Stretch ceiling is a popular type of decoration in a house or apartment. At the same time, it is quite possible to install it with your own hands. The master will need a clear understanding of the methodology for this process. You should also properly prepare the material and tools for such work. You may need to rent certain equipment. Only in this case it will be possible to create a spectacular stretch ceiling with your own hands. The details of this work will be discussed later.
Varieties of materials
How to stretch a stretch ceiling with your own hands? This question may be of interest to the owners of a house or apartment who wish to make repairs on their own. This work can be done independently. You need to know about some of the intricacies of such a finish. There are stretch fabrics made of PVC film or special fabric.
When choosing materials for finishing, they take into account the characteristics of the room, in what conditions it will be used. Each type of clothfeatures special specifications.
Fabric stretch ceilings are made from dense fibers that are impregnated with special compounds. The result is a canvas that is resistant to various adverse effects. It will be strong and durable enough. This material has many design options.
Fabric monotone coatings are rare. Most often, such materials have a pattern. It can be simple or complex. In some cases, real paintings are painted on the surface of the canvases. The ceiling in this case is a real work of art. Most often, such ceilings are mounted in a children's room, bedroom, office.
Do-it-yourself stretch ceiling can be installed using a different method. In this case, PVC film is used. It is stretched onto prepared guides, and then heated. This type of finish can be glossy or matte. The first option is used more often. This is a beautiful finish that does not let moisture through. Such a ceiling can often be found in the bathroom, kitchen or hallway. This type of finish is cheaper than fabric varieties.
Mounting Features
You can create a single-level and two-level stretch ceiling with your own hands. At the same time, canvases are often combined with materials such as drywall. The technique of mounting canvases may be different.
It is easier to install fabric materials yourself. However, they are mounted once. If you make a mistake during installation, it is possible that the canvas cannot be repaired or installed again in prepared baguettes. Soduring the installation process, you must perform all actions clearly and accurately.
Dismantling and repairing do-it-yourself stretch ceilings, which are made of PVC, is much easier to do. However, special equipment (heat gun) is used to install such canvases. It allows you to make the ceiling even and shiny. Seams will not show when properly installed.
Beads or wedges are used to fix the canvases. In some cases, the harpoon method is used. It is difficult to use, so it is rarely used. The master himself must weld the harpoons to the edges of the canvas. This requires some experience and the availability of special equipment. You can order a similar service from a specialized company. However, it will be easier to dismantle and reinstall the canvas in baguettes in this case.
With the help of a glazing bead, the canvas, which is wound into a baguette, can be firmly fixed in the guides. It can also be used to fix the clip. The choice of material for fixation may be different. The choice depends on the preferences of the master.
Preparation for installation
Before you start work, you need to consider the installation of a stretch ceiling with your own hands step by step. The room must be properly prepared. All furniture is taken out of it. If it is planned to carry out repairs to the premises, the walls must be covered with putty. All finishing work must be completed.
No old finishes should remain on the ceiling. Pieces of paint or whitewash may peel off. They will accumulate on the back of the cover. This will worsen its appearance. Therefore, the foundation is cleansed. If there are plates on the ceiling, the distance between them is sealed with putty.
When finishing the walls, you need to achieve their evenness. This will greatly simplify the procedure for installing profiles and stretching the web. Also, before starting work, all necessary communications are mounted on the ceiling. These can be ventilation ducts, wires for connecting spotlights, chandeliers, etc.
There is one more preparatory stage of work. If a chandelier is installed in the room, you need to prepare a platform for it. This procedure is best done after installing the guide profiles. Only after proper preparation, you can proceed with the installation.
Tools and materials
Considering the installation of stretch ceilings with your own hands step by step, you should pay attention to the preparation of the necessary materials. In some cases, you will need to purchase or rent the necessary equipment.
In the process, a puncher and a screwdriver will definitely come in handy. You need to purchase a building level. You will also need a tape measure and a pencil. The canvas is installed in the guides with the help of special blades. They have different configurations. Therefore, a whole set is purchased (straight, angled blades).
You also need to purchase a canvas of the appropriate size. After that, a profile and an element for fixation are selected. Guides are plastic and aluminum. The second option is preferable. The material will be more durable andmore reliable.
To install a chandelier or spotlights, special rings are purchased. They will close the slots in the material, preventing its deformation and rupture. They are attached to a special glue, which will also need to be purchased in advance.
The film is stretched when using heating equipment. It can be a heat gun or a building hair dryer. Fabric ceilings do not need heating. Therefore, many owners decide to install this particular type of canvas.
Installing guides
Do-it-yourself stretch ceilings are installed without heating or using a heat gun on guides. To do this, you need to properly mark the walls. First you need to measure the distance from the floor to the corners. The lowest one is determined. From this angle, you need to measure down at least 5 cm. If lamps are mounted in the ceiling, this figure is 10 cm.
Further from this point, markings are applied along the perimeter of the walls using the building level. Guides will be mounted along this line. It is very important that this line is exactly horizontal. This will hide the irregularities of the ceiling, make the finish beautiful and even.
Next, a profile is applied to the wall. Using a perforator, you need to make markings for fasteners. Small holes are made through the profile. The step between them is 6-8 cm. Dowels should be installed at a distance of 5 cm near the edge of the profile. It is much easier to mark if the profile is glued to the wall. Places for installing dowels are drilled along the marked holes. With their help,profile fixation.
Installing the film web
Installing a stretch ceiling with your own hands can take a lot of time. Professionals cope with such a task in just a couple of hours. However, a novice master will need to tinker with installing the canvas.
If a PVC film structure is installed, the material must be unpacked and left indoors. At this time, you need to turn on the heat gun and warm the air up to 38-42 ºС. The tape will stretch a little. This will allow it to be tightened correctly. The film at this time is laid out on the base of the floor. It should be free of tools, debris and other foreign objects. They may damage the material.
After that, clamps are attached to the corners. With the help of such a clothespin, first one edge of the canvas is attached. After that, the opposite corner (diagonally) is installed in the clamp, then the remaining corners are fixed. After that, the canvas is heated to a temperature of 70 ºС. Using the blades in the same sequence as for the clamps, the canvas is first fixed in the corners. After that, the clothespins are removed.
Then, from the center to the corners, the canvas is fixed in profile. To give the finish a finished look, you can install a decorative baguette around the perimeter of the room.
Installing fabric ceiling
Do-it-yourself fabric stretch ceiling is easier to install than PVC film. This is a one piece fabric with no seams. Its width can reach 5 m. This feature allows you to cover almost any room with this finish.
In thiscase, heating of the web is not required. Installation is carried out at normal temperature using pre-installed guides. It is necessary to give preference to powerful, durable profiles. The difference between this type of installation is a different web tension pattern.
When the guides are mounted on the walls, the fabric begins to stretch not from the corners, but from the center of each wall. First, with the help of clamps, a cross-shaped stretch is created. Then, using a spatula, the canvas is inserted into the prepared profile. Clamps are removed.
After that, the material is stretched from the center of the walls to the corners. There may be excess fabric. In this case, they need to be cut with a sharp knife. The work is carried out with the help of special blades. Installation is done carefully. There should be no wrinkles on the canvas.
Break Repair
In some cases, during operation, you have to repair stretch ceilings with your own hands. In this case, it may not be necessary to dismantle the canvas. This situation occurs with a small tear or puncture of the canvas. If a sharp object hits the surface of the finish with force, it will easily tear it. This is true for both film and fabric.
In this case, you can try to correct the situation. If the tear or puncture does not exceed 2 cm in length, you can use adhesive tape. A special adhesive is also used. These materials allow you to tighten the edges on the surface of the material. This must be done immediately after the break occurs. Otherwise, over timeincrease.
In some cases, you will need to apply a patch. To do this, you need to choose a material of the same texture and color as the installed ceiling. The material is placed inside the finish. The edges are glued with a special compound. Here you can also make a curly patch in the form of an application. In some cases, it is appropriate to install an additional spotlight here.
If the gap is large, you can stick a piece of glass wallpaper on it. This will increase the strength of the material in that location. After the glue dries, the cullets are painted in the same color as the ceiling. The fabric, if desired, can be sewn up with nylon threads. The seam can then be dyed in the same colors as the material at the rupture.
Other actions may be required in the process of do-it-yourself repair of a stretch ceiling. The cut may run along the seam of the plastic. In this case, it cannot be glued or sewn up. You will need to change the entire canvas.
Removing the ceiling
How to remove a stretch ceiling with your own hands? This question may arise if it is necessary to gain access to communications under a film or cloth. Also, when a PVC sheet is flooded with cold water, it will need to be carefully removed and drained. The dismantling procedure does not cause any particular difficulties.
You will need to prepare a heat gun if you need to remove the PVC sheet. After heating the material (when it stretches and becomes larger in size), it must be carefully pulled out of the guides with pliers. First you need to removedecorative plinth.
Work starts from the corner of the room. While dismantling will last, the surface will need to be heated periodically. This will give the film the necessary elasticity. Otherwise, the material may be torn. Warming up is a prerequisite for dismantling the film web.
And how to remove a fabric stretch ceiling with your own hands? This procedure is very difficult. In most cases, after its implementation, it will be impossible to operate the ceiling. The fact is that the fabric is fixed in the guides much more rigidly than PVC. Its dismantling will require significant physical effort. This procedure is carried out only when replacing the ceiling covering.
Recommendations for use
So that during operation you do not have to dismantle stretch ceilings with your own hands, you need to take into account a number of recommendations. Do not install electrical or other communications under fabric sheets. Getting to them will be difficult if necessary. With proper care, the presented ceilings can be used for up to 30 years.
In the first few weeks after installation, do not try to clean the surface of the film. She is still too fragile at this time. When it is less stretched, cleaning can be carried out. Also, do not touch the ceiling at this time. Do not allow children to play in a room with a stretch ceiling. They might throw something up, damaging the floor.
Surface cleaning is done with soapy water or non-abrasive detergent. In this case, you need to use a soft cloth or sponge. It is also unacceptablethat the detergent contains solvents. You need to clean the ceiling regularly, especially in the kitchen. If the surface becomes too dirty, it will be difficult to wash it off in one go. Periodic cleaning keeps the ceiling looking its best.
Also, do not open champagne in such a room, throw some things. This may cause the coating to break. Restoration, of course, will solve the problem. But often traces of punctures or tears cannot be hidden.
Having considered how to mount and repair a stretch ceiling with your own hands, you can perform all the steps yourself. The result will be high, and the finish will last.
