Types of ceilings for an apartment: what is good and what is bad about each of them

Photo: realstroi-m.ru The renovation is about to begin, but what to do with the ceiling is still not clear? Do you want to be both beautiful and practical? That's what suspended ceilings are for! They delight the eye with a wealth of shapes and configurations, allow you to implement the most interesting design projects, and are suitable for zoning. Under such a design you can easily hide any defects of the “native” base without long and tedious leveling.

Which ceiling to choose

It’s not for nothing that there are so many types of ceilings - each of them solves certain problems, meets its own criteria and tastes of different people. But such a huge selection and availability of most materials can be confusing - you want both this and that.

But this surface is finished once every few years, and it’s good if over the years it doesn’t get boring, doesn’t deteriorate, and doesn’t go out of fashion. Is there a design that meets these requirements? Yes, there is one!

An example of versatility

A common option that fits into most interior styles is a matte white surface. At the same time, it should be smooth, without drawings or stucco.

There are many types of materials that can look like this. This includes drywall, paint, plaster, and even suspended ceilings of a certain texture. Here the choice depends on what budget you have allocated for repairs, how long you are willing to wait and how much inconvenience you are willing to endure for the sake of the result.

In what cases can complex ceilings be made?

Designers most often recommend adhering to the principle “the simpler the better,” but there are exceptions:

• If the decoration of the room and the furniture in it are neutral both in color and shape, the ceiling can, and sometimes even needs to be made unusual. But if the room already has enough accents, then the top should be more modest.
• In large rooms, multi-level structures look great, zoning the space and making each part more separate. The shape of the ceiling depends on what is located on the floor and walls. For example, you can lower the ceiling above the bed. In this case, rearranging the furniture will be much more difficult, so its location needs to be carefully thought out.
• Ornate designs overhead - various waves, flowers and butterflies - will not soon become relevant. In modern interiors, simple geometric shapes are more common - square, rectangle, circle, semicircle, oval, triangle. Multi-level ceilings of similar shapes are used when it is necessary to correct the irregular shape of a room. In this case, their use is justified.

Main advantages

Why have Grilyato lattice structures become so popular, what are their main advantages? Developers, installers, and designers love them. And most importantly, those who work or live in rooms with Grilyato ceilings also like these ceiling panels.

• Easy installation. No need for a large number of fasteners. For installation you will need a standard set of tools - stepladder, hammer, dowel-nails. Ceiling structures for large rooms can be installed during the day.
• The ability to visually change the space. Such panels make large rooms more comfortable and connect them into a single whole. In small rooms and narrow corridors, an emphasis on geometric shapes can visually expand the space. The same color of the grilles and base expands the space and raises the ceiling. A contrasting, dark coating under a light profile visually makes the ceiling lower.
• Masking of imperfect surfaces and communications. For installation, you do not need to make the surface perfectly flat. Small differences that cannot be leveled out will be completely invisible behind Grilyato bars. Even large protrusions and pipes are easily hidden behind the frequent geometric pattern.
• Access to communications. If necessary, you can quickly disassemble part of the structures. This is necessary to repair closed communications. Individual parts can be easily replaced or repaired.
• Safety and environmental friendliness . Aluminum has a high degree of fire safety. Light metal can be used where the load on supporting structures should not be large. Aluminum ceilings do not emit harmful substances, do not collect dust, and leave enough space for air circulation. Raster designs absorb noise well and do not leave an echo effect in large rooms. This is especially true for offices with open space, for halls in public spaces - at airports, train stations, where there is constant noise.
• Design possibilities. A set of colors from the RAL palette makes it possible to produce aluminum panels of almost any shade. You can visually make the room lower to highlight a separate area or add coziness; on the contrary, you can choose light profiles and a light background in order to bring a feeling of airiness. Original combinations with lamps of different shapes allow you to create an unusual design.

Whitewash, paint and plaster

To paint, whitewash or plaster the surface, you will have to tinker, but the height of the walls will remain the same. These finishing options are suitable for most styles - classic, modern, historical, rustic, ethnic.

Lime and chalk

Despite the fact that the range of finishing materials is becoming larger and larger, the good old whitewash has not gone away. Its composition is very simple - it is an aqueous solution of slaked lime or an aqueous solution of chalk. The characteristics of these solutions differ. Lime has the following properties:

Chalk has its advantages and disadvantages:

IMPORTANT . If the ceiling has already been covered with lime, then in the future you need to use such a solution. And if the surface is covered with chalk, then the new layer should be chalk. But chalk and lime are incompatible.

Dye

Water-based matte paint is best suited for painting the top - it is odorless and dries quickly. As for preparing the surface for painting, people here are divided into two camps - supporters of perfectly smooth ceilings and those who calmly paint directly over concrete or rough putty. But there shouldn’t be any controversy here - it’s just that some trends in interior design really allow for slight negligence.

Plaster - textured and structural

Textured plaster allows you to create the desired relief on a layer that has not yet dried. Only those specialists who have at least some artistic abilities should be involved in such work.

And the pattern of structural plaster manifests itself during the process of applying the solution. This happens thanks to the special components in its composition.

Careful leveling of the plane is not required - plaster will hide the imperfections. This coating is environmentally friendly and durable.

This decorative plaster on the walls and ceiling creates the illusion that the house is built of sand

Wallpaper

Let's look at some types of wallpaper suitable for ceilings.

Paper, vinyl, non-woven and textile

Paper wallpaper is the most budget-friendly. And if the choice falls on them, then it is better to prefer two-layer ones - the image on them can be either flat or convex. Paper is the most environmentally friendly and breathable finishing material, but that’s where its advantages end.

Non-woven wallpaper is divided into two subtypes - completely non-woven and combined. The latter have only a non-woven base, and the outer side can be vinyl or some other.

BY THE WAY. Wallpaper consisting entirely of non-woven fabric can be painted, and more than once.

Vinyl wallpapers are denser, but they are rarely painted. In addition, this type of canvas is not recommended for use in the kitchen - it absorbs odors.

Textile wallpaper looks cozy and presentable, but you should not try to glue it yourself without experience.

ADVICE. If you have to choose between wallpaper and paint, experts advise taking into account the age of the house. New buildings shrink during the first few years and microcracks appear on the surfaces. And good wallpaper can hide them. And it is better to use paint in houses that are more than 5 years old.

If the ceiling is high enough, choose a large wallpaper pattern - then you can examine it in detail

Liquid wallpaper

This material is a dry mixture of textile fibers and cellulose. Before applying to the surface, the mixture is diluted with water. The advantages of liquid wallpaper are the absence of seams and maintainability. If any area is damaged, it can be “patched” with the remaining mixture.

BY THE WAY . The design of fillets—plinths made of foam plastic or other materials—helps to achieve a neat boundary between the ceiling and the wall.

Liquid wallpaper can be tinted yourself if the desired shade is not available for sale.

Rule

We recommend remembering the word “ceiling”. To check the correct spelling, use a spelling dictionary of the Russian language, for example, edited by D.N. Ushakov.

Spelling full vowel words

Full-vowel words with the combination of letters -ORO-, -OLO-, -ERE-, -ELE- , which are of Slavic origin, are worth remembering, since they are not checked by stress.

• In the combinations -ORO-, -OLO- two letters “o” - powder, magpie, road, watchman, milk, hair, chisel, hammer.
• In the combinations -ERE-, -ELE- write two letters “e” - tree, silver, string, command, veil.

But these words can also correspond to single-root, partial-vowel words with the combination of letters -RA-, -RE-, -LA-, -LE-.

Milk - milky, milky;

Facing materials

The cladding will hide unevenness well, and will take away quite a bit from the height of the room. Materials for the top differ in their properties from those intended for walls. Firstly, they should be as light as possible. Secondly, strength is not so important for them.

Ceiling tiles

The advantages of this three-dimensional tile imitating molding are its low weight and low price. This material may look beautiful, but is often used to save money and time. The tiles are installed quickly - just glue them to the surface with special glue. At the same time, it must be applied carefully - only to the middle of the tile - without allowing it to leak out along the edges.

Expanded polystyrene tiles come in three types: pressed, laminated and seamless. Laminated is a suitable option for the bathroom and other wet areas. Seamless is good for the living room and other living rooms. Pressed tiles are the most fragile.

IMPORTANT. In kitchens with a gas oven, any polystyrene foam tiles will quickly lose their appearance.

The most common type of ceiling tile

Brick

Real brick is used only for the construction of vaults. But the facing is also suitable for decorative finishing of the top. Alternative options are also used - from drywall, plaster or carved foam.

Brick can be painted any color

Stretch ceilings and their types

Such designs come in handy when you need to do work quickly and relatively cleanly, and at the same time hide communications, install lamps and protect the room from flooding. You will have to pay for these amenities with the height of the walls - they will become at least three centimeters lower.

Let's consider different types of such surfaces.

Glossy

Varnish, or glossy, PVC ceilings are a very popular solution. They are reflective, which means they make the room brighter and visually higher. But they don’t look good in every interior. An exception may be styles such as high-tech - here gloss will emphasize the idea of ​​manufacturability.

Black gloss reflects the chandelier, making it seem more voluminous

Matte and satin

If your goal is to create a surface similar to a classic one, give preference to a matte texture. Satin also looks almost natural and only slightly reflects the light falling on it. This is a compromise between a glossy and matte surface.

This matte cream-colored stretch ceiling is almost indistinguishable from painted

Stretch ceilings protect the room from flooding from above

Suede

The upper, trimmed with suede, looks interesting in rooms furnished in ethno, baroque, classic or retro style. Even in a large room, such decoration will create an intimate atmosphere. There are also materials that imitate leather.

Such a bright suede ceiling needs space

With photo printing

The photo printing technique allows you to apply any design to the canvas at an affordable price. But it is better to use this opportunity carefully. In the vast majority of cases, such ceilings look out of place, especially if an ordinary photo is chosen as the image, and not a work by an artist.

If you want a salamander on the ceiling - no problem, photo printing can do that too

carved

Such surfaces with a 3D effect do not go unnoticed. Here two or more canvases are combined. What is below has shaped holes through which the first layer is visible. A huge number of design and color options allows you to create both a real masterpiece and something that will add to the collections of “anti-trends” on YouTube.

Flying swallows - a suitable image for a carved ceiling

Mirror

Unlike glossy samples, which loudly declare that they are tensioned, mirror ones look like real mirrors. Only they are darker, but absolutely unbreakable. Their already sufficient decorativeness can be enhanced by applying patterns to them. For example, abstract matte lines or pictures

There should be order in a room with mirror surfaces

This video shows the so-called “floating” tension structures. Lighting plays a big role in creating this effect:

What about the price?

We think you will not argue with the fact that repairs are far from the cheapest pleasure. And of course, the issue of price for materials plays an important role in this.

Let's see what is cheaper to use - a suspended or suspended ceiling?

1. Cost of materials

Previously, we have already described in detail how the price of suspended ceilings is formed. PVC film starts on average from 160 rubles per square meter and sometimes can reach 1500. It all depends on the manufacturer, texture, type of material. You can find a cheaper option. But are you sure that it is rational to use Chinese noname in residential premises? Think about your safety.

As for the fabric tension covering, it will cost more: from 500 to 3000 rubles.

Of course, we are talking about a simple plain fabric. If we talk about printed ones, the amount will be even higher.

A plasterboard suspended ceiling is more democratic in this regard. On average, one sheet (2.5 x 1.2 meters) is sold for 80 rubles.

But there are also some nuances here. Much depends on the density of the material and its type. For example, if you want to buy waterproof gypsum boards, be prepared to spend money - from 300 rubles per sheet.

2. Cost of work

As you understand, your expenses do not end with the purchase of canvas or plasterboard. Still to be installed. It’s good if you feel strong enough to install the coating yourself (if anything, our step-by-step instructions collected in this section can help with this).

If not, then here are the approximate prices you need to focus on.

Average prices for installing a stretch ceiling are 200 rubles per meter for PVC film and 350 for fabric. If the premises have a non-standard configuration, builders may request more - from 700 rubles.

By the way, we have already told you what the final price of a stretch ceiling per square meter is made up of.

However, it is unlikely that you will be able to save money on a plasterboard suspended ceiling: installation work costs about the same, from 250 rubles. However, it all depends on the configuration of the room and a number of points. Lighting layout, design complexity, area... These parameters can significantly affect the cost.

What conclusions can be drawn? The cost of gypsum board is an order of magnitude cheaper than stretched fabric (especially fabric). But what will be the final cost along with installation and finishing work? Read on.

Dropped ceilings

The above-mentioned tension structures also belong to suspended structures, but they are usually classified as a separate group. Next we will list other types of suspended ceilings. There are many of them, but they all differ in that they are attached to the main floor, hiding both various irregularities and communications underneath.

Rack and pinion

A stacked ceiling made of aluminum, wood and other slats is an unusual and quite durable option. Depending on the type and material, it may look different.

Slats add geometricity to the interior

Design options

For a stretch ceiling, you can choose any design options, among a variety of textures, colors, and shapes. The texture of a stretch ceiling can be of the following types:

• Matte.
• Glossy.
• Satin.
• With imitation leather.

There are more than 100 shades, among which each client will be able to choose the most suitable option. Any image can be applied to the coating, even the owner’s photo. There are a lot of design options, so you can realize any design idea.

The range of designs for suspended ceilings is more modest. However, you can create an original design by experimenting with tiers, lighting and shades.

From the floor to the top

Conventional flooring can also end up on other planes. Among such universals, the first places are occupied by laminate and cork.

Laminate

There is no special ceiling laminate - the same one used for the floor is used. At the same time, you can safely choose not the most durable types, because the load on it will be small.

Preference is given to the lightest colors - white, grayish, yellowish and beige. The wood-imitating coating has shades such as white oak, light walnut and ash. In tall and well-lit rooms, you can safely use dark colors.

ADVICE. There is no need to use the same shade of laminate both below and above - such an interior will turn out to be too monotonous and flat.

Laminate can also imitate metal, stone, concrete and other materials. And, if “wood” is suitable for a modern style, then “metal” will look great in a high-tech interior, “stone” in a Gothic setting, and “concrete” in a loft.

Laminate flooring on a high ceiling can easily be confused with natural wood

Cork tree

Another option for finishing the ceiling is to use balsa wood. This material has the following advantages:

• environmental friendliness;
• variety of shades;
• thermal insulation;
• soundproofing;
• small thickness;
• the ability to bend panels in order to trim various protrusions with them;
• resistance to fungus;
• water resistance.

One of the disadvantages is that the cork must be coated with wax or varnish. This material is difficult to work with and there is a risk of damaging it during installation. Therefore, it is impossible to do without professionals.

This cork ceiling is especially good for living rooms

Which is stronger?

Of course, we doubt that you will deliberately spoil the fresh coating (and if so, we suggest you read the tips on how to do this in a fun way using the example of suspended ceilings). Therefore, we recommend that you think about how the materials will behave in everyday life - after all, different situations happen.

PVC sheets are not particularly durable - they are quite easily damaged by being caught with a sharp object or simply hit with sufficient force. That is why in the nursery it is recommended to place them taking into account the child’s behavior: if he is a fan of active games, it is better to choose another option. Fabric ceilings in this regard are more resistant to mechanical stress (except for piercing and cutting tests).

Suspended structures are much stronger. However, if you set a goal, you can break them by throwing something heavy. True, the repair will be much simpler - if you tear the tension fabric, you will have to change the entire covering. Immediately, it will be enough to carefully cut out the damaged area and replace it with a whole piece of drywall, carefully masking the joints.

As you can see, in this regard, plasterboard suspended ceilings outperform their stretch competitor.

Hemmed construction

Let's talk about another type of finishing - hemming. This is a fairly affordable way to improve the decor.

Why is it called that?

The sheathed structure seems to be hemmed to the frame located on the main interfloor slab. In this way, you can qualitatively level the surface without significant costs.

This type of top is not suspended, which means that it can be used to avoid lowering the room. At the same time, the main advantage of suspended structures will not exist, namely the ability to hide communications.

Wooden false ceilings are more often used in country houses than in apartments

What can such a top be made from?

To create a hemming structure, the following materials are used:

• Drywall. This material is pliable and easy to work with; thanks to these qualities, the coating can be built quickly and independently. After installation, the drywall needs to be puttied and painted.
• Plastic or metal slats. These materials are especially good for wet areas. The advantage is that neither plastic nor metal require additional finishing.
• Decorative panels made of polyvinyl chloride or expanded polystyrene. They are light and inexpensive and easy to work with.
• Tree. In a country house, wooden surfaces are often made. They are in harmony with the walls made of timber. The boards will need a protective coating - colored or transparent.

The top can also be decorated using MDF or laminate.

There may be several types of ceilings in your apartment or house. One variety will be good for the living room, the second will be suitable for the corridor, and the third will serve well in the kitchen. Pay attention not only to aesthetics, but also to the practicality of coatings.

Selection of lamps

Grilyato products are compatible with all types of lighting fixtures. The most common option is built-in square or round lamps. Built-in lighting fixtures are installed in parallel or according to the domino principle - both options look very organic, emphasizing the clarity of geometric lines. The simplest option is square lamps that match the size of the Grilyato ceiling sections. There are special models that are produced for installation together with suspended ceilings.

Round recessed lights are more difficult to install, as aluminum needs to be cut to accommodate them. However, this is also a common lighting option that is mounted together with Grilyato ceilings.

Most often, such LED lamps are installed in large rooms where bright diffused light is needed at any time of the day. Cylindrical lamps with directional light can be installed above podiums and stages.

Another option is spotlights, placed inside one cell. Such lamps are called “Albatross”. They are installed in office premises, hotels and retail spaces. To install this type of spotlight, no additional fasteners are required. It is simply placed on top of the cell, after which the Grilyato section is fixed to the supporting profiles. If necessary, such a lamp can be easily rearranged. Cylindrical lamps are attached to the ceiling slats to be able to rotate and create a directional stream of light. Fixtures that exceed the cell size require cutting out part of the structure. This can be done with metal scissors. Make sure that the rigidity of the structure is not compromised. Restaurants and cafes usually do not use built-in lights. Hanging chandeliers with warm light that create coziness look more appropriate there. When purchasing chandeliers and lamps, it is important to clarify whether they can be installed on cellular raster ceilings. If a chandelier or lamp increases the load on the ceiling structures, you need to install additional suspensions.