Drywall box on the ceiling under a suspended ceiling with backlight

The main problem when installing suspended ceilings, which are becoming increasingly popular among the population, are various communications that take place in the upper part of the room. So that they do not spoil the overall picture, you can hide them in a box of drywall under a suspended ceiling. In addition, the additional lighting placed in such a design is much more convenient to mount and maintain. In addition, the use of GKL boxes expands the number of possible ceiling design options almost to infinity.

What box configuration to choose?

Stretch ceiling in an apartment with a drywall box can have a different shape. The simplest and most often used option is a rectangular box around the perimeter of the room. It is also easy to install.

Mounting a curved box is a little more difficult, but in this case, drywall is the most suitable material. Designs can be multi-level, if the height of the room allows it. There is no point in describing them all, but some basic requirements or nuances can be distinguished:

• When designing, it is better to use the services or at least the advice of professional designers. It’s not easy to imagine how the whole structure will look in the end. The placement of fixtures, the configuration of the box, the color and type of the film of the stretch ceiling, the division into zones - it is difficult to take into account all the points. And it will be very disappointing to spend time, effort and money, and get an unsuccessful result on the way out.

• A plasterboard box on the ceiling should be of sufficient depth to fit built-in lighting devices. If it disguises communications, such as pipes, it is imperative to provide a clearance of 5-6 cm between them and the structural elements. Otherwise, undesirable consequences can be obtained, such as the transmission of vibrations from pipes through the duct or the destruction of drywall by condensate forming on them.
• The level of the stretch ceiling will eventually be located slightly above the level of the suspended structure of the box.
• For the installation of a stretch ceiling, it is more advisable to invite specialists, since the implementation of this work will require not only special skills, but also expensive equipment.

What tools and materials need to be prepared?

Given that only gypsum plasterboard will be mounted independently, and the installation of a suspended ceiling will be carried out by specialists, there will not be so many tools:

• Instrument for measuring and marking: laser or water level, tape measure, plumb line, masking cord and square.
• Puncher for drilling holes for dowels in the ceiling and walls. You can do with a percussion drill, but it does not always cope with reinforced concrete slabs.
• Screwdriver for fastening profiles and drywall.
• For cutting sheets - a paint knife with interchangeable blades.
• Scissors for metal come in handy when working with profiles.
• Castellated milling cutter for cutting drywall holes in fixtures.
• Set of putty knives for puttying the box for finishing.

Before purchasing material, you can not do without drawing up a detailed drawing. It is with its help that the necessary number of various structural elements of the box is determined. It is recommended to purchase material with a small margin. To equip the drywall box, you will need:

• Guide and ceiling profiles marked with the letters UD and CD, respectively. When installing complex structures with several levels and curved surfaces, other types of profile can be used.
• Direct suspensions. Their number is calculated according to the drawing. With a considerable depth of the box, wire suspensions are used, since the length of the straight lines is no longer enough to fix the profiles.
• Fasteners: dowel-nails with a diameter of 6 mm, small metal screws - “fleas” or “bugs” for fastenings of profiles, single-level connectors ("crabs"), self-tapping screws 25 mm long for fixing drywall.
• When puttying the box, perforated corners are useful for finishing external corners.
• Drywall sheets, the quantity of which is also determined using the drawing.

Frame layout

First of all, it should be noted on the wall the lower boundary of the manufactured box. If the design is multi-level, the location of each of the levels is marked.

• Using a tape measure, a point on the wall corresponding to the depth of the drywall box is marked.
• Using a laser or water level, mark the points of the lower boundary at the corners of the room. It is recommended to connect them with a line using a paint cord.
• Marking guide profiles on the ceiling. In the case of a rectangular box, everything is quite simple: with the help of a square and a tape measure, the width of the structure is laid off, and the line can be drawn using the same masking cord. It is more difficult with a curly ceiling: it is easiest to make a template from thick cardboard, and then circle it on the ceiling.
• On the ceiling, the axial lines of the bearing profiles are marked. It is recommended to place them through 600 mm. The locations of perpendicular jumpers are also marked, if necessary.
• On the centerlines will be mounted direct suspensions. If the supporting profile has a length of not more than 60 cm and one of its edges will be rigidly fixed in the guide on the wall, then one suspension is enough. With a longer length, at least two products are required.

After the marking stage, it is recommended to carry out preparatory work for the installation of lamps: mark and drill holes for their fastening, lead the wires, enclosing them in corrugated sleeves. You can do this later, but then the installed frame elements will interfere.

Installation of profiles

• Guide profiles are attached to the wall and ceiling with dowel nails. If the design is curly, then the profiles will need to be bent. To do this, side shelves are cut with metal scissors at the bend point, after which the profile will easily take the desired configuration. If you need to bend it inward, then the cutouts on the side surfaces are made in the form of a triangle: so the petals will not run into each other.
• Holes are drilled, the required number of suspensions is installed.
• Mounting profiles are mounted on a level, fixed by “fleas” in guides and direct suspensions.
• On the ends of the bearing profiles, a piece of the guide is worn, which will be the outer edge of the frame, and is fixed with screws or cutter.
• The necessary jumpers are installed. The more of them, the stiffer the design.

Final stage

Drywall sheets, pre-cut to size, are attached to the assembled frame. The step of screwing in the screws is 25 cm. It is not recommended to join the sheets of drywall in the corners: this can lead to the formation of cracks.

The seams between the sheets are glued with reinforcing tape and putty. Putty also cover the holes from the screws. Attach perforated corners to the outer corners. After drying and applying the finish layer, you can install fixtures and call professionals to install the stretch ceiling.