If there is a stretch ceiling in the room, how to remove it without damaging it? This question is asked by many property owners who are interested in preserving the material, as they simply lay additional communications under the ceiling, repair wiring and fix other problems that require the dismantling of the structure.
The history of the appearance of the stretch ceiling
The history of stretch ceilings goes back to Ancient Rome. At that time, fabric was used for drapery, the color of which was carefully selected, as it had to match the shade of the wall. A significant disadvantage was that the service life of such a material was very low.
The second allusion to the stretch ceiling in a later historical period is the use of calico soaked in chalk in Armenia in the 17th century. This material was stretched over the frame, so the result was a perfectly flat ceiling.
Appearancemodern stretch ceiling happened 30 years ago in France.
What is a stretch ceiling
Stretch ceiling is a flat surface obtained by stretching a special PVC film. Polyester fabric is also often used as a material for a stretch ceiling. In modern designs, the first option is often used.
The stretching of a thin film or fabric is carried out on a special frame (baguette), the attachment point of which is the base ceiling. The result is a perfectly flat and uniform surface, similar to a hard ceiling.
Pros of a stretch ceiling
Stretch ceiling has many advantages over other finishing materials:
- PVC film is the easiest way to get a perfectly flat surface.
- Fastening technology is considered the simplest and fastest. First, a special frame is installed on the wall, and then a film is stretched over it, heated with a heat gun. The duration of such installation takes no more than 4 hours. In addition, before starting installation work, there is no need to take out all the furniture. It is enough just to move it to the center, thereby freeing access to the walls.
- The stretch ceiling is characterized by high strength (up to 100 kg per 1 m2), which often saves in case of flooding from above.
- Such a surface is easy to clean thanks to a thin micron layer of Teflon.
Types of stretch ceilings
Before answering the question of how to withdrawstretch ceiling, you should decide on its type. This information is usually contained on the letterhead of the company that installed the product.
So, the canvas can be:
- Made of PVC. Mounting / dismantling of such a design requires a high temperature (about 70 degrees). If such warming is not provided, then you can simply ruin the canvas. A heat gun allows you to reach this temperature.
- Seamless fabric. The advantage of this type is the following point: the room does not need to be heated in order to install or dismantle the ceiling. It is recommended to start work from the central part of the ceiling and gradually move to the corners.
Mounting methods
So, stretch ceiling - how to remove it? The solution to this issue largely depends on what type of fastening was used during installation:
- Harpoon system, used only if a PVC sheet is installed. This mounting method greatly simplifies the dismantling process.
- Fixing the material to the baguette using the wedge or glazing method. A similar method can be used for PVC or fabric webs. Is it possible to remove the stretch ceiling using the above option with your own hands, and then install it in the same place? No. Parsing the structure is, of course, possible, but knocking out a wedge on your own without experience is quite difficult.
- Mounting with plastic clipscan only be used for a seamless web of fabric. Installation and dismantling of such a design are considered the simplest.
Required tools
When answering the question of how to remove a stretch ceiling, you need to keep in mind that first you should stock up on such tools:
- typical plastering trowel with sharpened corners;
- with pliers, which are characterized by a non-standard size of working "sponges";
- standard utility knife;
- heat gun of any type;
- large-sized clothespins, which are usually used to hang the film during dismantling.
Which method to choose in order to disassemble the stretch ceiling, you need to decide based on the type of its construction.
Dismantle PVC stretch ceiling
How to remove this type of ceiling? First you need to decide on the type of fastening. If the harpoon method was used during installation, then disassembly and reassembly of the ceiling is possible, and if using a wedge, then you can forget about re-assembling the structure.
The following is a step-by-step instruction describing how to remove the stretch ceiling with your own hands:
- Before starting work, you need to free the room as much as possible, and cover the furniture that cannot be taken out with a heat-resistant fabric.
- Heat the room with a heat gun. If the room is not heated enough, then the dismantling work will be doomed to failure - the film will tear. The optimum temperature forparsing the canvas - at least 600 degrees.
- First, you need to prepare a stepladder and find an assistant who will hold the cannon. So to the question of how to remove the stretch ceiling yourself, you can safely answer: no way, since you can’t do without a second person.
- The entire dismantling process should be accompanied by heating the web, as this greatly facilitates the workflow and avoids surface rupture. However, you need to remember that too close the location of the gun can damage the material.
Seamless fabric ceiling
How to remove, install a stretch ceiling, the material for the manufacture of which served as a seamless fabric? If the fastening is stud or wedge, then installation / dismantling work should be carried out in the same order as with a PVC sheet. The only difference is that there is no need to use a heat gun, and dismantling starts from the middle of the wall, and then gradually shifts to the corner.
The dismantling of the canvas, for which clip-on baguettes were used, has the following feature: it will not be possible to partially replace the material, since the stretch ceiling will have to be removed completely. If this is not done, sooner or later the clip will pop out, which will lead to the forced replacement of the entire ceiling.
Repair of stretch ceiling
How to remove, install a stretch ceiling? This question can concern anyone, because cuts and punctures are the damage that most often affects tensionceilings.
In the event of such a trouble, each owner begins to think how to fix the situation and at the same time spend as little as possible. It all depends on what material was used to make the canvas, and on the size of the "wound" itself.
Fabric ceiling repair
How to remove and install a stretch ceiling? If the fabric was damaged by a cut, then repair work can be done independently. The detected damage should simply be sealed with a piece of glass fiber or a particle of material left after the installation work. For gluing the patch on the reverse side, transparent glue is usually used. At the end, it is recommended to cover the repaired area with paint of a suitable tone.
PVC sheet repair
If the location of the cut or puncture of the PVC film structure is near the wall (distance no more than 15 cm), then the dismantling of the canvas should begin from the side of the damage, cut off the affected area along the entire length, re-stretch the film and tuck it into frame. This workflow will not change the appearance of the surface.
If the damage is somewhat removed from the wall, then dragging the ceiling should not be done, as this will simply ruin it. In this situation, it is better to use the following tricks:
- a small cut can be a great place to install an additional lamp or ventilation grill;
- bigthe size can be masked with a color application or a panel.
To eliminate a puncture on a PVC ceiling, the size of which does not exceed 1-2 mm, special glue is enough. It will not only hide the damage, but also prevent the canvas from diverge further. But to get rid of a large puncture, you will need to follow the same steps as with a cut.
Do not forget that if the installation of the ceiling fabric was carried out by specialists, then for repairs you also need to call them, and not come up with a way to seal a cut or puncture. The thing is that unsuccessful independent work will void the warranty on the installation performed earlier, as a result of which you will have to pay for the elimination of any negative consequences.
