Any owner, planning repairs, seeks to make his home not just cozy, but beautiful and original. At different times, the decoration of the ceilings had its own specifics - they were whitewashed, painted, paneled, suspended ceilings, and even wallpapered. But one of the most unusual, popular and permanent trends was the creation of stained glass. This is one of the most expensive and beautiful ways of finishing, and today we will talk about how to make a stained-glass ceiling with our own hands.
Features of the design
An ordinary stained-glass ceiling is a surface composed of painted square elements with side 30 andand 60 cm. Plates are fastened together and held hanging system located just below the main ceiling.
What is good for the stained glass ceiling:
- Simple installation - this does not apply to all types of ceilings, however whatever design you choose, there is no need to carefully prepare the surface for it, because the stained glass elements are attached to the metal frame. The complexity of the installation depends on the configuration of the room, but in any case it will take less time than the traditional finish.
- Practicality - care of the stained glass ceiling is very simple - it is enough to wipe it with a rag. If one of the elements is damaged, it can be easily dismantled and replaced without disassembling the entire structure.
- Longevity - if the whitewash on the ceiling eventually darkens and becomes dirty, then the stained-glass ceiling with proper care does not lose its original beauty for many years and even decades.
- Environmentally friendly - because the stained glass ceilings are made of glass, they are not capable of harming people's health and the environment. Stained glass paints also do not contain toxic substances, therefore such ceilings can be installed in any premises.
- Moisture resistance - the glass does not allow water to pass through, therefore, with proper installation, the stained-glass ceiling will create additional waterproofing of the room.
- Aesthetics is the last item on our list, but it is because of the high aesthetics that many prefer to install stained-glass ceilings at home. The variety of colors, shapes and compositions is unlimited, so you can easily choose the right option for any interior.
Since we mentioned diversity, it's worth noting that stained glass windows are not only rectangular. There is a separate classification by forms. Thus, dome ceilings have a characteristic design in the form of a convex or concave bowl. Such voluminous ceilings can be found in medieval temples or ancient theaters. Round ceilings have recently become very popular in private construction, as they give an unusual look to the interior. Stained-glass ceilings can have non-standard shapes, for example, in the form of petals or flowers, animals, polygons, etc.
Classification of stained-glass ceilings
To choose the stained-glass ceiling design, you need to understand the classification. Depending on the methods of production, the specifics of installation, shape and availability of lighting, the structure is divided into several types. Having clearly indicated which type of ceiling is suitable for your home, you will be able to determine the way it is installed and the operation features.
Image application method
Drawings on stained glass ceilings are applied in several ways. There are film coatings and designs, assembled from individual multi-colored elements. In the first case, the drawing consists of two layers - a colored film is pasted onto the glass base plate.
This is the most economical option, but not at all as durable as real stained glass windows. The film is rather fragile, and it can easily be scratched, but if you exclude the factor of mechanical damage, such a ceiling will last for many years.
Stained glass ceilings, consisting of individual elements, are more durable and more durable than film ceilings. Pieces of glass connect lead or copper veins, and the whole construction is held by a strong metal frame.
On the technology of production of
If earlier the creation of stained-glass windows was equated with high art and required exceptional talent and skills, then modern production technologies made it possible to significantly simplify and diversify this process.
Stained glass is manufactured in several ways:
- Sandblasting - a colored image is applied to the frosted glass. First, a smooth surface is treated with a jet of compressed air to make it dull. Where the stream has passed more than once, the glass changes the shade and the degree of roughness. Then stencils are applied to the surface and drawings( even more opaque or glossy transparent) are applied in the same way. This technique allows you to create compositions that are not divided into parts.
- Photo printing - with the help of this technology, any image can be placed on the ceiling, starting from an unpretentious landscape, ending with a photograph or a copy of a picture of a famous artist. In a chopped house, a stained-glass ceiling with photographic printing can display thick crowns of trees or a cloudless sky, thereby emphasizing the naturalness and naturalness of the interior. In the children's room on the ceiling can be depicted fairy-tale characters or constellations.
- Contour - this technology allows you to simulate real antique stained-glass windows. First, the designer applies contours of the future drawing with polymeric dense paints, and when they dry, the cells inside are filled with colored enamels and varnishes. More details about the process of creating such stained glass windows will be discussed later.
- Tiffany is one of the most luxurious and expensive types of stained glass. The designs consist of a large number of individual glass elements wrapped on either side by a copper or tin foil. In one composition, several kinds of glass can be used - matte, glossy, colored, transparent, relief, etc.
By the way of mounting
If you can make a stained-glass ceiling using the appropriate technique, then it is not so easy to install it to your rightful place. Glass is a rather heavy material, work with which requires a certain skill and professionalism.
Depending on the method of installation, two types of designs are distinguished:
- Stretch stained-glass ceilings - are easy to install and do not require leveling of the base. If the ceiling provides a light, you should determine its location( you need a plan for wiring).The mounting profile is an aluminum construction or a baguette made of PVC, fixed to the ceiling with screws or dowels. In order to produce a quality installation, it is necessary to exclude the appearance of gaps in the joints and to provide the most durable fastening. On the frame, the holders of the built-in elements are installed, by fastening the posts to the base according to the pre-designed marking. Usually, suspended ceilings are done with photo printing.
Important: special attention should be given to the quality of the electrical wiring when installing the tension stained glass, because after the completion of the work there will be no access to it.
The disadvantages of this method include not only blocked wiring, but also brittleness and inability to withstand temperature changes. - Suspended stained-glass ceilings - consist of a metal frame on which plasterboard slabs or modules are attached. As a result, there is a free space between the base and the hanging structure, where you can hide the wires. A stained-glass false ceiling is installed when the interior of the room is finished. First, suspensions of thick wire are attached to the base, a frame, guides and plates are mounted on them. The main disadvantage of this method of installation is a reduction in the height of the room and unreliability( it is better to attach a heavy chandelier to the main ceiling).
Stained-glass ceiling with lighting
Stained glass ceilings with lighting can not only decorate any room, but also provide an additional light source. And since the stained-glass windows in most cases are made of multi-colored elements, one can imagine how beautiful and unusual there will be light passing through such a coating.
By way of illumination, several designs are distinguished:
- Chandelier - this stained-glass ceiling looks like a large open-type luminaire with a forged or shaped metal frame. To the black ceiling, the chandelier is fastened with chains on a powerful anchor hook.
- Ceiling lamp - stained glass insert( several inserts), mounted in the ceiling itself.can be installed in a suspended structure or in a niche made of plasterboard.
- A plafond is a bowl of colored glass or covered with a stained-glass painting, which is inserted in a niche or fixed with profiles.
Installation of any of the above types of structures should be started by conducting wiring for each lamp. The optimal distance between the ceiling and the stained-glass window frame should be at least 15 cm. Also, when organizing a ceiling with lighting, it should be borne in mind that all elements of the structure must be removable. Otherwise, maintenance will be impossible.
Stained glass technique
Originally, the stained glass technique was used to decorate the majestic cathedrals, but over time it was applied everywhere, and anyone who wants can acquire a stained-glass ceiling today. The most remarkable thing is that you can make a characteristic drawing with your own hands. The industrial method is very labor-intensive - colored glass should be baked in special forms at high temperature. However, the result justifies all efforts - the stained-glass windows are very beautiful and strong. At home, you can create the same spectacular compositions, but use lighter methods.
Painting glass
In any art store you can find paints or special sets for stained glass paintings. To create a drawing, draw a sketch on paper in a scale of 1: 1 and pick up a strong glass.
Required tools and materials:
- alcohol;
- stained-glass paints;
- brushes;
- glass markers;
- stencils( if you are not sure that you can execute the drawing yourself);
- cotton buds( erase unevenness and remove excess paint).
The glass is cleaned and degreased with alcohol. The sketch is laid on a flat surface and covered with glass. The marker is drawn around the contour by a marker, and then decorated with special paints. To make the drawing more saturated, you can apply paints in several layers, but you should wait at least 12 hours before applying the next layer.
Important: very often with unaccustomed during the painting in the layer of paint air bubbles are formed. You can not leave them, so gently prick them with a needle.
When the work is finished, the stained-glass window must be left to dry for three days, after which it is possible to start the installation.
Helpful tip: instead of a marker, you can use special glass contours - they will add a 3D look.
English stained glass window
The English technique of stained glass is a little like the previous method, but as a result, the drawing turns out to be more voluminous and "expensive".
What you need to work:
- glass;
- sketch in scale 1: 1;
- film for stained glass;
- roller;
- scissors;
- lead tape;
- soldering iron;
- solder and flux.
It is recommended to work on a large flat desk in good light. Clean skimmed glass is laid over the sketch, the outlines are marked with lead tape. In this case, it simulates the seams, as on real antique products. Then the glass is turned over and a special colored stained-glass film is glued to its back side. On it again fix the lead tape along the contours, and then sealed the joints.
This technique is especially popular when creating ceiling luminaires. As a result, very effective interior details are obtained without any special financial investments. To make a beautiful stained-glass window, you do not even need to have artistic talent, you just need to choose a suitable film and drawing.
Simulation of the stained-glass window
There is another pair of techniques with which you can make a convincing imitation of stained glass. They allow you to create beautiful compositions at home without special training and skills.
Prefabricated stained glass ceiling can be made from multi-colored glass. To do this, you just need to choose the drawing you like, transfer it to the cardboard in any convenient way( large drawings can be transferred using a projector).Then separate fragments should be marked by colors and laid out with pieces of glass like a mosaic. For fastening it is better to use colorless silicone glue.
Helpful hint: To make this ceiling too heavy, use thin glass. It will be much easier to divide into fragments for "mosaic" glass cutter.
For the second method of imitation stained glass will need paint and soft wire. The glass is put on the drawing, and the contours are made of wire, gluing it with colorless glue. Fragments between the wire are filled with aniline dyes, after which they are covered with a transparent lacquer. With this technique, you can quickly and inexpensively make a stained glass ceiling in the bathroom, the living room, decorate the windows on the balcony or attic.
Installation of the stained-glass ceiling
The installation of the stained-glass ceiling can take place in different ways, depending on the method of attachment. Because the work involves a certain risk( the glass can fall, split, cut), the installation is better done with assistants.
Mounting methods:
- The installation in a suspended ceiling is quite simple, and therefore the most common method of installation. Due to the fact that the ceiling space should be at least 15 cm wide, the height of the room is significantly reduced, but it becomes possible to hold and hide all communications.
- Install the stained glass on the decorative ledge just below the base level.
- Mounting in the "box" - this technique is used mainly for massive stained-glass ceilings with illumination.
Since the first method is the most common, consider it in more detail.
Procedure:
- First, create a supporting frame and attach it around the perimeter of the ceiling. To do this, on the basis of outline the location of mounting hangers in increments of 60 cm in parallel on the bearing profiles.
- At the planned points, drill holes and drive steel anchor bolts 20 cm in length. The number of anchors depends on the mass of the stained glass, but it is always recommended to drive a little more for insurance. On average, it will take 8-10 pieces.
- Secure the profiles on suspensions and guides.
- To fix minor profiles in the places of future joining of the stained-glass elements. As a result, you should get a lattice of a single-level skeleton.
- During the installation of the frame, you should constantly monitor its smoothness with the help of a building level. Otherwise, the glass can simply fall out. As a guide, use a thick fishing line or cord.
- Mounting of glasses is carried out with the help of self-tapping screws. Each glass plate is placed in a metal frame cell, checked by level and fixed. Several elements are left unclosed so that at any time you can get to the communications under the ceiling.
- For lighting use spotlights located outside the contour, or neon pipes or fluorescent lamps installed inside. The latter option gives an impressive effect, because that the stained-glass window completely glows from within, which is very beautiful. LED backlighting is very popular, especially when it comes to self-installation. It takes up minimum space, is easy to install, durable( can last up to 10 years), it can be of different colors, which allows you to emphasize the beauty and richness of the stained glass composition.
The video below shows an example of LED lighting that changes colors:
To do this, the LED strip is fixed 7-15 cm from the back of the stained glass window into several parallel rows.
Important: the light passing through the multicolored glass, loses its brightness, so it is recommended to organize additional lighting sources in the room.
Stained-glass ceiling: photo
If you started repair and want to completely change the look of your home, the stained-glass ceiling will help create a completely unusual atmosphere. Warm tones in the living room or bedroom will allow you to relax, the "fresh" notes of green, yellow and orange in the kitchen will quickly cause appetite, blue and white shades will decorate the bathroom. .. There are infinitely many ideas for creating stained glass ceilings, and to inspire you to create your own original compositions, wemade a photo collection of beautiful and unusual works.
