Stretch ceiling inserts: selection criteria

Repair is a complex, time-consuming, but exciting process. And not always the speed of repair depends only on your financial capabilities. Sometimes, even with the required amount of finance, it is difficult to decide on the choice of suitable products for repair. Most often, such a period occurs at the stage of finishing, when all the dirty work is behind and you can give more room for imagination. But it is at this stage that the problems begin: how to make it better, what to buy, where to install it, how to save money, but not lose quality. Usually, at this stage of the renovation, the room is idle from a week to several months.

Many of those who at least once faced with the repair and decoration of rooms, thought about the best way to decorate the ceiling. The most attractive of all the available options is a stretch ceiling.

It would seem that most people make stretch ceilings, but this choice is based on several fairly weighty reasons:

• Stretch ceilings are easy to install and operate. As a rule, the installation of a stretch ceiling on average takes from several hours to 2 days, even for non-professional builders.

• Relatively low cost of work. Nowadays, the service of installing stretch ceilings is very common, so it will not be difficult to find workers who will do everything efficiently, quickly and at the same time inexpensively.

• Stretch ceiling hides defects and irregularities resulting from a rough finish. Unfortunately, builders also make mistakes that can affect cosmetic repairs, but the stretched canvas hides any irregularities so well that you will forget about them a few weeks after the repair.

Many doubt the advisability of choosing stretch ceilings, after all, when stretching the canvas, the formation of a narrow gap between the wall and the ceiling covering, which is formed due to the method of its installation, cannot be avoided. The fact is that the ceiling is not stretched directly to the wall, but to a special narrow profile, fixed in advance, thereby making a small gap of several centimeters between the canvas and the wall. This gap often spoils the overall picture.

The solution to this problem is very simple and cheap - masking tape. It is a soft and narrow polymer profile-corner that will fit any wall shape.

But there is another solution - a skirting board, which is attached directly to the wall and hides the unwanted gap. But not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance.

The skirting board loses to the tape for a number of reasons:

• It will only fit straight walls because of its rigidity. It cannot be installed on walls, even with a minimal defect.

• In case of flooding by neighbors from above, in order to dismantle the ceiling and further drain the water, it will be necessary to remove the plinth, which adheres very well to the wallpaper and is torn off the walls only with them.

Masking tapes can be different. They have a number of features and advantages over other decorative elements:

• Due to its softness, the tape will allow you to hide any defects and irregularities on a curved wall without creases and tears.
• The tape is easy to install - it is not attached to the walls, but to the profile on which the ceiling is stretched.
• Installation of the product around the perimeter of the room takes an average of 10 minutes.

• Masking tapes are made of a very wear-resistant and flexible polymer, which is not afraid of direct sunlight, temperature changes, humidity and external influences.
• The design is reusable, so the tape can be reused if necessary.
• There are products of different types, shapes and colors, so they do an excellent job with decorative functions, and if you still could not find a suitable shade, then you can paint the ribbon in the required color.

• The ribbon is a continuation of the canvas, so the area of ​​the room does not visually decrease, and by playing with color, the visible space of the canvas can be increased.
• The polymers from which most tapes are made are elastic and do not lose their properties even after a long period of use, so you do not have to periodically insert or correct the tape that has dropped out of the profile grooves over time.
• The undoubted advantage of masking tapes is their low price. Considering also that no glue is required during installation, you can significantly save money.

Modern tapes are very diverse, but at the same time they are easy to understand.

With a more detailed study, only a few forms of such camouflage products can be distinguished:

• T-shaped tapes are designed to hide cracks at the junction of flat surfaces, obtained, for example, when facing walls with porcelain stoneware or tiles. Such tapes are most often made from rigid hypoallergenic polyvinyl chloride.
• L-shaped tapes are used for walls with visible defects, therefore they are made of a more flexible and elastic material based on the same polyvinyl chloride. Such tapes very much resemble a soft corner and are considered the most versatile among other masking tapes. There are types of SL and TL.

• F-shaped or connecting tapes are used when joining two canvases when one is not enough for the entire area of ​​the room. Such tapes are placed in a joint, making it invisible.
• The L-shaped wall tape is very practical as it has a masking plug. For a baguette or harpoon, this is very important.

Now a huge amount of resources is open to the manufacturers of building materials that can be used in the production of some small parts, or whole sheets of cladding.

One of the main advantages of tapes over skirting boards is a large selection of materialsfrom which these products are made. The cheapest but most flexible belts are made of rubber. However, such tapes are far from ideal, they are subject to the influence of moisture, sun and temperature extremes, so over time they can lose their properties and become less elastic. Rubber bands are usually only found in black and white.

Polyurethane tapes are widely used. They are distinguished by better wear resistance, such belts are not subject to corrosion and abrasive wear, which means that they will last a rather long period of time compared to rubber counterparts. These ribbons are rich in color, and you can choose exactly what you need.

Masking tapes made of polyvinyl chloride, which combines a low price and good properties, have received no less popularity. Such tapes, like polyurethane, are wear-resistant, they have the same set of colors, but at the same time they are an order of magnitude cheaper than a polyurethane analogue.

It is difficult for buyers to identify a clear favorite. Each material is good in its own way and has both advantages and disadvantages that are deducted from the cost of the finished product.

The ribbons are divided not only in shape and color, but even in the texture of the coating, so you can choose exactly the solution that suits the design of your room.

Textured ribbons are divided into several types:

• Matte or anti-reflective.They are used for finishing canvases with a matte texture, which is most often used in retail and office premises.
• Glossy models are designed to complement glossy ceilings. Such ribbons reflect light well, allowing you to create interesting overflows right under your ceiling.

• Embossed ribbons with patterns are used as a continuation of a stretch ceiling or act as a highlight of the entire interior of a room. These ribbons can complement the vintage style.

Also, a significant role in the choice of tape is played not only by its color, but also by the shades of the environment. If you select the tape to match the color of the walls and furniture, then you will visually increase the height of the ceiling, and if you select the tape in the color of the ceiling covering, then you will visually increase the area of ​​the visible part of the ceiling.

Nowadays, boring white ribbons are used less and less, giving preference to bright designer colors. For example, a very popular trend is mixing bright colors, which, it would seem, cannot be combined with each other in any way. It is not uncommon to find overflows of colors or a gradient that is obtained when manually painting masking tapes.

Making joints is a creative process, and with modern technology, no one limits you in the embodiment of the exclusive design of the room. You can create your own unique style that will reflect not only your taste, but also your lifestyle. Masking tape can be the foundation of your mood.

Among the huge selection of products, it is quite difficult not to become a victim of marketing and find a product that is truly necessary and worth your money. It is also important to be able to save money without neglecting the quality indicators of products.

The second important criterion is elasticity. The product must be flexible and strong enough so that the service life is as long as possible, and the tape can hide flaws for a long time.

The third factor is material. Don't choose low-quality polyurethane or PVC tapes. Such products can not only deteriorate in a short period of time, but also become a real time bomb that will poison your body. You should not buy the cheapest Chinese tape from the construction market, it is best to purchase it in certified stores or, if possible, directly from the manufacturer.

Choosing the cheapest product is a pretty big risk. Unknown firms very often save on the quality of the product for the sake of its cost, which is why their product is much cheaper than a similar offer from large manufacturers. In order to avoid a mistake, it is best to study the popular construction forums, where amateurs and professionals in their field will be happy to answer and help you.

There are times when a fake is sold in construction markets under the guise of famous brands. Such a product can be two, three, or even four times cheaper. Most likely, a cheap Chinese copy is hidden under the expensive label. It is not difficult to distinguish between the original and the fake.

It is enough to pay attention to the following signs:

• The quality of the paint. The first thing you should pay attention to is paint. It should be uniform and uniform, without any smudges and overflows.A Chinese copy very often has small defects along the edges of the product, which may not immediately be noticed, but with a longer study, it is much easier to detect them.
• Unity of the series. All tapes from one package must match in color and shade. A difference in color is a clear sign of a fake.
• Smell. Cheap products have a strong, characteristic plastic smell. If you have smelled it, it is better to bypass this tape side.

PVC stretch ceilings are recognized by many as the most beautiful solution for finishing ceilings. Indeed, a stretch ceiling can be completely made according to your taste and preferences, the installation does not require a lot of time, and the result pleases for a very long time. However, many are in no hurry to hang them because of a small detail - the gap between the wall and the ceiling, which supposedly can ruin the overall picture and the result of the work done.

Someone solves this problem with the help of skirting boards and other devices, but such options are not quite simple and practical, as we would like. Skirting boards are replaced by masking tapes, which are designed to save you from unwanted gaps. This product has many advantages. Various shapes, unusual color schemes, drawings, textures - all this allows you to choose a truly suitable option for the interior of your room.

A stretch ceiling paired with an insert can correct any, even gross mistakes made during the rough finish, and given that the tapes can be used many times, and the stretch canvas is made of high-strength materials, you can not be afraid of any external influences, be it light or flood.

But do not forget that a high-quality product costs money, so you should not save and buy the first cheap analogue that comes across. Oddly enough, buying such products, you will not only not save, but also spend more money on a quick replacement of the deteriorated canvas. The plastic color model won't cost you too much. The main thing is to insert it correctly so that it will serve for a long time.

The choice of ceiling covering depends on your personal preferences, and the design of the ceiling is dictated by your imagination. Ceiling tapes, like skirting boards, have both a number of advantages and a number of disadvantages. Before choosing a particular option, weigh the pros and cons, consult with familiar experts and show your own imagination in design. The decoration of your room is in your hands.

For information on how to install a stretch ceiling insert, see the following video.