Today, stretch ceilings are often used in the process of repairing various rooms. They differ in material and design. This is a beautiful type of decoration that can fit into almost any style of interior.
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages that a stretch ceiling has. Reviews about this finish should be considered before starting repairs. This will allow you to make the right decision about the possibility of installing this design in your home.
general characteristics
Stretch ceilings (reviews and photo options are presented below) are a structure that consists of canvas and special fasteners. Such baguettes are fixed around the perimeter of the room. They fix the selected finishing material. Cloths are stretched, creating a perfect flat surface.
As the paintings used different materials. It can be PVC film or fabric. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, you need to know which ceiling is better to choose for decoration.
PVC film is stretched between baguettes and exposed to heat. For this, a heat gun is used. It heats the film surface to 60º. When the effect of heat ceases, the material itself is stretched during cooling. It turns out a beautiful and even surface of the ceiling. This type of ceiling is most in demand today. Its cost remains acceptable, and its performance fully satisfies consumers.
Fabric ceilings are made of polyester material. It is pre-impregnated with polyurethane. This allows you to give the canvas additional rigidity. The fabric is breathable. This distinguishes the presented type of ceilings from PVC products.
Considering reviews of suspended ceilings about the companies that are engaged in their installation, you can find many positive and negative statements. If the installation is carried out by professionals, this process does not take more than 3-4 hours. In this case, the sag in the center of the room will be minimal (no more than 4 mm). However, poor-quality installation significantly degrades the performance of the material. It quickly fails, and also loses its spectacular appearance. Trust the installation of a stretch ceiling is necessary exclusively for professionals.
PVC Ceilings Reviews
According to reviews of suspended ceilings (photos of which are presented in the review), positive characteristics are inherent only in high-quality products that have been correctly installed. Therefore, before buying, it is worth considering the feedback from customers and experts about such finishing materials.
Cloths made of PVC film today are made by many manufacturers. In our country, products from China are in demand. It has an acceptable cost. Among Chinese-made PVC canvases, there are many really high-quality products. However, there are fakes. Chinese manufacturers who supply their products to the domestic market complete with relevant documentation adhere to standards in its manufacture. These are high-quality products that are completely safe during operation and are durable.
However, not all PVC films made in China are distinguished by such characteristics. This applies not only to products manufactured in this country. European companies also began to reduce the cost of their production. This was reflected in the quality of the PVC sheets. Pongs and Renolit products used to be in demand. Today, these companies cannot boast of past benefits. Their products a few years ago, in general, had no smell. The surface of the films was smooth and beautiful. Today, these figures have deteriorated significantly.
Experts say that PVC films for stretch ceilings made in Belgium, France, and Germany are not sold on the Russian market. If the seller claims that the product is manufactured in these countries, then this is a fake. It was made in China, but this product does not meet the requirements of the standards. Documents on it are either absent or are fake.
Glossy or matte stretch ceiling, according to customers, differs in quality only if there are some signs. They can be recognized independently. Quality film cannot be cheap. After installation, it has no smell at all or it is insignificant, disappears completely a few days after installation.
According to customer reviews, on sale are paintings that can harm health. They emit an unpleasant chemical smell after installation. If it does not erode within a week, this finish will have to be dismantled. Otherwise, this material can cause asthma, allergies, various respiratory diseases.
Fabric Ceilings Reviews
A stretch fabric ceiling is also on sale. Reviews about the companies that manufacture it are mostly positive. There are no harmful components in such canvases. Moreover, they are able to "breathe". A fungus does not appear on the surface of the ceiling. At the same time, the fabric is quite stiff. It is hard to damage mechanically.
Fabric ceilings, which are real paintings, are on sale. They can imitate the sky, galaxies with their appearance, create any images for interior decoration. This finish is more expensive than PVC films. Especially high cost are the canvases on which images were created to order. But the buyer can choose almost any pattern.
The high cost of fabric ceilings does not reduce the demand for this type of finish. According to experts, this is a better quality variety of materials. Buying a fake is almost impossible. Fabric cloths are mandatory marked. The most famous in our country is the products of the German brand Descor and the French manufacturer Clipso. These are quality proven products.
A feature of fabric stretch ceilings, according to reviews, is their absolute safety. They do not emit a smell at all. The composition of the paintings does not include any components harmful to human health. Therefore, cloth can be mounted even in a children's room or bedroom. They will look harmonious in almost any room. However, due to their high cost and less practicality, they are rarely installed in the bathroom and kitchen. If water and dirt get on the fabric ceiling, stubborn stains will remain on the surface. It will be almost impossible to remove them. Therefore, fabric ceilings are installed mainly in living rooms.
Benefits of Stretch Ceilings
Considering the features of matte, glossy, satin stretch ceilings, reviews about them, we can note many positive characteristics of this type of finish. They are durable, practical, easy to install. Also, such a finish is relatively inexpensive. Each type of canvas has its own characteristics. However, many of their positive qualities coincide.
One of the main advantages of this type of finish is their durability. Any manufacturer gives a guarantee for their products for a period of at least 3 years. This figure may be even longer. There are products with a warranty period of 10-15 years. At the same time, the actual life of such a ceiling with proper handling of the finish can be several tens of years.
It should be noted that the paintings do not lose their color and shape. They do not need restoration. If, for example, a gypsum plasterboard ceiling has to be tinted after several years of operation, then stretch fabrics require only periodic surface cleaning.
Also, such products are completely safe. If you purchase paintings from trusted sellers who can provide reliable quality certificates for their products, you can be sure of the quality of these materials. Certified products can be used even in child care facilities. With the right manufacturing technology, even PVC is highly safe, does not cause allergies and other pathologies. Today, even toys are made from this material. However, attention to the availability of quality certificates is a must. To select the best suspended ceilings, according to experts, it is necessary to require documentation for the products on sale.
Other advantages
Matte and glossy stretch ceilings, according to customers, differ in many advantages over other types of finishes. These materials are aesthetic. They allow you to decorate any type of interior. Moreover, if there is an uneven ceiling, you will not need to spend money on the purchase of special materials for its preliminary decoration. It will only be necessary to clean off the old base coat so that it does not fall off onto the inside of the canvas.
Tension structures allow you to create a niche in which you can easily hide communications, ventilation ducts. This greatly improves the appearance of the room. A huge selection of textures, shades provides a wide selection to create a unique, interesting design of the room. From such materials it is possible to create both a simple single-level and complex multi-level ceiling. Using fantasy, you can make the ceiling a real decoration of the room.
You can install this type of finish in the room where the repair has already been done. After installation, almost no construction debris remains. Even complex structures are installed no longer than 5 hours.
PVC film not only does not allow water to pass through, but can withstand several buckets of spilled liquid. If a faucet bursts at the neighbors, a flood occurs, the interior decoration in the room will remain intact. The ceiling will stretch, but will not let water in. Fabric fabrics cannot brag of this feature. Therefore, they are rarely mounted in the kitchen or in the bathroom.
Glossy and matte stretch ceilings, according to experts, are practical. When the building shrinks, cracks will not appear on any type of canvas. The material has soundproofing properties. They do not accumulate static electricity. For this reason, almost no dust accumulates on the surface. In this case, the material is not susceptible to corrosion, decay and other destructive effects.
Disadvantages of Stretch Cloths
According to reviews, the disadvantages of suspended ceilings also have a place to be. They need to be considered before buying the type of finish presented. While this is an elastic, durable material, it is easy to pierce it with a sharp object. This is especially true for PVC films. Fabrics are more rigid.
Moving furniture in a room with ceilings made of stretch fabrics, you need to be careful. Do not touch the finish surface. During the holidays, very carefully open the bottle of champagne. If the PVC ceiling is installed in the children's room, during the games, kids can pierce it accidentally with a dart from a dart board or toy bullets. Therefore, fabric webs in such rooms are more welcome.
It is also worth considering that PVC films are completely hermetic. They do not allow moisture, air. Under them, a closed isolated space is formed in which its microclimate can be established. Such materials do not have the ability to "breathe." This leads to the appearance of fungus. It gradually destroys the surface of the base. Therefore, in the room where the PVC ceiling is installed, it is important to provide for the presence of not only good, but very high-quality ventilation. Fabric webs are devoid of this drawback.
According to reviews, the best suspended ceilings require proper installation. If you install them yourself, you can easily make mistakes. In this case, we can expect that the ceiling will have to be redone soon. Disposable fabric ceilings. If you need to mount them again, you will need to change the frame. PVC films can be removed and reinstalled. But installation requires special equipment (heat gun).
Disadvantages of PVC Films
According to reviews, the suspended ceiling in the kitchen, in the bathroom, hallway or living room can be mounted from PVC film. However, it is worth considering several disadvantages of this material. PVC films should not be stretched with one sheet over long distances. If you want to finish in the hall or living room, spacious kitchen, you should equip a multi-level design. In this case, you can reduce the dimensions of the paintings by applying them on a limited area.
You can not install a large number of recessed fixtures in the ceiling of PVC foam. Also, they use only special lamps. They should not be heated. Otherwise, the material is deformed.
Many owners of apartments and houses that have installed such ceilings in the kitchen complain that the surface is very difficult to clean from soot and grease. It is forbidden to use detergents based on alcohol or solvent. PVC sheets are quite thin. When washing, do not apply great effort, press on the surface. This drawback of the stretch ceiling in the kitchen, according to reviews, is significant.
Another disadvantage of PVC films is their sensitivity to temperature. If for some reason in the winter the temperature in the room becomes negative, the material will crack. At low temperatures, the film becomes brittle. Such a situation may occur if, for example, the air conditioner breaks or the heating supply stops in the cold for a long time.
Also, seams are formed on the canvases during installation. You can notice them by looking at the coating. This is especially noticeable if the surface of the canvas is glossy. It should also be noted that the presented type of paintings can not be installed on drywall walls. If this cannot be avoided, the walls need to be further strengthened. Otherwise, the film will not lie on the base as needed.
Disadvantages of fabric ceilings
Considering the reviews about the shortcomings of suspended ceilings, it is necessary to say a few words about fabric varieties. They are devoid of many of the negative characteristics that distinguish PVC film. However, fabric-type finishes also have disadvantages. Fabric ceilings reduce the height of the room by at least 25 mm. For PVC film, this figure is from 15 mm.
It is also worth noting that it is impossible to dismantle this type of ceilings and install them again (unlike PVC film). At the same time, the cost of the presented type of decoration is quite high. It is an order of magnitude higher than that of PVC films.
Cloth ceilings are not able to restrain the flow of water, which can spill from above when a gust of a tap from neighbors. If moisture gets on their surface, spots appear. They cannot be removed. Therefore, such canvases are subject to complete replacement. This is also a significant drawback.
If you install a fabric ceiling in the kitchen, it will be even more difficult to wash than a PVC coating. Therefore, it is difficult to say which stretch ceiling is better according to customer reviews. Experts do not recommend installing this type of finish in the kitchen. Fabric cloths are also not acceptable to mount in the bathroom. Drops of water or condensation falling on the canvas can spoil the appearance of the coating. They are installed only in dry rooms.
Doctors' opinion on stretch ceilings
When considering reviews of suspended ceilings, you should also pay attention to the opinion of doctors and representatives of sanitary services about the type of decoration presented. They argue that the modern materials that are used today in construction work, fully comply with all requirements and standards.
PVC films and cloths can be installed in almost all rooms. They are completely safe for human health, have anti-allergenic effect, do not accumulate dust on the surface. However, this is true only for quality products.
Reviews of specialists
According to reviews, the stretch ceiling must have special quality certificates. In order not to purchase a fake, experts recommend purchasing products from trusted sellers. At the same time, it can be expected that even a PVC film will be completely safe for health.
If the polymeric material is of poor quality, it will have an unpleasant chemical smell. They differ in phenol. That component is toxic. It can not be used in the manufacture of PVC films or other products. However, unscrupulous manufacturers who do not certify their products include it in the polymer.
Phenol causes disturbances in the functioning of many internal organs (heart, kidneys, liver, etc.).Also, this material affects the nervous system. The use of such material in the decoration of the premises is unacceptable.
Having considered the features of suspended ceilings, reviews of customers and specialists about them, you can choose the best option for decorating a room.