Currently, almost no repairs in the apartment are complete without the installation of suspended ceilings. Thanks to the installation of such structures, several problems are solved at once. Firstly, defects of the old ceiling are eliminated - bumps, potholes and chips, and often, pronounced differences in the joining of ceiling slabs. Secondly, we get a ceiling of a more modern design, lightweight and easy to clean, with the possibility of lighting in the form of elegant ceiling lights that can be placed in a plane between two ceilings (main and mounted).
Carrying out repairs in the apartment on your own is a rather responsible decision, especially if it is necessary to perform complex work, in particular, this concerns the desire to make a suspended ceiling from gypsum cardboard with your own hands. But, if the decision is made and there is hope for a successful installation, then first of all it is necessary to carefully think out an action plan and make an accurate calculation of materials.
The first question arises: how beautiful is the ceiling? What materials to apply for work?
To answer these questions, you need to decide where the installation of the ceiling is planned. In the bathroom, toilet, that is, in rooms with high humidity, plastic panels (PVC) are used for the installation of ceilings , less often in the kitchen, in the hallway and corridor. PVC panels are very practical in operation, easy to clean and durable. Installing a plastic ceiling with your own hands is not a difficult process at all, one person can easily handle the work, the process resembles the assembly of a child’s designer, the only condition is to correctly install the frame.
To complete this work, you will need a tool kit:
- hammer drill or hammer drill;
- screwdriver;
- scissors for metal;
- water level (spirit level) ;
- yardstick;
- light hammer;
- grinder with a cutting wheel.
From the materials you will need:
- VPH panel;
- plastic profile "ceiling molding";
- 13 mm long self-tapping screws with a washer;
- for concrete and brick surfaces, a nail dowel with a length of 40 mm and a diameter of 6 mm is used; for wood - a self-tapping screw on a tree 50 mm long;
- metal profile PN 27x28 mm and PS 27x60 mm;
- direct suspension;
- silicone sealant of white color.
The progress of the work is as follows:
1. Using the water level, we outline the horizon of the future ceiling and fasten the guide profile 27x28 along the perimeter of the room with dowels. We drill holes for the dowels with a perforator drill - a drill with a diameter of 6 mm.
2. Then, with an interval of 0.8 - 1 m, we fasten the rack profile 27x60 mm, inserting it into the guide profile with the ends and fastening it with a 13 mm self-tapping screw. To the ceiling, the profile is attached to the suspensions with the same dowels 6x40 mm. These profiles should be perpendicular to the direction of the panels.
3. Further along the perimeter of the room we strengthen the ceiling molding, at the corners it needs to be sawed at 45 degrees for connection. The molding is screwed to the PN profile and has a special pocket in which PVC panels will be inserted.
4. Panels are cut 0.5 mm smaller in size between opposing walls. The comb is cut off at the first panel and inserted into the molding on three sides. There is a strip on the groove part, with the help of which the panel is fixed to the PS profile. The second panel is inserted with the crest side into the groove of the first and thus the ceiling is assembled. The last panel is always cut to width
5. The final stage of work will be the correction of the gaps between the molding and the panels with the sealant.
In parallel with the assembly of the ceiling, lighting is installed.
Do-it-yourself suspended ceiling made of gypsum plasterboard is somewhat more difficult to make plastic, even in terms of the fact that it is very difficult for one to manage the work, since the GKL sheet is voluminous on its own and can not do without an assistant.
According to the scheme of installation of the frame, the work is identical, the profile and the mounting material are the same. The difference is that the rack profile is placed along the placement of the GKL sheets and with an interval of 60 cm, taking into account that the sheets will dock exactly in the middle of the profile.
It will be much easier to install a suspended ceiling made of drywall with your own hands if you use the so-called “crutch” during the installation process - a special support made of wooden blocks. This simple design will help to maintain the bottom of the sheet and hold it with your hands will not be necessary.
After the installation of the ceiling is completed, the joints are sealed with putty and the entire surface of the ceiling is putty in order to prepare for painting.
Do-it-yourself installation of a dry ceiling made of drywall is a simple task provided that you follow the step-by-step instructions, the availability of high-quality material and the necessary tools.