Subtleties of installation of a rack ceiling

Slatted ceilings are becoming more and more popular every year. They allow you to beautifully decorate the premises of open and closed type. The installation of a rack ceiling is relevant in rooms subject to high humidity, for example, in bathrooms. It has good anti-corrosion protection and resistance to chemical attack, fireproof.

Slatted ceiling construction.

The minimum reduction in the height of the room when installing the rack ceiling is only 4-7 cm. The color scheme of the products allows you to realize any design ideas, including the opportunity to create a luxurious undulating ceiling. The material reflects light well and enhances the illumination of the room.

Communication channels can be hidden in the inter-ceiling space, and fixtures can be built into the ceiling itself. The installation technology of the rack ceiling is quite simple, does not require special tools.

Installation can be done by any home master, the main thing is strict adherence to the instructions and careful attitude to the material: it will be almost impossible to remove dents on the panels.

Purchase of a rack ceiling and preparation for work

Structural elements of a rack ceiling.

By design features distinguish between open, closed and gapless systems.

Open. The slats are mounted with 14-16 mm gaps between them, which are subsequently closed with decorative inserts.
Closed. The rack ceiling of the closed type has grooves. Panels go one after another.
Gapless. The panels are mounted close to each other, without gaps.

The edges of the panels may have a rectangular or rounded shape. The first option is characteristic of German products, the second - Italian. There are also V-shaped and S-shaped panels.

The rack ceiling should include:

Panels (slats). The thicker the slats, the stronger the ceiling structure will be. Upon purchase, all panels should be checked for defects and dents. The presence of a protective film on quality products is mandatory.
Aluminum or steel guides (stringers, traverses, combs). Their length is 4 m, and the thickness is 0.6-1 mm (depending on the material). When buying a rack ceiling, you need to make sure that the panels and tires are made by one manufacturer, otherwise there is a high probability of getting a low-quality ceiling with cracks.
Adjustable suspensions.
Wall plinths (corners or U-shaped profiles), used to close the joint between the ceiling and walls.
Installation instructions.

Typical shape and size of slats for ceiling type.

The cost of the kit depends not only on the quality and material and manufacturer, but also on the area for which it is designed. In terms of 1 sq.m, large sets will be cheaper. If you plan to install built-in lights, then you should take care of their acquisition in advance.

Despite some differences in the construction of ceilings, the installation technology of the systems does not differ much.. Of the tools you will need:

level,
roulette,
marker,
ruler
drill,
hammer drill
knife,
scissors for metal,
home tool
dowels
self-tapping screws.

Frame mounting

Connection diagram for profiles and suspensions.

In any corner of the room, tape measure the distance from the base ceiling on which the hinged system will be installed. It should be at least 4 cm. If it is planned to install built-in lamps, it is necessary to take into account their size with an allowance of 1 cm. A mark is made at this point with a marker.
A horizontal line is drawn from the mark along the entire perimeter of the wall using a level.
A wall plinth is trimmed along the length of the wall and applied to the line. Marks are made on it for fastening. The first mark is placed at a distance of 5 cm from the edge of the corner, the rest in increments of 30-40 cm. If the wall is tiled, then it is necessary to ensure that the attachment points do not coincide with the seams of the masonry, otherwise the tile may crack.
Holes are drilled in the profile with a drill, then it is again applied to the wall to mark points on it. Holes are drilled through them in the wall into which dowels are inserted.
The corner skirting board is attached to the wall using self-tapping screws.
In the same way, the profile is mounted around the entire perimeter of the room.
Guide profiles of the required length are cut with metal scissors. If the hinged system will be located at a small distance from the base ceiling, then the stringers are fastened with self-tapping screws directly to it, if significant - suspensions are installed. For mounting suspensions, holes with a diameter of 6 mm and a depth of 40 mm are drilled in the ceiling. Anchors are inserted into the eye of the suspensions and hammered into the ceiling. The distance between the suspensions is 1200 mm, between the extreme suspension and the wall - 300-400 mm.
When using a U-shaped profile as a wall baseboard, the places of its conjugation of its upper shelf with stringers are cut and bent up.

Installation of rails

Installation of slatted ceiling panels.

The slats are cut along the length of the wall with an allowance of 0.5 cm. The panels are mounted perpendicular to the stringers, they are wound on the baseboard diagonally, then aligned. Fastening to the guide is carried out by a special latch on the stringer.
After completing the installation of the first rail, you need to turn to the opposite wall.
Since the size of the room usually does not coincide with the number of solid rails, the extreme panel will have to be cut. You can do this either with scissors, or by making an incision with a sharp knife, bend and unbend the panel until it breaks. Performing such an operation with a long panel is inconvenient, therefore, it is recommended to cut the removed part in several places and break them in turn.
If a corner is installed as a wall baseboard, then the trimmed panel is most often laid with one edge on it without rigid fixation or a spacer is made to the draft ceiling. The design of the U-shaped profile allows you to wedge the panel inside it with either cut pieces of the rail, or a compressed P-profile.
Subsequent rails are mounted in the same way as the first. If necessary, the height of the ceiling during its installation is regulated by the depth of screwing in the screws, if the guides are fixed to the ceiling, or by adjusting the height of the suspension, if installation is carried out with their use.
As the rack ceiling is installed, interpanel inserts are installed.
The installation of the last panel causes some difficulty, since it is impossible to get it diagonally.

There are the following methods:

If the length of the rail is more than 2 m, it can be bent down, which will make it possible to bring the second end into the wall profile. However, when using shorter panels, this method is fraught with a fracture of the panel.
The panel is cut in length slightly larger than the distance between the shelves of the baseboard. This allows you to bring one end to the stop, then align the panel in height, push it a little into the opposite baseboard and snap it into place.

The technology provides for the possibility of installing integrated luminaires in the rack ceiling. Wiring must be done before installing the panels. Reiki are mounted already with shades inserted into them. The holes for the fixtures are most conveniently cut with a special nozzle on the drill - a crown.

Features

The appearance of rack ceilings is indicated recently, but they have already won the love of many Russians. The explanation for this is their high strength, simple operation, durability, which makes the installation of ceilings affordable for everyone.

The benefits of rack ceilings include:

moisture resistance, which allows you to install them in the bathroom, bath, laundry, kitchen, where often there is high humidity,
due to the use of non-combustible materials as a coating, ceilings are protected from fire,
saving of electric energy: since the surface layer of rack ceilings reflects light, therefore it is possible to use lighting of lower power,
environmentally friendly materials, so no hazardous substances are released into the environment,
easy maintenance of ceilings. To clean them, wiping with a damp cloth is enough

the strength of the materials used, making them suitable for outdoor use,
ease of installation,
aesthetics of ceilings,
durability - the service life reaches up to 50 years, and their warranty period is only 20 years,
it is possible to replace damaged areas without dismantling the support parts,
The suspended ceiling looks attractive and stylish.

It should be noted that the rack structure is a suspended structure. This makes it possible to level the surface of the ceiling without the use of special compositions, for example, plaster.

Also, under such a ceiling, you can easily hide home wires, and this is an important moment.

There are practically no shortcomings in rack structures. They can only be attributed to the fact that repair work is not carried out in a completely practical way. If during operation one panel breaks, you will have to disassemble the entire coating to replace the defect. Another drawback: when installing a rack suspended structure in any room, its height will slightly decrease. This is an insignificant minus, if you do not place any engineering devices under the structure.

Construction device

The design of the suspended aluminum ceiling allows you to reliably fix the device and fix it on the ceiling plates.

The ceiling consists of the following main components:

The metal alloy rail is a front surface coating. The springy design of the rails contributes to the formation of joints characterized by strength and reliability,
The comb (traverse, stringer) looks like a bent channel profile with teeth. Small elements of the strap pass through the groove, and the comb is attached to the suspension springs through the profile. It is made of aluminum and steel, 1.5 mm thick,

The interfluve insert is used to seal the slats. It is chosen tone-on-tone with a rail or with a contrasting performance, thanks to this there is an opportunity to use design work in the design,
Corner wooden profile is used to design the ceiling around the perimeter. It is not always possible to cut the rail exactly in length, and sometimes it is still possible to trim the parts in width. To hide irregularities and errors, decor is often used, it is fixed on the wall.

Proper installation includes drawing up a room diagram and determining the type of lighting. Suspension installation directly depends on the height of the lighting device. Most often, the suspended surface is a couple of centimeters lower than the lighting fixtures used.

After drawing up the scheme, it is necessary to calculate the volume of materials for the installation of ceiling panels. An important role here is played by the correct calculation of the length of each rail with which the coating will be mounted. Typically, manufacturers offer products of 3 and 4 meters. To cover the ceilings in a small room, a 3 m long rail is perfect. In this case, repairs will be performed with a minimum amount of waste.

For a room with a large perimeter, rails of 4 m in length are used. Having pre-compiled a room diagram, you can determine the required number and length of parts.

The calculation of the false ceiling includes a measurement of the perimeter of the room, which corresponds to the entire length of the profile.

Step-by-step installation instructions

After all the calculations and the acquisition of the necessary materials To install the ceiling should arm yourself:

with a construction knife
with a hammer
drill or punch,
with a screwdriver
pliers
level
scissors, hacksaw,
in pencil
tape measure, square.

In addition, dowels, overalls, safety glasses and gloves are needed.

To install the rack coating with your own hands, you need to mark the ceiling. To do this, it is enough to draw a perimeter for the profile surface. If the ceiling is horizontal, then you must mark the horizontal line. This is where the comb will be installed.

For the installation of complex multi-level structures, calculations are more complicated. In this case, the laser level is used instead of tape measure. The likelihood of a mistake is excluded.

Mounting Technology:

cut metal parts according to necessary cuts,
drill holes on the profile coating if there are no ready-made holes on the profile for fixing the product.

Fixing holes must also be made in the wall. For this, a drill, a perforator is useful. Then fasten the screws at 45-degree angles for the outer corners and end-to-end on the inside.

Guiding parts are installed on the wall surface, indicating the place of the future suspension structure. It should be 20 cm lower than the old one. The lines should be horizontal; laser levels are used for this. On these lines profiles will be attached.

Install the suspension with dowels in the holes drilled in advance. In this case, be sure to check the correct location of the guide parts using the level. After that, you can begin fastening the panels. To do this, sequentially cut a certain size rail.

Roulette should be noted areas of the bearing tires.

The first mark should be at a distance of 30 cm from the wall itself, and all the rest should be parallel to each other every 90 cm.

Installation of support tires:

the interval between them should not be more than 1 meter, and they are installed at an angle of 90 degrees to the rail,
with the help of a screwdriver, the tires must be screwed to the suspension. For perfect structural evenness, try not to make the slightest error,
The corner profile and tire must be 10 mm apart. In that case, if the tire is shorter than the specified value, you can simply add, fixing the suspension in the subsequent tire.

At the beginning of work, a protective film is removed from each rail and cut off depending on the size of the ceiling. The length should be 10 mm less than the distance between the walls.

First of all, it is necessary to bend and mount the panel on the corner profile, then straighten and snap it onto the tire clips. The second rail is installed next to the previous one, and the third is opposite. The explanation for this is that the length of the first row is much less than the rest, and it will be necessary to repair the rail. This problem occurs quite often. It is possible to adjust the height of the tires by changing the screwing depth of the screws. If the width at the extreme rail does not match, then it can simply be cut with a knife. Then you need to fix the trimmed rail with a wooden spacer, a piece of angular profile.

After assembling one pair of panels, it is necessary to install additional profile parts (intermediate). In the future, collecting parts will not be difficult. The main difficulty arises when fixing the very extreme panel. It needs to be installed very tightly. To do this, we adhere to one small trick: it is necessary to secure a pair of wood stakes between the extreme rail and the wall. This ensures sufficient tightness. Stakes can be hidden under the baseboard.

Assembling a false ceiling with your own hands does not cause much effort, if it is not a complex configuration. Then you should entrust the installation of the structure to experienced and skilled specialists.

Lighting

Mounting lighting fixtures is the most painstaking work. Before starting all work, you should consider the location of all fixtures, lamps and other devices, depending on the required level of illumination in the room.

As pendant lighting equipment will be an excellent option:

LED bulbs. They will illuminate individual details of the decor, as well as create an atmosphere of comfort and modernity.
Fluorescent lamps create lighting in a classic style,
Small lighting fixtures will create a homely warm atmosphere in the room.

Lighting can work in two ways:

All lighting devices turn on simultaneously. In this case, one wire should be stretched from the switch, and only then from the two-wire wiring, bends are made to the places of installation of lighting,
Lighting equipment is switched on in groups. One wire has the number of cores, how many groups are provided for lighting. Usually 2-3 groups are used. In addition, two-key and three-key switches are used here.

Also, before starting work, you should draw a layout of the lighting fixtures with the specification of the distances between each lamp. From the electric shield, wires are routed with special plastic sleeves. At the locations of the devices, wires are removed at a distance of 20 - 25 cm from the installed rails. Copper wires with multicore cross-section, corresponding to power consumption, are used.

With the help of special brackets, the sleeve is fastened to the wires.

For lighting equipment, cuts should be made to prevent burrs. Work is performed at the same time that the slats are stacked. It will not be superfluous to check the correctness and reliability of the equipment connection.

Planks should be placed along the line of light. Their direction depends on the characteristics of the fall of sunlight.

False ceiling repair involves dismantling the ceiling surface, and in case of dismantling - only partial. At the beginning, one edge of the ceiling is disassembled - the corner profile must be pry off with a sharp object, then bend the edge so that it is possible to extend the end of the rail. The extreme detail is released from the lock and removed.

The rest of the rails are subjected to another treatment - it is necessary to open all the locks, while the panel moves to the edge. After that, it will be easy to remove it from the system of the whole structure.

Operation tips

Slatted ceilings can quickly become dusty and dirty. Caring for suspended ceilings is no big deal. Metal or plastic constructions are not afraid of moisture, so they can be easily washed with a damp cloth soaked in detergent.

The aluminum suspended ceiling can easily withstand temperature differences and high humidity, because of this it will become the best option for the kitchen. In addition, the installation of ceiling surfaces is simple: you do not need to pre-prepare the surface.

Also, such a ceiling has the ability to hide all imperfections and looks fashionable and modern.

When choosing a ceiling material for indoor use, quality products that are covered with a protective film should be preferred. The film perfectly protects the coating from temperature extremes, high humidity and dust. Properly installed rack ceiling will allow for many years to maintain the original appearance of the structure.

Beautiful examples in the interior

Rack false ceilings in the living room look simple and interesting. However, not everyone likes this option for finishing ceilings, because everyone has their own taste and preferences.

Slatted ceiling and slatted wall intricately look both in the living room and in the bedroom. Such an interior will appeal to many connoisseurs of a modern interior.

Thanks to the large assortment of slatted ceilings, you do not have to look for suitable design ideas. The choice of the owner of the apartment - thousands of original models of finishing materials.

See how to install a rack ceiling in the next video.

Rack ceiling design

In order for the step-by-step instruction to be understood and accessible to an inexperienced person, we will begin with theoretical knowledge about the design of the rack ceiling. Knowledge of the constituent elements and their names will facilitate understanding of the further described installation steps. The rack ceiling consists of:

Metal slats consist of an alloy of metals, are used for facing the ceiling. On sale there is a wide range of slats, differing not only in color palette, but also in external characteristics: matte or glossy.
Traverse It is a comb, a bent metal profile with teeth, for which at the final stage the rails cling.
Intersillar insert monophonic is selected, similar to the main number of rails, or, conversely, in contrasting design to achieve a special design. An insert is used to seal the rails together.
Wooden corner profile not a required item. If desired, it is used for the final decoration of the ceiling around the perimeter, mounted on the wall, completes the finished design.

Preparation for work

Installation of a rack ceiling begins with preparatory work.

Ceiling installation can begin after dirty and rough work. This means that the windows must be placed in place, and all surfaces of the room are plastered and ready for decoration. It is important that dust and dirt do not settle on the rails during operation.
The stage of preparation is the measurement of the ceiling. It is necessary to measure the perimeter of the future ceiling, not forgetting to count the sides twice, if it comes to installing a multi-level ceiling. Count and write down the number and length of traverses, rails. Add 10% on inaccuracies.
Purchase the necessary finishing materials, as well as prepare the tools that will be required in the process.

Among the tools you will definitely need metal scissors, a building level, a level, an electric drill, a screwdriver and consumables in the form of screws and dowels.

Installation of a rack ceiling

Consider the installation of a rack ceiling in stages:

Before starting work fasten wires and communications on the walls and ceiling, so that they do not interfere with the work, do not fall under the drill.
At a distance of 20 cm from the draft ceiling, mark and lock guide profiles. At this stage, it is important to carefully check the horizontal position of the guides, since the success of the entire project depends on this. In the corners of the guides, overlap, one profile in another.

To the ceiling attach the suspensions with screws with dowels. Suspensions are needed to secure the beam. This is a crucial stage, it is important not only to achieve the horizontal position of the beam, but also to make sure that the beam and the guide profiles on the walls are at the same level. To reliably fix the traverse, suspensions should be located at a distance of not more than 1 m from each other. If the traverse length is not enough for the width of the ceiling, “grow” the profile by connecting two elements of the joint in the joint.
Release the metal rails from the protective film, cut to the required length, and reinstall. For this insert slats into the side rails, fix the rails on the traverse along the entire length until they click.

When installing mirror rails, the difference in work is not significant. Cut the slats directly in the protective film, and remove it from the finished ceiling after finishing work. This way you avoid stains on the glossy surface of the chrome finish.

On this DIY ceiling installation completed!

Ceiling installation work is available to everyone, it is only important to accurately calculate the distance and carefully measure the height fluctuations. And the last advice from professionals: if during the installation process one of the rails is deformed, install the other. An entire rail installed according to the rules and without violations can be easily dismantled if necessary.

Manufacturers

Recently, the construction market is represented by slats for the ceiling of both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Well established Cesal products. It is very popular, as it has established itself with high quality and positive feedback from consumers. Slatted ceilings of this company are characterized by a wide selection of shapes, sizes and colors.

In addition, the finishing material has all the quality certificates and undergoes a unique treatment, thanks to which a three-layer enamel is applied to the surface of the panels. Therefore, this finish is not afraid of mechanical damage, resistant to moisture, high temperature and corrosion processes.

Widely used and Albes products. The company produces aluminum rack ceilings, which are distinguished by a modern design. Perforated panels look especially beautiful in the interior. They are produced both closed and open type construction. At the same time, stylish and interesting inserts, thanks to which the design of the room turns out to be chic, are necessarily included in the package of open ceilings.

Special attention also deserves manufacturer Geipel. This company appeared on the market quite recently, but has already managed to establish itself in the best possible way. Slatted ceilings of this production have a stylish look and original decor. In addition, during the manufacture of rails, the company uses only environmentally friendly raw materials that are safe for health and can withstand the effects of external factors.