvas at some points with clothespins and insert it with a rounded spatula into the baguette. Refuel the panel, strictly following from the periphery to the middle of the ceiling, and continue to heat it up with a heat gun.

The strips of fabric that will hang down must be carefully separated with a sharpened knife. Before doing this, it is better to once again make sure that the straps are firmly fixed.

After successfully filling the corners, it is worthwhile to warm up the canvas and fill in the middle. At this time, the temperature in the heat gun should reach 60 ° C. It must be brought to the panel at a sufficient distance. After a while, the clamps need to be removed. During installation, hold the canvas with one hand while filling it into the baguette in order to avoid slipping. It is also best to involve an assistant - this way you can cope with the task faster and better.

After stretching and fixing the canvas with baguettes, you need to go around the pipe, if there is one on the ceiling.

It happens as follows:

• First, they indicate the place where the incision will be located. To do this, you need to select a point where the pipe goes through the ceiling. The canvas is very tightly pressed against it without forming folds.
• Make a cut following the direction where the pipe comes closest to the wall. The incision is best done with scissors or a knife.
• After that, useless pieces of fabric must be hidden behind the stretch ceiling and the ends tucked in, heading towards the pipe.
• Then, in the place where the pipe is visible, they put a decorative plastic overlay, which can hide these small defects, and make this piece of the ceiling a pleasant look.

On the panel, you need to find the points where the embedded inserts for future lamps are installed. It is worth taking rings that are resistant to high temperatures (they are also called thermal rings), specially designed for these purposes, and coat them with strong glue used in installation work. Simple glue can render the fabric unusable. The thermo rings are inserted at the designated points, the glue sets and fixes the rings in the right places.

After that, cut the fabric with a construction knife so that round holes appear on the inside of the ring. It is also worth doing this procedure with other future bulbs. Then you need to pull out the insulated wires connecting to the lighting fixtures. The same should be done with the lamp cord in the center.

After that, you should install the lighting fixtures. For a stretched ceiling, they can be LED, energy-saving or halogen bulbs. The following guidelines are helpful.

Lamps should not be more powerful than 40 watts, otherwise the panel will become unusable in a year due to overheating. Single lighting fixtures should have a plastic or metal rim and cover the thermal ring. It is best to purchase LED bulbs with a small projection that extends beyond the edge of the bulb and has a wide illumination angle. When selecting light bulbs for a tensioned structure, it is important to focus on the presence of a grille, which helps to cool and maintain the durability of the radiator. At the end of the installation of all luminaires, you should check them in operation.

The last stage of work is embedding a ledge for curtains and decorative inserts. To mask the gap that can form between the wall panels and the stretched canvases, it is worth using a plinth for the ceiling. It will look perfect in rooms with any layout. It is necessary to fix the plinth only along the walls of the room, and not to the stretched canvases, otherwise screeds that are unpleasant to the eye may form on the fabric.

In addition to the plinth, a flexible tape is also glued to the ceiling to mask the seams. This device can be simply inserted and removed from the groove. Also, masking tapes have a large number of color options, so they can satisfy anyone, even the most picky person. Additionally, you can insert the cornice on a pre-prepared wooden beam, hang the curtains and enjoy your own achievements.

At this point, the installation of do-it-yourself stretch canvases is over.

Are ceilings installed before or after wallpapering? This problem has an optimal solution - it is best to carry out joint rough work both for gluing wallpaper and stretching the ceiling.

This work is divided into several stages:

• Elimination of previous finishing materials;
• Treatment of ceiling and wall surfaces with a mixture that prevents the appearance of fungus;
• Sealing cracks, holes and other damage;
• Leveling the surface with plaster mortar;

• Carrying out simultaneous measurements for the future stretched ceiling, as well as calculating the required number of rolls of wallpaper for gluing in the room;
• Attaching baguettes to the foundations of the future stretched ceiling, installing a metal structure, laying sound insulation;
• When the walls are completely dry, wallpaper should be glued. It is better to cut the edges that are under the baguettes with a clerical knife before installing the stretching cloth so that it cannot be accidentally spoiled. After gluing, the walls must be left until completely dry;
• Direct installation of the tensioning structure. Installation of lamps, after which a canvas is attached to a pre-prepared structure.

What should be the minimum distance? There is no definite answer to the question of how far the tensioning system should be lowered. In this problem, you need to take into account many points, as well as pay attention to a number of aspects during the planning of work. In theory, the distance between the canvas and the ceiling itself - the distance from the initial surface of the ceiling to the stretched canvas - tends to vary from 2 to 30 cm.

The change in the size of this gap is influenced by some reasons:

• the difference in heights available in the ceilings;
• location and form of communications on the ceiling of the room;
• structure and types of bulbs;
• in a harness, its structure and shape are important.

However, for the installation of a simple single-tier ceiling, everything can be easily calculated. Using a level, it is necessary to determine a point on the ceiling surface, which is located at the bottom of the proposed structure, and step back from it a few centimeters, for example, 5 or 10. But it is important to remember that the minimum distance from the point should be 3.5 cm. Since this value is the width of the mounting profile, then it is to it that the entire ceiling structure is fixed.

How long will it take to install? It all depends on how professional the person doing this job is. But if a person does not have the skills on this subject, then, observing the technology, you can easily and fairly quickly deal with the tensioning device of the canvases.

In addition, there is a universal formula for calculating the time required to install canvases. For example, if the ceilings are without built-in lamps, then on a canvas of 20 sq. m will take about 3-4 hours. However, if it is planned to build point devices into the ceiling, then it will take 1-2 hours more for the same meters.

What is the best way to fix it to a plasterboard wall? Before fixing stretch ceilings to a drywall wall, you need to follow some rules: check the reliability and quality of the drywall wall, and how well it rests on the main wall, especially at the top along the entire perimeter of the room. The gypsum plasterboard surface should not have any sags, cracks, delaminations and rattles. Only after such a check is it worth starting the installation of the stretch ceiling. At the moment when the canvases are mounted on drywall, only expandable anchors made of plastic or metal are used.

If you need to make a hole for the pipe, then you must do the following:

• take plastic about 2 mm thick and make a rectangle slightly larger than the diameter of the hole;
• make a hole with a diameter of 7 mm in the middle, preferably with a margin;
• stretch the canvas throughout the room, but do not drag it to the pipe;
• cut in the central part of the pipe and fill over the profile;
• cut off a piece of material to mask the circle;
• hide the edges behind the canvas.

The process for creating holes for lighting fixtures is slightly different:

• apply markings;
• insert the mortgages exactly along this markup;
• adjust the rings for the suspensions;
• conduct wiring to the hole, but before that, test the health of the bulbs;
• stretch the panel and mark the points by touch;
• grease soft plastic rings with glue and hang in those places where the marks are;
• install light sources.

• Glossy canvas with spotlights blends harmoniously with the kitchen design, while creating an atmosphere of cleanliness and comfort.
• The children's room, decorated in yellow-blue tones, gives the child a summer mood, and the bright sun on the stretch ceiling adds a breath of fresh air.

For information on how to install a stretch ceiling with your own hands, see the next video.