The ceiling of wooden battens is a fairly simple and universal solution for decorating floors. If you use this technology in the repair process, you can sheathe a wooden or concrete rough coating. The technique has a significant advantage, which is expressed in minimal labor costs. The foundation can be easily leveled, while a traditional repair would take much longer and cost more.
Technology description
The ceiling of wooden slats is a suspended structure made of profile, fixed to the ceiling. A decorative material is installed on the profile. The price of finished rack structures is quite high. Instead of the factory kit, you can assemble the ceiling yourself. Wooden blocks can act as a frame, since they are affordable and easy to process.
The frame can be sheathed not only with a rail, but also with a lining. Such a ceiling when compared with a plastic or metal counterpart has several advantages. Firstly , condensate does not settle on the wooden finish, which is important for rooms with high humidity, namely:
- corridors;
- bathrooms;
- baths;
- kitchens.
Secondly , in the gap between the ceiling and the rough ceiling, engineering communications can be hidden. Thirdly , such a system provides for a successful combination of design with lighting fixtures.
If you choose the correct thickness of the beam for the lathing, then you can increase or decrease the gap between the finishing finish and the base, which will ensure rational use of space in the room. Another advantage of the ceiling of wooden battens is its environmental friendliness. Wood is free of allergens and toxins. It has a small weight compared to metal counterparts.
There is no load on the floor. If lumber is timely treated with appropriate impregnations, then the finish will be ready to last longer than plastic or metal counterparts.
Tool preparation
Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare the entire set of tools and materials. Among the first, it is worth highlighting:
- face saw;
- hammer;
- water level;
- drill;
- pencil;
- roulette.
The end saw can be replaced with a hacksaw on a tree with a narrow blade. It will also take a miter box. When choosing a hammer, it is necessary to prefer a tool with a working part weight of not more than 200 g. But in the case of a drill, it is important that the equipment has the function of a screwdriver.
Ceiling Mounting Technology: Frame Installation
The ceiling of wooden battens is stuffed onto the frame. Using the water level and the even bar on the ceiling, it is necessary to determine the most protruding sections. Those areas where the highest relief will become the place from which to start filling the crate. The bars should be perpendicular to the direction of the rails. In order to achieve a better aesthetic result, it is better to place the rails in the direction of the window opening.
The bars are leveled relative to the starting element. The height difference can be compensated by placing pieces of plywood under the frame elements. In order to prevent the timber from becoming covered with cracks when screwing in the screws, holes should be drilled in advance, the diameter of which will be 1/2 the diameter of the screw.
Lining can also be used as a facing material. The first plank in this case is laid with a spike against the wall. He is nailed to a bar with nails. If the ceiling is installed in a multi-storey building, then you can save yourself from noise from neighbors. To do this, lay mineral wool slabs between the wood paneling and the ceiling. You can use other soundproofing material.
Installing rails on the crate: preparation of materials
Fixing wooden battens to the ceiling is cheaper than installing lining. For the work should be prepared:
- rail;
- plywood trimmings;
- dowels;
- self-tapping screws;
- putty;
- paints and varnishes.
As for the rail, its cross section should be equal to 20x50 mm and 15x40 mm. The first type of product will go to the crate. A rail with a smaller cross section will be needed for covering the ceiling. To align the crates, plywood trim is perfect. When installing frame elements, 100 mm dowels should be used. For fixing the rails, self-tapping screws with a length of 50 mm are suitable.
When choosing a putty, you must be guided by the color of the rails. When you choose rails, you need to pay attention to their evenness. If the purchased lumber seems crooked, then the products must be put under load so that they bend in the opposite direction.
Installation instructions
After reviewing the photo of the ceiling of wooden battens, you can understand how to proceed. Installation technology provides for the fixation of decorative elements by level. Their direction should be perpendicular to the skin. Installation of products is carried out using self-tapping screws.
It is necessary to drill through holes in the rails, the diameter of which will be 1/2 the diameter of the self-tapping screw. You need to prepare and sweat under the head of the fastener. Fixing is carried out in increments of 1 cm. In order to ensure that the gap is even, you can cut out a template from plywood. After installing all the rails, the holes where the hats of the self-tapping screws are recessed must be filled with wood putty. After it dries, the ceiling is varnished or painted.
The frame of the rails for the construction based on GKL
Wooden plasterboard ceiling slats can be an excellent base. In this case, they will not fulfill a decorative role. Before installing the frame, you must markup. For this, the places of fastening of structural elements are indicated. It is important to determine the center line that will be centered. You can navigate through it. The remaining lines will be perpendicular.
The width of the drywall sheet should not exceed the step between the axes of the profile. The first to install parts located around the perimeter. They will act as a guide for setting the future plane. It is important to ensure that these elements are horizontal.
To facilitate the fixation of the components, it is necessary to pull the thread from one corner to another. The rope will show where the ceiling is located. Frame parts are mounted on dowels. You can use nails or other fasteners if the walls are not made of concrete or brick.
The distance between the elements can vary from 40 to 60 cm. After fastening the rails around the perimeter, it is necessary to fix the remaining parts. They are located on the ceiling so that the sheets lie across the crate. If the distance from the floor is not more than the thickness of the wooden part, then fastening can be carried out to the base base. When the indent exceeds the thickness, the suspensions are first fixed with anchors or dowels, and wooden parts are already attached to them with screws.
Backlight setting
The ceiling made of wooden battens with lighting looks pretty impressive. Before starting the installation of point devices or installing other lighting options, care should be taken about the wires. After facing, it will be impossible to extend the hidden wiring. To do this, you have to disassemble the design. You also cannot locate the ends of the wires, for this they will need to be brought to the places where the lighting device will be located.
You do not need to make gates for wires in the ceiling. You will need to purchase a cable channel or guides for the utility network. You can perform direct installation on the ceiling, but only if the material is not fireproof.
Design and need for additional equipment
Making the ceiling of wooden slats with your own hands, you must plan where the lamps will be located. Design begins long before the finish. At the same time, the frame configuration is being developed. With the use of a metal hose, the situation is simplified, because subsequently, if you need to repair the wiring or replace one of its sections, you will not have to disassemble the external finish. The cross-section of the wire must be selected taking into account the loads. This parameter is selected after calculations, but the cross section should not be less than 1.5 mm 2 . When determining the load, the power of electrical devices that will be connected to a specific section of the circuit should be added.
When decorating the ceiling with wooden battens and supplementing it with lighting fixtures, it is important to remember that some devices are not able to function correctly during operation without installing a step-down transformer. This applies to LED strips. To find out this fact is necessary when buying a lamp or at the stage of preliminary lighting design. This is necessary for revision and cooling of the device.
Which lamp to choose
For rack ceilings, experts recommend the use of spotlights and raster lighting. But incandescent lamps are used less often. Their sizes are larger in comparison with alternative options, so it is necessary to determine the level of the future ceiling. The installation of such devices in the rack structure is simple, because the devices are mostly suspended. Such lamps have a low cost, but impressive power consumption, a short operational period and the inability to organize dim lighting due to the intensity of the light flux.
Finally
The ceiling of wooden battens at intervals you can install yourself. This will require installation of the crate. It can be made of wood or metal. It is important to remember that such a design will reduce the height of the room, so the space between the ceiling and decorative material must be selected very carefully.
The space must accommodate communications leading to the lighting fixtures. If there are spotlights in the system, the depth of the frame should be 1 cm more than the length of the device.