Stretch ceilings - a popular solution for the design of residential and commercial premises. The installation process takes a minimum of time, and the result is a perfectly flat surface. Such a ceiling is indispensable if you need to hide the cracks and imperfections of the base floor or communications. A variety of colors and textures of the paintings allow you to choose the right option for any interior. But what room does without lighting? It is important to consider the features of the material of the canvas when organizing lighting in a room with a stretch ceiling, then the suspended structure will last for many years.
Stretch ceilings: types and properties of materials
Stretch ceilings are made of two types of material: PVC films and textiles. In order for the lighting in a room with a stretch ceiling to be not only beautiful, but also safe, it is necessary to take into account the properties, advantages and disadvantages of materials when selecting fixtures and lamps.
PVC film is made from a mixture of molten granules of polyvinyl chloride, plasticizers, stabilizers and dyes. The canvas is homogeneous in structure and thickness. The material has high elasticity. Canvases of various shades, degrees of transparency and texture are produced. Interesting look mirrored and perforated ceilings. Features of the material allow you to apply photographic images to its surface, including with the 3D effect.
The glossy ceiling reflects light well, which should be considered when selecting fixtures. This texture can visually increase the space of the room, make it more open and easy. Gloss looks great in the living room, kitchen, bathroom and hallway.
Matte surface - a classic option. It looks like a whitewashed ceiling. Interesting look matte colored paintings on the ceiling, they organically fit into modern interiors. A white matte ceiling is a good solution for a classic style.
Satin fabric has a characteristic sheen. It is not as aggressive as gloss, but it looks more interesting than matte. A satin ceiling with mother of pearl will make the bedroom cozy and romantic.
PVC film ceilings are not afraid of moisture. They are easy to wash, and if the neighbors from above flood you, then the ceiling will not suffer. Accumulated water can be drained through the hole for the chandelier. Due to the fact that the material is coated with an antifungal composition, you can not be afraid of the appearance of mold. Such a ceiling will last 10-12 years with proper care.
With all the positive qualities, film ceilings have a drawback. They melt from high temperatures. If the heat exposure is long, the ceiling may ignite. This point should be considered when choosing lighting in a room with a stretch ceiling.
The fabric is made of polyester, then impregnated with polymer compositions to give it color and protection from moisture. Both fabric and film ceilings are made of synthetic materials, so it is incorrect to say that a textile fabric is safer in an environmental sense. Of course, there are fabric materials with the addition of natural yarn, but they are included in the elite category and are very expensive.
Fabric ceilings are always matte, reminiscent of a qualitatively plastered surface. The palette of colors is not as rich as the film, but such a ceiling can be painted. The canvas is manually painted with acrylic paint. Such an exclusive decor will look great in interiors in the Baroque, Rococo, Empire style. Small relief and embossing make fabric ceilings especially attractive.
The elasticity of textiles is much lower than that of the film, therefore, with excessive load, the material can break from the fasteners. Despite the special impregnation, if the neighbors flood you, moisture can seep through the material and leave traces on it that are almost impossible to get rid of.
One of the advantages of fabric over film is its incombustibility. Special compositions can completely eliminate fire, which allows the use of halogen lamps in the organization of lighting in a room with a stretch ceiling. Textiles are more difficult to damage with sharp objects, and it has higher heat and sound insulation properties. Unlike PVC films, fabric stretch ceilings can be installed in unheated rooms, for example, in a country house. The material is resistant to temperature extremes in the range from -35 ° C to +75 ° C. It will serve a stretch ceiling made of fabric twice as long as a film.
Types of lighting
High-quality and functional lighting is necessary for any room, since the comfort of stay and work in the room depends on it. There are several types of artificial lighting for various purposes: general, local and decorative.
General lighting in a room with a stretch ceiling (photo below) is designed to provide light to the entire space of the room. It is placed evenly in the upper part of the room or in the center of the ceiling. General light unites space, and in intensity it should be close to natural light.
Distinguish between directional, reflected and diffused general light. The first type includes lamps with open shades, the rays of which have a clear direction and illuminate the floor, walls, workplace. The reflected light is more pleasant for the human eye. To create such lighting, lamps with mirror or metal reflectors are used. A similar effect can also be achieved by installing a glossy stretch ceiling. Lighting will be reflected off the ceiling surface and evenly distributed throughout the room. Diffused light is obtained using closed shades of frosted glass, plastic, and textile.
Local lighting
Used to focus on a specific area of the room. This technique is indispensable for zoning a room. Designers use local light to highlight the area of the living room, bedroom, workplace. In modern apartments and studio-type apartments, local lighting of a stretch ceiling is indispensable. A photo of zoning with light is presented below.
When organizing comfortable local lighting, lamps of both directional and diffused light are used. For example, the kitchen area can be emphasized by rotary soffits, and a scattered light fixture can be installed above the dining table.
Decorative lighting
It is used to attract attention to the details of the interior: a multi-level ceiling, paintings, accessories, original curtains. It helps to create a cozy intimate atmosphere, and can also be used as a night lamp. Color decorative lighting is very popular.
For the decor of the room, built-in models of lamps, light lines, LED strip are used. The latter is often used to illuminate ceiling niches and create the so-called soaring ceiling. The stretch ceiling with a pattern of the starry sky, decorated with LED strip, looks very impressive.
Lamp selection
When choosing the type of lamp and the type of lamp, it should be taken into account that film ceilings are afraid of high temperatures. Incandescent and halogen lamps should be 30-35 cm from the surface of the film. With fabric ceilings a little easier. They do not ignite or deform, but they can change color in the place of constant exposure to heat. Each type of lamp has its own advantages and disadvantages, which should be mentioned.
Incandescent lamps. They are cheap, not afraid of power surges, resistant to moisture, do not require special disposal, emit light in a warm yellow-red spectrum. Such lamps can be installed in unheated rooms, as they are able to work in a wide temperature range. However, incandescent lamps are short-lived, have low efficiency, consume a lot of energy and heat up very much. In a room with a stretch ceiling, they are only suitable for chandeliers with low hanging shades.
Halogen lamps are an improved version of incandescent lamps; they heat up much less. Models for recessed luminaires are equipped with reflectors, which reduce this disadvantage to a minimum. They have a higher efficiency and they will last longer than incandescent lamps. The light emitted by them is close to the sun, therefore it is pleasant to the human eye. The lamps are afraid of power surges, and the bulb should not be touched without gloves or a napkin. Even a small amount of sebum on the surface will cause the bulb to overheat, and the lamp will fail. For home use, dual-bulb lamps are available to eliminate this drawback. Halogen lamps can be used in recessed luminaires for suspended ceilings, but the distance between the suspended structure and the base ceiling must be sufficient for efficient heat exchange.
Fluorescent lamps consume less electricity and last 8-10 times longer than incandescent lamps. The temperature of the switched-on lamp does not exceed 60 ° C. However, such lamps do not tolerate power surges, can not work at low temperatures, and their service life decreases when the light source is turned on and off frequently. Lamps require special disposal due to the presence of mercury in the structure.
LED lamps are the best choice for stretch ceilings. They consume several times less energy than analogues, have different shades of the light flux, do not heat up, are not afraid of voltage drops in the network, and are safe. Their service life is about 100,000 hours, which is equivalent to 11 years of continuous operation. The only drawback is the high price.
Chandeliers
Most chandeliers are pendant light sources. In a room with a stretch ceiling, it is fixed with a hook to the concrete floor, and communications are passed through a hole in the canvas. The hole is reinforced with a protective ring so that the film does not creep. All types of lamps can be used in chandeliers, the main thing is that they are not too close to the surface of the stretch ceiling. The combination of glossy canvas and upward shades gives beautiful diffused light and makes the room visually larger.
When organizing lighting in a narrow room with a stretch ceiling, it is better to refuse the chandelier. She will make the room even more crowded. Chandeliers are suitable for spacious living rooms, bedrooms. A spectacular cascading chandelier can emphasize the dining area in the studio apartment.
Overhead lights
To install overhead lights on a stretch ceiling, it is required in advance, before mounting the canvas itself, to fix wooden substrates on the base floor. They are necessary for the installation of light sources. When installing the canvas will be between the lamp and the wooden plank.
If the room has a film ceiling, incandescent lamps are not recommended to use incandescent lamps. The canvas may be deformed or cracked by exposure to high temperature.
The decor of overhead light sources is very diverse. Plafonds are made of transparent, frosted, colored glass, plastic, metal, crystal.
Downlights
Among the variety of lighting options for a room with a stretch ceiling, owners often prefer recessed lamps. Due to the variety of shapes and sizes, you can create a stylish and unusual interior. Recessed lighting can be used as general, local or decorative. In the first case, the lamps are placed around the perimeter of the room or in a group in the center of the room. LED spots are quite popular, which can occupy almost the entire ceiling area. Zoning can be emphasized by installing several light sources along the kitchen set or dividing the room with light lines. The directional light stream of the built-in point model focuses on a stylish vase or an exquisite picture on the wall.
In the built-in lamps it is better to use LED lamps, they do not heat up, so they will not spoil either the film ceiling or the fabric ceiling.
A photo of the lighting in a children's room with a stretch ceiling is presented below.
LED Strip Light
The tape is often used to emphasize the unusual shape of a stretch ceiling. It is mounted in niches and under a cornice. With this backlight, you can emphasize the functional areas and make the ceiling visually higher. LEDs are capable of emitting light of various shades, therefore they are indispensable when decorating a room.
A photo of the lighting option for a room with a stretch ceiling using an LED strip is presented below.
Lighting in the bathroom. Features
Stretch ceiling in the bathroom is a fairly popular solution. Most often, the choice falls on the film canvas due to its moisture resistance, and the glossy surface is able to visually enlarge a small bathroom.
To organize lighting in a bathroom with a stretch ceiling, overhead and built-in models of fixtures are used. High humidity in the room requires careful selection of light sources. For the bathroom, models with a sealed rubberized body or silicone gaskets are best suited. Such luminaires are marked IP with two digits, the first of which indicates the degree of protection against solid particles (e.g. dust), and the second from moisture. For the bathroom, models with a marking of at least IP44 are suitable. They are not afraid of accidental spray. Such lamps will provide a high level of security against short circuits and will last a long time.
Conclusion
When organizing ceiling lighting, one should take into account the size and area of the room, its purpose, number and functions of the allocated zones, as well as the material from which the ceiling is made. The correct selection and arrangement of light sources can visually increase the area of a room, change its proportions, and give the interior a finished look.