At first glance, it would seem that today it is not difficult to find beautiful high-quality ceiling coverings. The choice of such products in construction supermarkets is huge. However, this is the opinion of people who have not yet encountered repairs.
In fact, the problem lies precisely in the large selection of materials offered. They differ in technical characteristics, external features, cost. In this article, we will present you the most popular options for ceiling coverings, the materials from which they are made. In addition, you will find out in what conditions they are recommended to be used. We hope that our recommendations will help you in choosing the right option.
Types of ceiling coverings
Today, there are several popular coating options that are used in residential areas. We will present you the most common ones.
Whitewashing or painting
This finish is only suitable for perfectly flat surfaces. Without preliminary preparation of the ceiling, you will not be able to get a good result.
Wallpapering
This is a rather old way of finishing, which has not lost its relevance andtoday. It is used not only for decoration of residential premises, but also for the design of offices and small retail premises.
Suspended structures
Today, one of the most common ways to repair the ceiling in apartments. For its manufacture, a special frame is made, to which the exterior trim is attached - different materials from which you can create interesting compositions suitable for different interiors.
Cassettes, plates
Ceilings that are assembled on a frame from individual elements. It can be plates, metal cassettes, gratings. This type includes Armstrong ceiling covering and grilyato ceilings. Most often this type of ceiling is used in commercial or office spaces.
Stretch fabric
These modern ceiling coverings are gaining more and more popularity every year. This is due to the versatility of the material and its wide design possibilities.
Panels and slabs
They can be made from foam or plastic. Polyurethane or plastic boards are often used in summer cottages or in budget apartment renovations.
Types of ceiling coverings are divided into several groups:
- Hanging.
- Stretch.
- Plastered.
- Hemmed.
- Adhesive.
The most commonly used today is a suspended ceiling. This is a structure that consists of facing elements and a frame. Usually a wooden or metal frame,holding the slabs is created in the form of a lattice, which is held on hangers attached to the wall or main ceiling. Facing materials are mounted after the frame is fully fixed on the hangers. They must meet the basic requirements: have the same shape and dimensions of the panel. Professional installers call these elements modules or registers.
The creation of such a ceiling is justified when it is required to make the main ceiling "invisible", but at the same time retain access to engineering systems and communications - computer and television wiring, ventilation and heating equipment, electrics. These structures contain fire systems, ventilation grilles, lighting devices and at the same time the acoustics are noticeably improved. According to the type of facing material used, such ceilings can be lattice, modular, solid or slatted.
Suspended structure benefits:
Durability
Ceilings of this type, installation companies provide a fairly long warranty. Giving a warranty card for ten years, they, as a rule, play it safe: in fact, the design lasts much longer, without changing the technical characteristics and external features.
Aesthetics
Suspended ceiling coverings perfectly hide the imperfections of the main surface. For their installation, there is no need to perfectly level the surface, whiten or paint it.
Providing heat and sound insulation
Such ceiling coverings forrooms provide high resistance to sudden temperature changes, which is especially important in apartments located in a multi-storey building. Excellent soundproofing ensures that noisy neighbors will not disturb you.
Even the best ceiling coverings have flaws. In suspended structures, these include:
- Reducing the distance between floor and ceiling. This design reduces the height of the room by 5-15 cm. With a main ceiling height of less than three meters, this can be considered a significant drawback.
- Quite a high cost. Whitewashing or painting, no doubt, will not require large financial investments, but when the ceiling is uneven, full of cracks, then additional expenses for leveling it will be required. In addition, in this case, additional inconveniences should be taken into account: dirt, dust, construction debris.
- Without the help of professionals, it is difficult to quickly and correctly make such a ceiling. Special knowledge, skills and equipment required.
For any ceiling structures, you can use various coatings from which a decorative canvas is assembled. Therefore, having chosen a suitable design, you should also choose the material from which the ceiling will be made.
Ceiling materials
Modern ceiling coverings can have different designs and have different properties, which allows them to be used in different rooms. Characteristics depend on the properties of the selected material. Let's look at what are the ceiling coverings and theirspecies, what properties they have.
Plaster
This type of finish has long been well known. It is quite complex and time consuming to implement. It takes a lot of time (even for professionals) to level the surface, putty and paint it. In addition, to achieve a good result, it is necessary to mount a special plaster mesh.
However, subject to technology, you can get the highest quality ceiling, which will be perfect smoothness. And one more important point: for rooms that are too low (for example, in Khrushchevs), this option is sometimes the only one, since it does not reduce the height of the room.
This coating has a significant drawback - the difficulty in cleaning, it is impossible to wash. If such a finish is made in a new building, very soon the surface may become covered with cracks that form during the shrinkage of the building.
Wallpaper
To reduce labor costs, putty and paint can be replaced by wallpapering. This will significantly reduce the cost of the ceiling. In principle, any wallpaper can be stuck on the surface of the ceiling, but in order to get a high-quality coating, it is better to use special canvases designed specifically for this surface.
Adhesive ceiling coverings are quite often used not only in residential premises, but also in offices and trade enterprises. The basis for the manufacture of such material is fiberglass. Experts recommend using the following types of wallpaper for the ceiling:
- vinyl;
- non-woven;
- liquid wallpaper;
- glass wallpaper.
Before pasting, ceiling preparation is required. You can not fix minor defects, but large cracks must be repaired. At a cost, these are very affordable ceilings. Ceiling wallpaper can be used as a budget option for surface refinement. The disadvantages include the impossibility of wet cleaning.
Styrofoam tiles
This material is mounted on floor slabs with glue. It should be noted that when using conventional plates, the surface does not look very attractive (although this is a matter of taste). Much prettier are the seamless canvases that are assembled from such plates. The special edge shape and special pattern give the appearance of a solid surface.
Today, special models of this material have appeared, from which it is possible to create an imitation of other ceiling structures. The advantages of this coating include low cost and the ability not to process the base surface. The disadvantage of this coating is an outdated appearance.
Racking and plastic panels
Such coatings are similar in installation and technical characteristics. Differences exist in their appearance, as well as the price range. By their type, they belong to suspended ceilings. Making such a ceiling with your own hands is quite simple. It does not require surface preparation.
These covers are interesting and, withdesign point of view. Communications and ventilation can be carried out inside such a structure, and, for example, spotlights can be made in the ceiling itself.
The disadvantage of this design is the reduction in ceiling height by about seven centimeters. At the same time, it is very easy to install and a beautiful type of decor. The panels are available with different patterns, but the most commonly used surface imitations of wood with a characteristic pattern. The panels are mounted on a frame base or on glue, directly on the floor.
In the first case, you can get a kind of suspended ceiling. The second option is much simpler and can be used even in not too high rooms. Since natural materials are valued today, panels covered with real wood veneer can be an excellent choice.
Plastic and metal ceiling coverings look interesting. In the bathroom or kitchen, they will be indispensable, because water resistance and easy maintenance in these rooms are essential.
Stretch fabric
In recent years, stretch ceilings are increasingly being installed in residential premises. Today we can confidently say that this is the best ceiling coating. It refers to the varieties of suspended ceiling. Today, the stretch fabric is distinguished by a variety of textures and rich colors. For their manufacture, a wide variety of films are used, as well as textiles that do not require the use of a heat gun during installation.
Stretch fabrics, regardless ofmaterial used, have excellent performance and can be applied in any room. If desired, a drawing can be applied to the stretch fabric. This allows you to create unique ceiling designs.
Despite the fact that today these ceiling coverings are very popular, one cannot but mention the shortcomings of this design:
- height reduction, which is typical for all suspended structures;
- difficulty in moving lamps without the help of a specialist;
- impossibility to repair damage to the canvas;
- high cost (here it should be noted that today the cost of such a coating has decreased, and it may well compete with drywall).
Drywall
And these are the most versatile ceiling coverings. They have proven themselves as reliable and high-quality material. GKL is mounted on a frame base, and the final appearance of the structure depends only on the imagination of the designer or your own.
Drywall allows you to create a composition of almost any shape. There is an opinion that this is an expensive material, but this is not true. At first, when it first appeared on our market, it was somewhat overpriced, but today it is not the most expensive way to finish.
It should be noted that today new samples of this material have appeared, which are characterized by increased moisture resistance, which allows it to be used even in the bathroom.
Mirror panels
Besides being very beautiful, mirrored ceiling coverings will help you create a unique interior in any room: they will “raise” the ceiling, visually expand the room, make it brighter and more spacious.
In installation, the mirror ceiling resembles a cassette one, but there is a difference: in it, the plasterboard modules are replaced by mirror plates, which are pasted over with an anti-shatter film for strength and protection on the back. The size of the plates is standard - 600x600 mm. This structure is supported by profiles that can be of various colors, as well as mirrored, like the plates themselves. This ceiling has a high level of moisture resistance, so it can be successfully used in the bathroom (of course, if the height allows).
As you can see, the choice of ceiling coverings today is great. However, if you take into account all the advantages and disadvantages of existing structures and materials, you will certainly be able to make the right choice for your room.
