Stretch ceiling is a popular type of decoration in a house or apartment. At the same time, it is quite possible to install it yourself. The master will need a clear understanding of the methodology for conducting this process. You should also properly prepare the material and tools for such work. You may need to rent certain equipment. Only in this case will it be possible to create a spectacular stretch ceiling with your own hands. Details of this work will be discussed later.
Varieties of materials
How to stretch a stretch ceiling with your own hands? This question may interest the owners of the house or apartment who want to make repairs on their own. This work may well be done independently. You need to learn about some of the subtleties of this finish. There are stretch fabrics made of PVC film or special fabric.
When choosing materials for decoration take into account the features of the room, in what conditions it will be operated. Each type of canvas has special technical characteristics.
Fabric stretch ceilings are made of dense fibers, which are impregnated with special compounds. The result is a canvas that is resistant to various adverse effects. It will be strong and durable enough. Such material has many design options.
Monotone fabric coatings are rare. Most often, such materials have a drawing. It can be simple or complex. In some cases, real paintings are painted on the surface of the paintings. The ceiling in this case is a real work of art. Most often, such ceilings are mounted in a children's room, bedroom, office.
Do-it-yourself stretch ceiling can be installed using a different technique. In this case, a PVC film is used. It is stretched to the prepared guides, and then heated. This type of finish can be glossy and matte. The first option is used more often. This is a beautiful finish that does not leak moisture. Such a ceiling can often be found in the bathroom, kitchen or hallway. This type of finish is cheaper than fabric varieties.
Mounting Features
You can create a one-level and two-level stretch ceiling with your own hands. In this case, the canvas is often combined with a material such as drywall. The technique of mounting the paintings can be different.
Fabric materials themselves easier to install. However, they are mounted once. If you make a mistake during installation, it may be impossible to repair the canvas or install it in prepared baguettes again. Therefore, during the installation process, you need to perform all actions clearly and accurately.
The dismantling and repair of suspended ceilings with their own hands, which are made of PVC, is much easier to perform. However, special equipment (heat gun) is used to install such canvases. It allows you to make the ceiling smooth and shiny. With proper installation, the seams will not be visible.
To fix the paintings, glazing beads or wedges are used. In some cases, use the harpoon method. It is difficult to use, so it is rarely used. The master must weld the harpoons to the edges of the canvas. This requires some experience and the availability of special equipment. You can order a similar service from a specialized company. However, dismantling and reinstalling the canvas in baguettes will be easier in this case.
With the help of a glazing bead, the canvas that is inserted in the baguette can be firmly fixed in the guides. It can also be used to fix clips. The choice of material for fixation may be different. The choice depends on the preferences of the wizard.
Preparation for installation
Before starting work, you need to consider installing the stretch ceiling with your own hands step by step. The room must be properly prepared. All the furniture is taken out of it. If it is planned to carry out repairs of the premises, the walls should be covered with putty. All finishing work must be completed.
There should not be any old finishes on the ceiling. Pieces of paint or whitewash may crumble. They will accumulate on the back of the coating. This will lead to a deterioration in its appearance. Therefore, the base is cleaned. If there are plates on the ceiling, the distance between them is covered with putty.
When decorating the walls, you need to achieve their evenness. This will greatly simplify the procedure for installing profiles and stretching the web. Also, before starting work on the ceiling, they install all the necessary communications. It can be ventilation ducts, wires for connecting spotlights, chandeliers, etc.
There is another preparatory phase of work. If a chandelier is installed in the room, you need to prepare a platform for it. This procedure is best performed after installing the guide profiles. Only after proper preparation can you begin installation.
Tools and materials
Considering the installation of suspended ceilings with your own hands step by step, you should pay attention to the preparation of the necessary materials. In some cases, you will need to purchase or rent the necessary equipment.
In the process, a hammer and screwdriver are sure to come in handy. Need to acquire a building level. You will also need a tape measure and a pencil. The canvas is installed in the guides using special blades. They have a different configuration. Therefore, a whole set is acquired (straight, angular scapula).
You also need to purchase a canvas of the appropriate size. After that, a profile and an element for fixing are selected. Guides are plastic and aluminum. The second option is preferable. The material will be more durable and reliable.
To install a chandelier or spotlights, special rings are purchased. They will close the slots in the material, preventing its deformation and tearing. They are attached to a special glue, which also needs to be purchased in advance.
The film is stretched when using heating equipment. It can be a heat gun or a building hair dryer. Fabric ceilings do not need heating. Therefore, many owners decide to install this particular type of canvas.
Rail Installation
Do-it-yourself stretch ceilings are installed without heating or using a heat gun on the rails. To do this, you need to correctly mark the walls. First you need to measure the distance from the floor to the corners. The lowest of them is determined. From this angle you need to measure down at least 5 cm. If fixtures are mounted in the ceiling, this figure is 10 cm.
Further from this point, with the help of a building level, marking is applied along the perimeter of the walls. Guides will be mounted along this line. It is very important that this line is exactly horizontal. This will hide the irregularities of the ceiling, make the finish beautiful and even.
Next, a profile is applied to the wall. Using a punch, you need to make markings for fasteners. Small holes are made through the profile. The step between them is 6-8 cm. Near the edge of the profile, you need to install dowels at a distance of 5 cm. It is much easier to mark out if the profile is glued to the wall. Planned holes are drilled for the installation of dowels. With their help, the profile is fixed.
Installation of film web
Installing a stretch ceiling with your own hands can take a lot of time. Professionals cope with this task in just a couple of hours. However, a novice master will need to tinker with installing the canvas.
If a structure with a PVC film is installed, the material must be unpacked and left indoors. At this time, you need to turn on the heat gun and warm the air to 38-42 º. The film will stretch a little. This will allow her to pull properly. The film at this time is laid out on the base of the floor. It should not have tools, debris or other foreign objects. They can damage the material.
After that, clamps are attached to the corners. Using such clothespins, one edge of the web is fastened first. After that, the opposite angle is set in the clamp (diagonally), then the remaining angles are fixed. After that, the canvas is heated to a temperature of 70 º. Using the blades in the same sequence as for the clamps, the canvas is fixed first in the corners. After that, the fastener-clothespins are removed.
Then from the center to the corners of the canvas is fixed in profile. To give the finish a finished look, you can install a decorative baguette around the perimeter of the room.
Fabric ceiling installation
Do-it-yourself fabric stretch ceiling is easier to install than PVC film. This is a one-piece seamless canvas. Its width can reach 5 m. This feature allows you to cover the presented decoration with almost any room.
In this case, heating the web is not necessary. Installation is carried out at normal temperature using pre-installed rails. It is necessary to give preference to powerful, durable profiles. The difference between this type of installation is another scheme of tensioning the canvas.
When the guides are mounted on the walls, the fabric begins to be pulled not from the corners, but from the center of each wall. First, a cross-shaped stretch is created using the clamps. Then, using a spatula, the web is inserted into the prepared profile. The clamps are removed.
After that, the material is pulled from the center of the walls to the corners. There may be excess canvas. In this case, they need to be cut with a sharp knife. Work is carried out using special blades. Installation is done carefully. No creases should appear on the canvas.
Break repair
In some cases, during operation, it is necessary to repair the stretch ceilings with your own hands. In this case, you may not need to dismantle the canvas. This situation occurs with a small gap or puncture of the canvas. If a sharp object hits the surface of the finish with force, it will easily tear it. This is true for both film and fabric.
In this case, you can try to correct the situation. If the gap or puncture does not exceed 2 cm in length, you can use tape. Special glue is also used. These materials allow you to tighten the edges on the surface of the material. This must be done immediately after the break. Otherwise, it will increase over time.
In some cases, you will need to apply a patch. To do this, you need to choose a material of the same texture and color as the installed ceiling. The material is placed inside the finish. The edges are glued with a special composition. Here you can also make a curly patch in the form of an application. In some cases, it is appropriate to install an additional spotlight here.
If the gap is large, you can stick a piece of glass on it. This will increase the strength of the material in this place. After the glue dries, the cullet is painted in the same color as the ceiling. The fabric can be sewn with kapron threads if desired. The seam can then be painted in the same colors as the material at the point of rupture.
Other actions may be required during the do-it-yourself repair process of the stretch ceiling. The cut may extend along the seam of the plastic. In this case, it cannot be sealed or sewn. You will need to change the entire canvas.
Dismantling the ceiling
How to remove the stretch ceiling with your own hands? This question may arise if you need to access communications under a film or cloth. Also, when a PVC sheet is flooded with cold water, it will need to be carefully removed and drained. The dismantling procedure does not cause any special difficulties.
You will need to prepare a heat gun if you need to remove the PVC sheet. After warming up the material (when it stretches and becomes larger in size), it must be carefully pulled out of the guides using pliers. First, you need to remove the decorative baseboard.
Work starts from the corner of the room. While dismantling will last, the surface needs to be periodically warmed up. This will give the film the necessary elasticity. Otherwise, the material may be torn. Warming up is a prerequisite for dismantling the film web.
And how to remove the stretch ceiling from fabric with your own hands? This procedure is very complicated. In most cases, after its implementation, it will be impossible to operate the ceiling. The fact is that the fabric is fixed in the guides much harder than PVC. Its dismantling will require significant physical effort. This procedure is carried out only when replacing the ceiling cover.
Recommendations for use
So that during the operation you do not have to do the dismantling of suspended ceilings with your own hands, you need to consider a number of recommendations. Under cloths it is not necessary to establish electric or other communications. Getting to them will be difficult if necessary. With proper care, the ceilings presented can be used up to 30 years.
In the first few weeks after installation, do not try to clean the surface of the film. She is still too fragile at this time. When it is less stretched, you can clean. Also, do not touch the ceiling at this time. Do not allow children to play indoors with a stretch ceiling. They can toss an object, damaging the coating.
Surface cleaning is carried out using a soapy solution or non-abrasive detergent. In this case, you need to use a soft napkin or sponge. It is also unacceptable that solvents be part of the detergent. Ceiling should be cleaned regularly, especially in the kitchen. If the surface becomes too dirty, it will be difficult to wash it at a time. Periodic cleaning allows you to maintain a spectacular appearance of the ceiling.
Also, do not open champagne in such a room, throw some things. This may cause the coating to rupture. Restoration, of course, will solve the problem. But often traces of punctures or tears cannot be hidden.
Having considered how to mount and repair the stretch ceiling with your own hands, you can perform all the steps yourself. The result will be high, and the finish is durable.