Everyone who has his own house or apartment, dreams that his home was beautiful and stylish, and even ceilings - not the last factor in this matter. It doesn’t matter if there are patterns and figures on them, whether original chandeliers, spotlights or lights are present. The main thing is that they are smooth. Then the room will look spectacular and have a finished look. Therefore, everyone who starts repairs, first of all, should think about how to align the ceilings and what is needed for this. What material to choose: drywall or putty? The answer to this question cannot be unequivocal; many factors must be taken into account so as not to be mistaken.
How to align the ceiling with drywall?
How to level the ceiling with drywall? It seems to many unenlightened people that this is not a big deal. But not everything is so simple, it is necessary to have certain skills and abilities. Ceiling alignment technology is quite laborious.
Starting the process, the first thing you need to do is attach guide profiles to the walls . Further, depending on how wide the plasterboard sheets were purchased, it is necessary to mount suspensions on which the central profiles will be mounted. The gap between them should be such that they allow them to pass in the center of each sheet in the form of a cross, fixing in the center so that they do not sag.
Profiles between sheets must be mounted so that both consecutive sheets are attached to the same profile. Profiles and suspensions must be fixed to the wall using dowels. Connections of drywall sheets with profiles are done using self-tapping screws.
Features of the installation of drywall
To understand how to align the ceilings, you need to know the peculiarity of the installation of drywall construction. It consists in observing the distance from the main ceiling to the drywall. Everything will depend on how uneven the ceiling is, what size it is, and what side bevels. To mount this design, you first need to fix the wall and longitudinal profiles with grooves into which they will be inserted perpendicular. Each stage of work must be checked by the building level so that there is a perfectly even ceiling.
How to mount drywall?
The next step is to install drywall sheets on previously constructed structures. Between them, it is necessary to leave a distance of a couple of millimeters, since each material and each structure can narrow and expand with sudden changes in temperature. Having fixed the sheets of drywall, you can proceed to their decoration. But for this you need to first process the seams at the joints of the sheets, and then the entire area of the drywall construction. To do this, take masking tape and putty, apply a small layer and smooth all joints well. After the seams have completely dried, putty can be applied to the entire area of the sheets.
Using putty
Many people are wondering how to level the ceiling with putty or other mixtures. It is not too difficult, but you must have the following tools:
- Hammer drill.
- Putty knife.
- The metal half.
- The brush is wide.
Leveling the ceiling begins only after it is completely cleaned from the previous coating: wallpaper or paint. If there are bumps that protrude, then they need to be cut down using a hammer drill with a special nozzle. After the ceiling is cleaned, it must be primed. It is better to clean with a deep penetration sponge, and it is necessary to prime with a roller or a wide brush. To understand how to level the ceilings with putty, you should know that there are several stages of puttying.
First step. Putty starting
An hour after the primer dries, you can safely proceed to the application of putty - this will be a leveling layer. Therefore, they use the starting option and apply no more than 1 cm. In terms of its thickness, the putty should resemble homemade sour cream so that it minimally sags when dried. In order for the ceiling to align well, the mass should be applied with a metal trowel.
Second phase. Putty finishing
Finishing putty must be applied in two layers. If the temperature values in the room are more than 15 degrees, and the room is well ventilated, then you can apply the second layer after a few hours or, in extreme cases, the next day. To finish the putty, you must use the middle spatula. If the room is more than twenty square meters, then you can use a half-trick. The main rule is to apply two layers in one day to get the best result.
The third stage. Sanding
If you observe the necessary atmospheric conditions in the room, you can sand the surface the next day. In order to somehow accelerate this process, it is recommended to use a vibration grinder. And be sure to remember the safety precautions: for your own safety it is worth putting on glasses with a special ventilation hole and a respirator.
How to align a wooden ceiling?
People who are thinking about how to level the wooden ceiling will find it useful to find out that they cannot do this with a thin layer of plaster. Plaster such ceilings only with the help of a mesh or shingles. The latter is stuffed at an angle of 45 degrees in two layers. For the first, you need to take an uneven shingle about 5 mm thick. The distance between the rails should be no less than 5 cm.
For the second layer, take even and smooth slats and stuff them at an angle of 90 ° to the first row in increments of 5-10 cm, recessing the caps of nails. Next, put the plaster on top of the shingles and then wipe it with special graters. This must be done in circular motions, after the layer of plaster slightly hardens. You may need to wet the plaster.
So, how to align the ceilings so that you get a smooth and perfectly smooth surface on which you can perform various decor and patterns? There is only one answer: with high quality and without rushing, because the appearance of the ceiling, as well as the service life of the finish, depend on this. Therefore, people who are not too confident in their abilities, skills and knowledge should better seek the help of specialists in order to save their time and money. They will also tell you how much it costs to level the ceiling.