In this article we will consider the installation of a rack ceiling - one of the most durable and inexpensive variants of ceiling design in residential and industrial premises.
This is a kind of false ceiling.
It consists of metal lines in the form of rails up to 6 meters long and 50-200 mm wide.
The plates are made of aluminum blanks and varnished.
High resistance to moisture allows the installation of a lath ceiling in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the relaxation room near the sauna, in swimming pools and other areas where there is a high level of condensation.
Watch the video of the interiors with the use of a rack ceiling.
Video:
Contents:
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Types of lath ceilings and well-known brands
- Assembly of
- rails How to make a frame?
- Assembly of
panels Advantages and disadvantages of
Like any other finishing material, the rack profile also has its pros and cons.
And it has many advantages:
- Good ventilation. There is a negative experience of using a false ceiling on the example of plastic. At certain times it was believed that the plastic ceiling is ideal in the bathroom or in the kitchen. However, the sheets of plastic that were densely attached to each other prevented the natural circulation of air in the ceiling area. As a result, mold was formed there, which later descended down the walls. The rack ceiling provides good ventilation between the air in the room and in the ceiling area, due to the presence of gaps between the panels. Comparing the lath ceiling and classic waterproof plasterboard, one can note the following - if the bathroom is small or there are problems with ventilation, then for gypsum, even taking into account the water repellent coating, the condensate can be devastating;
- Coating stability. In comparison with the same plastic hanging constructions, which lost their color for a year and a half, the rack panels are made of stainless metal, they have additional spraying of nickel or chromium, so the color is stable and does not change during operation;
- Visual expansion of space in small rooms. The space in a small bathroom can be visually increased by applying a mirror lath ceiling. The same effect can be achieved in a small kitchen;
- Light weight makes it possible to assemble the structure yourself. A simple and clear installation of the frame makes it possible to make the installation of the rack ceiling by one's own hands within one working day;
- You can wash the lath ceiling with any chemical means, but usually a soapy solution is enough;
- Possibility to do it yourself.
Video:
There are practically no technological flaws in the rack ceilings.
Of course, it costs more than a plastic false ceiling, but these shortcomings of plastic clearly support the rails.
Types of lath ceilings and known brands
The type of lath ceiling is determined by the appearance of the panels. When the type is open, the assembly must be completed with additional inserts between the panels.
They can differ in color from the slats( in this case, the inserts "show the direction of the ceiling") or be in the same tone. It is very advantageous to combine a mirror and a red color.
The closed type assumes that the installation takes place without the distance between the panels. So you can create a monochrome design, and you can alternate different color racks.
There are many brands of lath ceilings on the market. Some of the best-selling products are the products of Bard, Albes and the ceilings of Cesal from the domestic manufacturer Alkonplast.
The panels differ in design. Consider two types of panels - German and French profile.
It should be noted that the names are not related to the country of the producer, but only determine the type. Both types can be found in the Cesal line.
French aluminum S-shaped rails can be mounted as a butt( in this case, the result is a flat ceiling), and with the distance for the decorative tab.
The edges of the slats are chamfered in the shape of the letter S. If you make the rack ceiling smooth, then this design of the rail is simply convenient. If you want to give it a three-dimensional appearance, then leave a small distance.
Video:
Reiki of German design Cesal with rectangular edges. They are always mounted with inserts.
As for the color gamut, each manufacturer has 5-20 colors. Very interesting in the bathroom or in the kitchen will look Cesal white panels, diluted with golden inserts.
Before purchasing materials, calculate how long the waste will be minimized. Available materials are 3 and 4 meters in length.
Installation of
rails Consider how to install the rack ceiling with your own hands. Instructions for the assembly of the ceiling is divided into three steps - the installation of a frame, the supply of electrical wiring and the installation of racks.
Pre-clean the ceiling of the plaster or the remains of the old false ceiling. If the ceilings are of standard height, then we will use ceiling skirting boards, bearing profiles and suspensions.
In low rooms, to minimize the ceiling area, you can make a frame without hanging, and fix the profiles directly to the ceiling, removing them in one plane by adding pads in the fixation points.
In narrow spaces, there is also no sense in installing carriers( reducing the height of walls in a small room visually reduces it even more).
In rooms up to 2 meters wide you can attach the slats directly to the skirting boards. To prevent sagging panels, grab them with screws in several places to the ceiling.
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In both of these cases, there is no way to install the ceiling lights, and you should consider organizing the lighting on the walls of the room.
The laying of racks can be made both parallel to the walls of the room, and at an angle to them. In the second case, the frame guides must also be at an angle.
How to make a frame?
On the perimeter of the walls are installed skirting boards. All plinths must be in the same plane with a minimum distance from the carriers to the ceiling, determined from the instructions for the lighting devices.
So, fluorescent lights require a minimum of 14-15 cm of space, and in order to make the electrical connection to the halogen or LED lights, it will take 7-8 cm.
If the walls are uneven or you do not have the experience of installing the structures yourself,marking for skirting boards. On the wall, apply a line on which the plinth will be fixed in the future.
Mark the midpoint on each wall and extend the cord, check the level with an evenness. Newcomers should be marked with chalk to be easily erased if necessary.
Plinths are fixed to the walls by dowels, step 30-40 cm. When plinths are recruited, carriers can be fixed.
Scheme - a step of 30 cm from the walls and a distance of no more than 1.2 meters from each other.
To do this, mark the beginning and end of the line on the walls, lower the perpendiculars to the ceiling and mark the fixing points of the suspension clamps. They serve as support points for the suspended structure.
Fastening of suspension clamps is made by dowels, the level at which the clamp will hold the bearing support is adjustable. Now you need to connect the carriers with the baseboard and hang them on the clamps.
Check the horizontal level of each carrier, if necessary, adjust it with clamps.
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Before you finish the work, make sure that all the carriers are in the same plane. To do this perpendicular to them, attach a long level.
When the load-bearing frames are a flat horizontal plane, you can proceed to the next stage of work.
The process of dialing the frame can be seen on the video.
Assembly of
panels Before installing the panels, it is necessary to make holes for the fixtures in them. This is done with metal scissors. Calculate that the edges of the holes do not come into contact with the hanging clamps.
It is necessary to check that the cut is smooth and if necessary sand it with sandpaper. Sharp edges can injure hands when installing lighting fixtures.
Now you can attach the slats to the frame and apply a projection of the future electrical point to the ceiling. This will help to accurately bring the electrical wires.
The wiring is wrapped in the corrugation and securely fixed to the ceiling( you will dial the panels without seeing the wiring, and there is a risk of damaging it by self-tapping).
Near each point, provide 5-7 cm of sagging of the cord, make sure that it is not located near the carrier on which you will be recruiting slats.
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The wiring diagram should be drawn on paper, there should also be a skeleton plan. When repairing this will help to understand where the wiring is.
The rails are installed in the following way: perpendicular to the rails and the slats are snap-locked. The first rake from the wall is not cut off, and the latter can be cut if necessary.
When all the panels are installed, you can hang fixtures.
On this we finished the lath ceiling with our own hands. After finishing the walls around the perimeter, attach the decorative skirting board.
Even if you did not have the experience of assembling gypsum boards yourself, you can easily cope with the assembly of the rack structure.
The above step-by-step instruction and video will allow you to easily create a ceiling room with racks.
Note the two conclusions of the article:
- The rack ceiling is a durable and convenient version of the suspended ceiling;
- The technology of installing the rack ceiling is quite possible even for a person who did not have the experience of finishing work.
