False ceiling with own hands

Today, increasingly in apartments and houses appear suspended ceilings of various types and their various materials. Advantages of such structures can be called short terms and relative ease of installation. If the art of plastering surfaces is not available to everyone, the flat installation of the frame and the installation on of of certain panels can probably be made by any owner of the house, who can use a drill, electric jigsaw and with screwdriver. Of course, there are also suspended ceilings, installation of which is better entrusted to specialists, since the technology of their installation will require the of a certain qualification. To such ceilings applies, for example, their tension variant.

Suspended ceiling with your own hands can be made of plasterboard, plastic panels, slabs made of different materials, wood lining, etc. To take decision for the right design choice for its version,.

Varieties ceilings

As a rule, most suspended ceilings are mounted on a frame made of wooden bars or metal profiles. This design becomes the basis for mounting the of the selected skin on the .

Metal elements are also used for tensioning surfaces, but this type of design is radically different from other ceilings.

The Armstrong suspended ceiling systems are also stand alone, which have become quite popular due to their aesthetic appearance and the 's ability to carry out repairs, quickly replacing the required number of damaged panels if necessary.

Suspended ceiling from drywall

Drywall is an environmentally friendly building material that does not emit absolutely no harmful vapors to the environment. By this parameter, it is ideally suited for finishing almost any surface in living quarters.

is probably the most popular material for suspended ceilings. Due to the fact that several types of this material are produced, it can be used not only in rooms with usual conditions, but also in rooms where the humidity exceeds the norm, for example, in the bathroom, onkitchen and as well .In addition, there are varieties of this material, which can be used for insulation of walls and ceiling from high temperatures, inevitably arising, for example, when melting a fireplace or stove.

Each of the types of drywall has its own marking and defined tinting of external cardboard surface:

Marking	Standard sheet size, mm	Coating color	Marking color	Appearance
GCR( normal)	1200 × 2500 Thickness 6;9.5;12.5 mm	Gray	Blue
GKLV( waterproof)	1200 × 2500 thickness 6;9.5;12.5 mm	Green	Blue
GKLO( fire-resistant)	1200 × 2500;1200 × 2600 thickness of 9.5;12.5 mm	Pink or gray	Red
GKLVO( fireproof and waterproof)	1200 × 2500 thickness 9,5;12.5 mm	Gray-green	Red

Gypsum boards can be easily attached to the frame from a wooden beam or metal profile. With the help of this material, it is possible to create perfectly flat surfaces, which, in addition, have quite good heat - and soundproofing qualities.

With the help of gypsum board, not only flat ceilings are created, but also multilevel, regular geometric configuration or having smooth curved shapes. If desired, , in such a multi-tiered design, you can easily place the original white or multi-colored backlight.

Drywall sheets - are affordable, and any family with an average income can buy them for housing repairs.

When installing a false ceiling, a non- gypsum board gives the a lot of dirt, which is inevitable when plastering with "wet" solutions. The only difficulty - if the drywall will be mounted by the owner of the apartment on their own, without assistants, then the sheets will have to cut into small panels. Raise the without special tools all the whole sheet to the height and keep it in this position while simultaneously screwing in the screws, one person just will not be able to.

Gypsum plasterboard ceiling - an excellent solution to the problem of repair!

If the room height allows the ceiling level to be somewhat lowered, the gypsum plasterboard sheets can hide the entire unsightliness of the floor plate and give a perfectly flat surface for finishing.

For detailed information on installing gypsum plasterboard ceiling , you can obtain on the portal by following the recommended link.

Suspended ceiling from panels( lining )

Ceiling mounting from special panels made of plastic, aluminum or wood( lining) - no less popular than gypsum board construction. Sometimes aluminum trim parts are called slats, and the ceiling, is accordingly , rack-and-pinion.

Surface, decorated with aluminum lining, covered with enamel, it looks spectacular and rich. The material can be selected for any taste and under any interior design and color scheme. This trim option visually expands the room space behind the score of the reflective bands located on each panel.

Reiki are mounted on a metal or wooden frame, and fastened in the same way as any lining. It should be noted that when installing such a ceiling in the bathroom or in the kitchen, it is best to use a metal profile for the frame, as the wooden beam absorbs moisture and odors into its structure. By themselves, aluminum slats are quite resistant to the effects of fumes and moisture on them.

The distance between the main and suspended ceiling is often used for installation of exhaust ventilation ducts or fans, the front panel of which is cut into connected into a single plane by aluminum rails and turned towards the room.

PVC panels are mounted on the same principle. However, unlike racks, they are able to create a perfectly smooth smooth surface on which joints of individual elements are imperceptible.

Wooden lining is most often used in private houses with wooden walls to maintain the general style of the interior, in the baths, or in apartments, for example, on the insulated balconies.

Suspension from ceiling panels - it's easy!

With a similar task should probably cope, probably, any landlord. How to properly mount the frame, and then polish it with panels, is described in detail in the article of our portal, dedicated to ceiling plating with plastic .

Suspended stretch ceilings

Stretch ceilings are able to completely change and visually expand the space. They can be absolutely white, monochromatic color, have an ordinary or spatial pattern, which, for example, imitates a celestial vault with floating clouds or tree crowns.

Stretch ceilings can be made of fiberglass, knitted polyester, which is impregnated with polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride film .

The mounting of the sheet takes place on special aluminum profiles, fixed on the walls, or on an installed frame if the ceiling is planned to be combined. In the latter case, the general design of the can consist of several materials, for example, from a gypsum board around the edges of the ceiling and a tensioning structure in its middle.

This type of ceiling has many advantages, including water resistance, aesthetic appearance, good adaptation to any interior, durability of operation without loss of decorative qualities. However, specialists , having relevant work experience and special equipment, should be engaged in mounting such original systems.

Raster or cassette ceilings

Raster or cassette ceilings are called ceilings consisting of a metal frame suspended from the brackets to the overlap, of the -shaped cell forming the . into which the finished panels of the correct form are then stacked. The dimensions of the panels vary, but in the vast majority of models the standard 600 × 600 or 600 × 1200 mm blocks are used.

Armstrong systems are used for this type of suspended ceilings, which are often used for finishing offices, public buildings and , for example .However, they are widely used in private construction. It is the suspension system "Armstrong" and will be devoted to further presentation.

Armstrong Suspended Ceiling System

This ceiling system was developed by the British company Armstrong at the time of the construction boom, when it became necessary to quickly decorate ceilings in trading rooms with very large areas. In addition to the speed of installation, the requirements for aesthetics, accuracy and, together with the , the restraint of the design design, were required for such designs. As a result of these conditions, the construction was born, which is now used all over the world, and not only in the offices and halls of shopping centers, but also for the decoration of ceilings in living quarters.

Today the name of these ceilings became a common name for all -type suspended systems using light square plates.

The panels laid in this system can be made of gypsum, reinforced with fiberglass, mineral fiber, acrylic or silicate transparent or frosted glass.

Some of the ceiling panels at the same time are kind of luminaries, as they are equipped with glass, illuminated lamps installed in the intercooled space, or having their own built-in lighting devices.

Another option to make the room as light as possible is to install fluorescent lamps on the main whitewashed ceiling, and then - to install a hanging decorative surface from frosted glass panels. Glasses with in this arrangement will work like lenses, resulting in a soft scattered light that will not leave the dark even the corners of the room.

The most popular in everyday construction practice are gypsum-fiber boards with a porous surface. Most often they form the most part of the ceiling area, and between them are mounted lighting panels.

It should be noted that the developers for the production of the panels of the system have provided environmentally friendly, not emitting harmful vapors, light for mass material that does not weight the suspension structure and at the same time gives a strict neat appearance.

If desired, , after a while the plates can be temporarily removed and painted in a different color range. And , the process of such toning can be carried out on the street or on a balcony without contaminating the of the floor surface of the apartment and not bringing the into the living areas the smell of paint. This possibility is due to the fact that panels with ease are dismantled, and after processing - easily fit into place.

In addition to this panel, unlike polystyrene plates, absolutely not combustible, do not give smoke and do not contribute to the spread of fire when there is a fire near them. This makes the room completely fireproof from the ceiling.

Ceiling construction

The principle of mounting the "Armstrong" system, consisting of the various guides , , is approximately the same as the .The suspended structure is assembled from the following elements:

• Plates laid in the structure, from which the decorative ceiling surface is formed. The size is 600 × 600 and 600 × 1200 mm, are marked on the of the diagram of pos.1. The rectangular plates - are less popular than the square ones, although the frame and their packing are much faster due to the smaller number of used elements of the suspension structure.
• T-shaped carcass profiles are usually marked T15 or T24 - depending on the width of their transverse shelves in millimeters:

- Longitudinal bearing profiles, which are the main elements of the structure, are produced up to 3600 mm in length. On the diagram they are shown pos.3 and 4.

- Transverse jumpers installed between the carrier profiles. They are produced in standard sizes of 600 and 1200 mm. On the diagram - poses.2.

- Corner profiles fixed to the wall and supporting the edges of the profiles and panels along the perimeter of the room. They have the size of shelves 19 × 24 mm, length - up to 3000 mm. These elements are indicated in the diagram pos.6 and 8.

To keep the entire structure in suspension, special suspension elements are used at the required general level. Most often in ordinary construction practice, they use spokes with a spring-loaded "butterfly" lock. With the help of these elements, the suspension system can be lowered from the capital ceiling to the required distance. We can not but agree that is - is a fairly simple way for to derive the ideal horizontal of the ceiling surface.

This suspension usually consists of three elements:

- Spoke, equipped with eyelet at one end, in the diagram - pos.5 B.The eyelet is designed for hanging on the element, fixed in the ceiling, pos.7.

- Spoke, which has a hook on one end, on which the carcass profiles - pos.5a.

- Butterfly-type spring, pos.5, helps to adjust the relative position of the two spokes relative to each other."Butterflies" can be of several kinds.

However, you should be aware that the spring-loaded - "butterfly" - is not the only way to fasten the frame. The "Armstrong" system can be divided into several types, which differ in the design of suspension brackets. All of them are precisely calculated by the manufacturer, with taking into account the surface, on which the frame will be suspended. And , and apply the simplest methods in the form of tying on the wire, and quite complex, in which the height of the suspension is regulated by screwing, giving a high accuracy of installation.

Suspension type	Suspension type	Permissible load	Control limits	Installation accuracy	Note
Wire	30 kg	Up to 5000 mm	± 2 mm	Not suitable for increased wind loads
L shaped profile	30 kg	Up to 3000 mm	± 2 mm	Used for creating rigid vertical connections
Threaded rod + adapter	45 kg	Up to 1000 mm	± 0.5 mm	Especially recommended for the installation of metal cassette ceilings "Armstrong Orcal"
Hook double-spoke	25 kg	165 ÷ 980 mm	± 1 mm
Single-spoke hook with spring clip	25 kg	Up to 2000 mm	± 1 mm
Nonius hook	15 kg	300 ÷ 800 mm	± 0,5 mm

Manufacturers of the "Armstrong" system have developed recommendations for the use of various fastening elements for the installation of suspensions on certain surface overlap. This is the time t is also important to consider when choosing and purchasing the necessary components.

material ceiling	type
wire	harness T-shaped profile	threaded rod + adapter	hook dvuhspitsevy spring retainer	hook odnospitsevy spring retainer	hook vernier
Reinforced	Suspension hook Hilti HA-8	anchor Hilti DBZ 6S	Spacingbushing Hilti HKD SM 6 × 30	Hanging hook Hilti HA-8	Hanging hook Hilti HA-8	Hilti anchor DBZ 6S
Metal beam	-	-	Threaded pin Hilti X-EM 6-20-12 mit	-	-	-
Profiled	-	-	anchor MF-SKD	-	-	anchor MF-SKD
wooden overlap	screws for wood
Hollow block	anchor dowel Hilti HHD-S	anchor dowel Hilti HHD-S	umbrella dowel	Anchor dowelHilti HHD-S	-	Anchor dowel Hilti HHD-S
Pre-stressed concrete	Spacer sleeve HKD SM 6 × 30	Spacing sleeve HKD SM 6 × 30	Spacer sleeve HKD SM 6 × 30	-	Spacer sleeve HKD SM 6 × 30	Spacer sleeve HKD SM 6 × 30
Aerated concrete	-	-	LocationHKD SM 6 × 30	-	-	-

Tools and Armstrong Installation Materials

To mount the Armstrong suspension ceiling, you will need to prepare some tools to help you quickly cope with the work:

• Electric drill with percussion function or perforator. If the structure is to be mounted on a concrete ceiling and walls, then this tool can not be avoided.
• Shurupova rt for I screwed fastening self tapping screws.
• Hammer.
• Scissors for metal.
• Electric jig saw for fitting the outer plates. Many slabs can be cut with an ordinary sharp construction knife.
• Pliers.
• Marking cord, simple pencil or marker.
• Construction level, construction corner with ruler, tape measure or folding meter and ruler per 1000 mm.

The following elements must be prepared from the materials, purchased for the dimensions removed from the ceiling surface:

Corner profile to be installed on walls around the perimeter of the room.

The load-bearing profiles that will be are suspended from the to the ceiling, and the edges of the - rely on the angular profiles. To calculate their number, the width of the room is divided into bands of 600 mm and subtracts from the resulting result two angular profiles, since they will perform the same function. For example, the width is 3000 mm, which means 3000 : 600 = 5 - 2 = 3 pcs. It turns out that with this size of the room, between the corner slats on the walls, you need to install three middle T-shaped supporting profiles.

600 mm T-shaped laths - jumpers .Their number for stacking between two load profiles is calculated in the same way as for longitudinal integral elements, but since there are five such intervals, it means that the obtained quantity must be multiplied by this figure. For example, the length of the room is 5400 mm, the of its needs to be divided by 600, it turns out 9-2( corner rails) = 7 × 5( rows) = 35 pieces.

Ceiling two-piece suspension with clamping spring. These items will require 1 pc.on 1 sq. m . . Therefore it is necessary to find out the area of ​​the room, round it to an integer.

Example: for a room size 3 × 5, 4 m required:

- angular profile 16, 8 m ;

- carrying rails 3 pcs.the size of 5.4 mm;Since they are producing with a length of 3 . 6 m , then will them to perform from two composite parts.

- bridges in the size of 600 mm - 35 pcs.;

- hangers - 16 pcs.and the same number of ceiling mounts that are selected depending on the material of the ceiling.

Drawing up the installation scheme

In order to correctly calculate the number of materials for a particular room, you must remove the dimensions in advance and compile the drawing .

It is necessary to take into account, that bearing T-profile is installed in the middle of the width of the suspended ceiling - this should predetermine the location of the jumpers. This is done because extremely rarely the ceiling will be completely assembled from solid plates, and the narrower cells of the frame are better positioned at the edges of the room.

Sometimes they arrive and in this way - the carrier profiles are placed in steps of 1200 mm, then they are connected by bridges of 1200 mm, between which already have the shortest ones - 600 mm each.

In the diagram:

1 - bearing profiles;

2 - bridges with a length of 1200 mm;

3 - jumpers with a length of 600 mm.

Performing the drawing , the ceiling dimensions are transferred to the sheet in the appropriate scale( optimally - 1:10).Then apply the center lines, vertical and horizontal. Further, from the center the segments corresponding to the size of the plates are measured, and the entire plane is delineated into squares. This visibility will help to determine correctly and applied profiles, and their number, and with the exact location. It is possible that it would be more reasonable from the point of view of aesthetics or material saving to shift the lines so that not the profiles but the centers of rows of panels settle on the axes.

It is recommended that all calculations of be carried out exactly and in millimeters, then you can get the desired size of cells that will be located at the edges of the structure. The material should be purchased with a margin of 10-15% - , such foresight will help to avoid problems with its shortage in the process of work.

Layout of surfaces

In order for the frame to be installed qualitatively, it is necessary to accurately mark the ceiling and walls before installing it. Although the profiles will not be fixed to the ceiling's main surface, the marking lines on the should be present, as it will be easy to navigate through them, having load-bearing slats and jumpers.

It should also be noted that the suspended ceiling can be located not less than 150 mm from the ceiling - this must be taken into account when choosing for the decoration of premises this system. This distance is required for communication and installation of lighting equipment. In addition, in this cavity can also be laid insulation and soundproof material.

The markup can be performed in a modern way, using the laser level-tracer .However, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase a similar tool, so it is worth considering the traditional way of marking works.

• The first step of is the determination of the distance to which the suspended ceiling will be dropped. To do this, from the joint of the ceiling and the wall, using the building angle with the ruler, the required distance is measured in the place where the surface of the ceiling is visually located below everything( in most cases the floor plate may not be set horizontally, and its surface notalways different evenness).
• Then, this mark needs to be moved around the perimeter of the room, as minimum, three risks on each wall. You can, of course, take advantage of a long building level, for example, in combination with the rule. However, it is still not difficult to make a mistake with this approach, and as a result, the lines drawn on the walls do not converge at one point. Therefore, it is optimal to markup with the help of a water level - so the probability of error will be excluded.
• Then, the takes the mark-up colored cord, stretches, aligns at the two extreme points on the wall, and a flat line fires off the surface. The third point, at the center of the wall, will serve as a control. This procedure is best done by alone with , with an assistant. If carries its with one master, then will have one end of the cord first fix on the wall at one of the extreme points, and then hold it stretching and padding.

• Next, you need to mark the surface of the ceiling. If an exact drawing is made , then the distances from the walls to the nearest longitudinal and transverse lines will be accurately known, and it will remain to make marks and break through the lines with a cord. In the event that the installation of panels is assumed from the exact geometric center of the room, then the center lines are beaten off first.

• Then, in all directions, segments of 600 mm are marked, and color strips also fend off on them. As a result, the ceiling must be "spaced" into the right square with sides of squares of 600 mm.

Laying of communications

After marking, proceed to the next stage of work.

As above the surface of the suspended ceiling, you can hide all communications, which are most often electrical wiring for different purposes, this must be done before the installation works.

In the event that it is planned to "embed" lighting fixtures of considerable weight into the ceiling design, it is necessary to take into account that the type of suspension of the system that is capable of withstanding the increased load should be taken into account. So, most often for conventional ceilings, hangers are used that can withstand a force of only 6 ÷ 6.5 kg per square meter, but there is a fastener type designed for more significant loads of up to 10 and above kg / m².

Assembly of the frame

Complete the in the preparatory work, you can proceed to the installation of the frame. And it begins with fixing on the walls, along marked horizontal lines, a corner profile along the entire perimeter of the room.

Corner profile

• If the walls are concrete, the corners are fixed to them using 6 mm dowels. For this, through the metal corner holes are drilled in steps of 300 ÷ 350 mm, into which the plug is inserted and clogged.

• On the wooden walls the corner is fixed with self-tapping screws 25 ÷ 30 mm in length, 4 ÷ 5 mm in diameter.
• If the suspended ceiling is to be installed in a room with walls prepared for plasterboard with plaster boards, the distance to which it will be lowered from the overlapping level should be provided in advance, before installing the GKL on the crate .In this case, lath under the plasterboard is mounted an additional profile or wooden beam in the place where the is fastened to the wall corner for the hanging structure.
• In the corners of the profile shelf, can be laid od on the on the another, or their protruding parts are cut at an angle of 45 degrees.

Suspension installation

• Further, , according to , is marked with suspended marking lines, dowels or self-tapping screws. Their placement is carried out in steps of one suspension per square meter.

• In the places of planned installation of panel ceiling lights, it is recommended to place additional suspensions at the corners of the square for insurance.

• luminaires If the spokes of the hangers are longer than the distance between the two ceilings, they are cut, for example, with the of the grinder.

• When installing the suspension, it is recommended that their lower hooks be oriented immediately to one side - this will facilitate the mounting of the rails.

Supporting profiles

• The next stage is the installation of load-bearing profiles. They should lie on their corners on the corners, fixed on the wall. However, the corners are only a guideline, but they do not perform the bearing role in the for this .Each of the profiles has special round holes, through which they are immediately worn on the hooks of the suspensions.

• The load-bearing profiles are mounted at a distance of 600 or 1200 mm from each other in a preassembled drawing. It is difficult to make a mistake in this matter - for this purpose it will be enough to orient to the lines bounced off the ceiling and already placed on them suspensions.
• The overall "departure" of the suspension must be precisely adjusted, that is . tighten or lower a little lower, so that the transverse profile shelf lay on the corner corners without a lumen, but without resting on the it with effort. Control of the during the operation is carried out with the help of the building level - with proper marking in this position the profile should occupy the perfectly horizontal position.

• pliers. To keep the profiles well on the hooks of the hangers, the latter need to be squeezed a little by pliers.

Having completed the installation of the longitudinal carrying rails, proceed to the installation of cross-members( jumpers) between them.

Setting jumpers

• Jumpers are installed between the carrier profiles in 600 mm increments. At both ends of the transverse elements are narrowed perforated "ears-locks" with rounded corners.

• They are inserted into the slots on the load-bearing profiles. Some masters bend these parts of the jumpers, pressing them to the carrier rail, then the design becomes more rigid .However, it's not at all , since latches suffice reliably fix the elements among themselves, and after complete mounting of the entire frame the rigidity will be observed in full measure.

• carrier profile. The hole-slots have a sufficient width so that the "lugs" can be inserted in them from the two jumpers that are installed between the two adjacent load profiles and are a continuation of the overall transverse line of the structure.

Assembly of

• panels After the frame is finished, the next stage of the is the installation of lighting panels or plates with spotlights built into them.

There are panels that resemble a screen, covered with frosted glass. They are specially designed for installation in Armstrong systems, therefore they have the appropriate dimensions - 600 × 600 mm. Installed in such a panel, powerful LEDs give a sufficiently bright soft light, and for a small room it is enough for one such LED light to create almost daytime diffuse lighting.

• The lighting fixture after installation of the corresponding panel is connected to the electrical cable that is connected to the place of its installation in advance by using special terminals or pads.

How to properly connect and connect the power supply to the luminaires?

This question requires the correct calculation of and compliance with the requirements for laying power lines in residential areas. Details of the electrical wiring in the apartments - in a separate publication of our portal.

• Next, the installation is carried out by , starting with solid ceiling panels. They fit into the frame cells, and, since the panels have a small weight, mounting them is extremely simple. These elements do not require any additional fastening of the - , they simply fit on the internal shelves of the longitudinal and transverse profiles.

outboard system If the outermost structural units are smaller than the wall, then the slabs for them must be fitted.

The material from which the panels are made can easily be sawn with an ordinary hacksaw, but first you need to remove the correct dimensions from the narrow cell and transfer them to the slab. Then, draw an even cut line and saw off the excess part( or even cut off with a sharp construction knife).

In fact, after stacking all the fragments of the in the wall, you can consider the installation of the Armstrong ceiling finished No additional finishing operations are required.

It should be noted that the simplest frame layout for this type of ceiling was considered above. In addition to the , there are other , for example, when the plates are laid diagonally in the room, or in even rows, but with a shift of cells relative to each other - the design of the guides allows the .

Ceilings of the "Armstrong" system offer great opportunities in interior design. They can be painted in different colors, apply the selected pattern to them, and also arrange them in the right order. They can be mounted in the form of strips of different colors or in staggered order, and well-chosen light panels will add to the overall interior style of the room of exclusivity and aesthetics.

And at the end of the topic - a visual video instruction for the installation of the cassette ceiling " Armstrong ".

Video: how to mount a false ceiling " Armstrong "