Today, stretch ceilings are very popular. This is due to the fact that such a finish does not need special care, masks all the flaws of the floors and looks very impressive.
At the final stage of installation of suspended surfaces, ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings (in other words, fillets) are mounted. They are fixed in the places where the ceiling joins the walls of the room and perform several functions at once: decorative and masking.
Many people ask questions: is their presence mandatory? What types of skirting boards are there and which kind of plinth to choose? Of course, it is difficult for an unprofessional master to understand all the nuances, so in our article we decided to review all possible options and talk about how to install them. We hope this helps you solve the problem.
Is it mandatory to install skirting boards on the ceiling?
First, we will understand the feasibility of using ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings. Some homeowners consider them to be an optional piece of furniture that can be dispensed with. This opinion has a right to exist, since indeed the installation of fillets is not necessary at all.
However, we recommend that you pay attention to the method of attaching the stretch webs: they are fixed using metal profiles pre-installed around the perimeter of the room.
Since it is very rare to see absolutely even walls in modern buildings, there are almost always gaps between the profile and the base. The stretch fabric cannot hide these defects, but the plinth with ease.
In addition, ceiling plinths for suspended ceilings give this finish an additional zest and completeness. A huge variety of types, colors, designs and textures makes it easy to decorate any interior and fill it with notes of sophistication and sophistication. And most importantly, the cost of such decoration is quite democratic.
So do your ceiling need fillets? It all depends entirely on your taste preferences.
What types of ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings exist today?
Modern finishing materials are very diverse, and ceiling skirting boards are no exception. Their types differ depending on the source material, shape, width and appearance.
When shopping for this product, be prepared for the seller to offer you products from:
- polystyrene foam;
- polyurethane;
- plastic.
Ceiling fillets can also have hard or soft inserts. Often there are products with a variety of decorative elements.
For lovers of natural materials, plinths made of plaster and wood can be made. They belong to expensive and difficult options and are most often made by craftsmen to order. We will not dwell on these options in detail, since they are less popular and are used only in expensive interiors.
What types of ceiling plinths for suspended ceilings are preferable? This question is difficult to answer unambiguously. First of all, you should rely on your financial capabilities and taste preferences. It is also important that the selected option should harmoniously fit into the interior of the room and be combined with its color scheme.
What should I look for when choosing a ceiling plinth?
When buying fillets, it’s worth looking not only at their decorative qualities. An important role is played by the weight of the products. Heavy stripes will be harder to attach to the wall.
In addition, skirting boards must have sufficient elasticity and strength. For rooms of non-standard shapes, it is better to purchase more flexible options.
Particular attention should be paid to the size of the part of the baseboard that is in contact with the wall. It is desirable that its width be at least 2.5 cm, otherwise it will be difficult to fix it.
When wondering which ceiling skirting boards are best for stretch ceilings, you need to proceed from the appearance of the stretched canvas and the way the room is decorated. For interiors in the style of minimalism, you should choose strict and small stripes. Massive stucco molding is well suited for creating an atmosphere of classicism and the Renaissance.
Now we turn to an overview of each option: we will find out their features and disadvantages (if any).
Styrofoam Products
Foam skirting boards are the most economical and popular variety, with several advantages:
- the material is very light, which makes it possible to use the simplest adhesive mixtures for its installation:
- polystyrene foam is quite simple to process and does not require a special tool;
- such products are distinguished by a variety of sizes and designs.
Lightweight foam slats are often used to simulate costly gypsum stucco. At the same time, they practically do not differ from the original. This way of stitching is available to owners of premises, even with a very modest budget. However, it also has drawbacks.
The negative properties include increased fragility and weak flexibility. Foam fillets can be very easily damaged. To install the product in a quality manner, you need to make a lot of effort, since all the roughnesses of the base will appear in the form of gaps between the bar and the wall.
Particularly demanding material to the type of adhesive. In this case, you can not use mixtures with the presence of solvents, as they can damage the product.
Foam ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings are glued directly on top of the wallpaper. Mounting on plastered surfaces is also possible.
Properties of polyurethane products
Polyurethane is a fairly dense and heavy material, so products made on its basis have an impressive weight. It is this quality that is a significant drawback of such fillets.
To fix them on the walls, you need to use heavy-duty varieties of glue, and this entails additional costs. Often, a polyurethane ceiling skirting board for suspended ceilings is fixed using self-tapping screws, which negatively affects its appearance.
Also, fixing of such strips can be carried out on a special profile, but this should be provided even at the stage of stretching the ceiling canvas.
Another drawback of polyurethane fillets is the price. Ceiling plinth for stretch ceiling (made of similar material) can not be attributed to the group of cheap products. However, the high price tag is fully compensated by the rather long service life of the finish.
In addition to the disadvantages, such products have positive aspects, and some of them are not inherent in other varieties.
These include:
- Great flexibility. This quality allows the material to fit snugly against walls with minor bumps. Skirting boards can easily be used in rooms with rounded corners.
- Ease of processing. Despite its high density, polyurethane lends itself well to processing. It can be cut with a regular clerical knife.
- Resistance to chemical components. Skirting boards can be fixed on any glue, since it is quite difficult to damage them.
Giving preference to this kind of fillet, pay attention to the fact that fixing them on top of the wallpaper (on the adhesive) is not recommended. Their heavy weight can provoke the peeling of paintings from the walls. It is more preferable to use screws for installation.
PVC skirting boards
PVC ceiling fillets come in several varieties. This includes hard plastic strips and flexible tapes.
The design of ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings is quite diverse. Hard plastic strips can be made in the form of expensive stone, natural wood, metal and gypsum stucco. These skirting boards are not afraid of moisture, so they can be used in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
The light weight of such products allows you to choose any mounting method for their installation: using glue or self-tapping screws. Most models have a special cable channel that allows you to hide the electrical wiring and line for the Internet.
Flexible ceiling plinth for suspended ceilings is presented in the form of an elastic tape. A special edge is located on its inner side. During installation, it is pushed into the joint of the wall and profile for the tension web.
Externally flexible tapes can be quite wide, narrow, smooth and convex. They can be mounted in rooms with uneven walls, as they fit perfectly to the base. This option can also be used on rounded surfaces.
Skirting boards for concealed lighting
One of the most popular innovations in the field of repair is hidden lighting. It is created by fixing the LED strip around the perimeter of the ceiling. The above panels are not suitable for creating complex lighting effects. In these cases, you need to use special options.
Illuminated ceiling plinth (for stretch ceilings) is characterized by the presence of a kind of "shelf", which is located on its inner side. Additionally, the strip can be coated with a reflective tape that enhances the decorative properties of the backlight. Volumetric options may have holes for installing spotlights.
The main types of existing fillets for a stretch ceiling we examined. Now let's move on to the process of fixing them.
Installation of ceiling skirting boards for suspended ceilings: preparation for work
The installation of the ceiling skirting must be carried out in accordance with several rules. Namely:
- It is imperative to prepare the base on which the product will be located. It must be cleaned from dust, dirt and other debris. If skirting boards will be mounted on glue, the wall should be coated with a primer.
- Most often, ceiling borders are installed before painting walls or wallpapering. If the surfaces will be tiled, then the finish is first performed, and at its end the baseboard is fixed.
- If you were not able to get the product of the required color, then it can be painted. For this, water-based paint and a thin paint brush are used. Skirting of skirting boards is best done before installation. In this case, the paint should dry completely.
- If these works have not been completed in advance, you can decorate the slats already on the ceiling. In this case, adjacent surfaces should be protected with masking tape.
Before gluing the ceiling plinth, cover the stretch fabric with cling film. You should not neglect this recommendation, since even the smallest drops of glue will be impossible to remove from the canvas. Ultimately, the appearance of the ceiling may be damaged.
How to install a ceiling plinth for suspended ceilings: installation technology
Before proceeding with the installation of products, make sure that you have all the necessary materials and tools. First of all, you need to check if you have enough ceiling panels.
If you have not previously done such work, purchase material with a margin. For arrangement of corners it is better to buy special elements of the corresponding form.
Next, you need to assemble the tool. You will need:
- construction pencil or marker for marking;
- the desired type of adhesive mixture (depends on the material of the plinth);
- measuring tool;
- miter box;
- construction knife;
- fine sand paper;
- sealant or putty for coating joints.
Now we will consider how to glue the ceiling plinth on the walls with wallpaper and without them. In the first embodiment, the work is performed in the following order:
- With the help of the construction level, the walls are marked. To do this, the bar is applied to the wall and a strip is drawn along its lower edge.
- From the far corner fillets begin to glue. To do this, you can use a special corner and pre-sawed at 45 degrees workpieces. Glue is better to use a transparent type. Its peculiarity is that over time, the seams do not darken.
- A thin layer of glue is applied to the inside of the baseboard. After that, the panel is pressed tightly against the wall, referring to the marked markings.
- If there are bumps on the wall, the baseboard needs to be pressed harder. For best results, you can pull it to the wall with tape. After the glue has dried, the tape must be removed. Thus, all corners of the room are arranged. After that they are connected by long skirting boards.
- If glue appears on the surface of the fillets, immediately wipe it with a soft cloth. So the installation of strips around the perimeter.
Plinth joining places are filled with sealant. After it dries, the seam is carefully treated with sandpaper. You can also mask the joint with putty. This option is suitable in cases where the skirting board is subject to subsequent painting.
If there are no wallpapers on the walls yet, you can fix the baseboard with putty. To do this, moisten the wall and the inside of the baseboard with water. Next, putty is applied to the baseboard. The product is pressed tightly against the wall, and the protruding excess solution is removed.
If an LED strip needs to be laid on top of the baseboard, then a couple of centimeters must be left between the ceiling and the curb.
Installation of flexible PVC tapes is much easier. Thanks to special mounts located on their inside, the product is simply worn on the metal profile of the ceiling.
Conclusion
We examined the most popular fillet options, figured out how to choose a ceiling plinth for suspended ceilings and how to install it correctly. In conclusion, we will pay attention to the care of skirting boards and their cost.
It is possible to extend the service life of fillets and keep them in their original form subject to proper operation. It consists in periodically cleaning the baseboard from dust. This is done with a sponge and soapy water.
If we talk about the cost of the border for the ceiling, then it varies depending on the material and manner of execution of the product. Simple and strict foam strips have a price tag of 10 rubles per 2-meter strip. Products with imitation stucco molding (from the same material) will cost about 70 rubles. Colored and decorated borders cost up to 500 rubles per lane.
Skirting boards made of polyurethane have a price tag of 400 rubles. The cost of wide options with a variety of reliefs can reach about 4000 rubles per 2.4 meter strip.
Flexible ceiling tapes are usually sold per meter. The cost of one running meter of such products starts from 50 rubles.
Given the recommendations in this article, you can easily add the finishing touches to your new ceiling. We hope you have received comprehensive answers to all your questions!