Types of cassette ceilings and their suspension systems, advantages, disadvantages, choice of materials for self-fabrication of the structure and detailed technology for its installation. A cassette ceiling is a type of suspended ceiling structure. Its main elements are slabs made of various materials, which are called "cassettes". Their installation is carried out on a pre-installed frame. The scope of application of cassette suspended ceilings, due to their aesthetic appearance, environmental friendliness and moisture resistance, is quite wide: these are living quarters, cinemas, offices, discos, restaurants, swimming pools and even medical institutions.
Types of cassette ceilings
Suspended ceiling cassettes are made from various materials and come in a wide variety of colors and textures. This makes it possible to translate into reality the most elegant and intricate design solutions and allows the installation of cassette ceilings in rooms with their various purposes.
There are these types of cassette ceilings:
- Cassette metal ceilings … They are made of galvanized steel or aluminum. Their texture is glossy, matte, perforated or smooth, coated with a polymer coating or containing a mirror metallized layer. The range of colors of cassette metal ceilings is also quite diverse. They can be white, red, black, crimson, blue, as well as the color of gold, silver metallic and even painted to match the texture of a tree. Russian metal cassette ceilings Albes are quite popular, despite their rather high cost - 420 rubles / m2.
- Cassette mirrored ceilings … They can be made of acrylic or silicate glass. Their surface can be mirrored or slightly matte, with golden, silver and other shades. The elements of the suspended structure of the mirrored ceiling are painted to match the color of the cassettes, and the fixing of the mirror plates is carried out inside the frame with a high degree of reliability.
- Cassette plaster ceilings … This is the oldest and proven option for suspended ceiling systems. Such ceilings have a lot of different textures and colors. Gypsum cassette ceilings can be used both for decorative solutions of interiors and for heat and sound insulation of rooms that do not have high humidity.
- Cassette glass ceilings … Like their mirror counterparts, they are made of acrylic or silicate glass and allow you to create unusual and eye-catching design solutions. Various lighting fixtures can be installed behind cassettes made of frosted glass. Their diffused light fills the atmosphere of the room with warmth and comfort. The glass surfaces of cassette ceilings are often provided with different designs, made with small sandblasting machines or other methods. Lamps of glass ceilings, highlighting the drawings from above, successfully distinguish them against the background of the entire suspended structure.
- Glass or mineral fiber cassette ceilings … They are used indoors for their sound and thermal insulation. Ceilings made of mineral fiber are rigid insulation boards, and fiberglass boards are somewhat similar in structure to fiberglass wallpaper. A striking representative of this type are Armstrong cassette ceilings.
- Cassette wood ceilings … This is exclusive, and quite rare. Slabs of such ceilings are made of expensive oak, ash, bamboo, teak and others. The panels are often decorated with carvings, which are quite expensive to manufacture. The frame of the cassette wooden ceiling is masked by decorative overlays.
The prices of cassette ceilings depend on the materials of manufacture of the plates and many other factors. For example, the price of aluminum cassette ceilings is 6-38 USD / m2, and glass ceilings are much more expensive - from 80 USD / m2.
Types of suspended systems for cassette ceilings
Cassette ceilings have two types of suspended systems:
- Open … In this type of system, the profiles are not hidden behind the cassette plates, but are visible. In this case, the cassettes, after being placed in the cells, are held under their own weight without any fasteners. This type of harness allows for effortless access to equipment hidden in the space behind the cassettes.
- Closed … This variant of the cassette ceiling system masks the profiles with panels that are attached to it from below. Such profiles are called stringers and are structurally different from the usual ones by the presence of special grooves in which the ceiling cassette is fixed. Closed-grid ceilings have a more aesthetic and neat appearance. However, installing the ceiling in this way complicates access to communications located behind its panels.
Advantages and disadvantages of cassette ceilings
Cassette suspended ceilings have a number of undoubted advantages, which can be a well-founded reason for their installation in a particular room:
- High-quality installation of cassette ceilings does not require leveling the base concrete or wooden surface and reliably hides all its flaws. Installation of ceiling profiles is possible on any reliable base.
- Utilities can be hidden behind the cassettes of the ceiling: ventilation pipelines, gas pipes, electrical wiring, communication wires, etc. At the same time, unhindered access will be open to them at any time without complicated dismantling works. To monitor the state of the networks or repair them, it is quite enough to remove several cassettes from the ceiling frame.
- Ceiling panels or cassettes can be easily replaced if damaged due to moisture or mechanical stress.
- Due to the unification of the dimensions of the ceiling cells, instead of cassettes, ventilation, heating or lighting equipment can be installed in them, for example, infrared heaters, warm air conditioners, etc.
- Ceiling cassettes made of glass or aluminum are moisture resistant, they are not afraid of fungi and mold. Therefore, ceilings made of such elements can be installed in showers, bathrooms and swimming pools.
- The ceilings are easily attached, everyone who knows how to do something with their own hands can handle such work.
- Cassette ceilings have a very affordable price. Especially if we take into account their durability and the possibility of quick replacement of their elements.
- The ceilings have a huge selection of colors and different textures - from matte surface to mirror shine.
- The cassette ceiling frame can be made visible and invisible according to its open or hidden system. Plates of such systems, as well as their profiles, are structurally very different from elements of other suspended ceilings.
Despite the outstanding advantages, cassette ceilings also have disadvantages, but there are not many of them:
- The design of the cassette suspended ceiling reduces the height of the room by 15-25 cm. Therefore, this factor is critical for "undersized" rooms.
- The edges of the suspended ceiling cassettes form a mesh that is visible in all variations.
- The price of suspended cassette profiles is higher than the cost of similar ceiling elements made of plasterboard sheets. Although this is quite reasonable: the profiles of cassette ceilings look more aesthetically pleasing, since they have a decorated front part.
Open cassette ceiling installation
To install a cassette ceiling, you will need the following tools: a level, twine, puncher, angle grinder "grinder", drill, scissors for metal, screws and dowels. The work on the device of the cassette ceiling with your own hands must be carried out in stages, starting with its planning.
Choice of materials for a cassette ceiling
Cassette ceilings are sold in parts or ready-made kits. The number of ceiling elements is calculated by the company representative for the area of the room. It is better to buy materials with a small stock. For example, you need to buy more panels for a mirrored ceiling, as they are fragile and may well break. When choosing aluminum panels, no stock is needed. They are durable, and it is difficult to damage them without diligence. For the installation of the ceiling, you will need the following elements:
- Bearing profile T24 or T15, where 15 and 24 are the width in millimeters of the bottom flange of the profile. It has a length of 3, 6 or 3, 7 m. The material for the profile is most often aluminum. The colors of the bottom flange of the profile and the panel must match.
- Intermediate profiles T24 or T15 with a length of 1, 2 m or 0, 6 m. They are equipped with latches that help to assemble the frame when connecting the load-bearing and intermediate profiles.
- Wall profile, 3 m long. Its height is 24 mm, and the width of the bottom shelf is 19 mm.
- Spring hanger or hanger-clamp - serves for fixing the main profiles to the base ceiling.
- Cassettes are ceiling elements that are placed in the cells of the frame.
Any elements of the cassette ceiling must be purchased from the same manufacturer of the goods, otherwise they may simply not fit together.
Drawing up a drawing and calculations of a cassette ceiling
Before starting work, it is necessary to draw up a floor plan on paper, apply a frame mesh of profiles to it and calculate all dimensions. The plan will help in determining the number of ceiling elements and their correct distribution on its surface. Knowing the size of the cassette or ceiling cell, it will be easy to calculate the required number of profiles from the wireframe mesh applied to the plan. As for the number of cassettes, there are certain difficulties.
Often, the number of cassettes laid out in a row does not match the size of the room. This means that you will have to install undercut slabs. They should be placed in places, imperceptible at first glance, where the ceiling adjoins the walls of the room, for example, above the entrance. On the opposite side of the room, it is advisable not to trim the slabs.
Having a ceiling cell size of 600x600 mm, taking into account the distances between the profiles, it is possible to calculate the size of an incomplete slab. To do this, divide the width of the room by the size of one cassette. For example, if the width of the room is 3400 mm divided by the width of the panel 600 mm, you can get the number 5, 66. Then you should multiply the width of the panel by their whole number: 600 x 5 = 3000 mm. If we subtract this value from the width of the room, there will remain 400 mm: 3400 - 3000. When dividing them in half, we get 400: 2 = 200 mm. To this value, you will have to trim. Taking it into account, you should buy the required number of cassettes.
Installation of wall profiles for cassette ceilings
To fix the wall profiles of the cassette ceiling, it is necessary to determine its zero level. It should be 15-25 cm below the base surface and take into account the placement of utilities. Measuring the desired distance on the wall, the mark must be transferred to all corners of the room using a laser or hydraulic level. Then all corner points should be connected with a line along the common perimeter of the room. It is now possible to attach cassette ceiling profiles to the resulting zero level line.
They are fastened with a pitch of 400-500 mm using self-tapping screws and plastic dowels. In the strong material of the walls, you must first drill the fastening holes with a punch along the marked line and with the appropriate step. Then dowels should be inserted into the holes, attach the profile to the line and secure it with self-tapping screws. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the wall profiles.
Fastening ceiling hangers for cassette ceilings
Installation of suspensions begins with determining their attachment points on the base ceiling.
In general, the work is done like this:
- On the wall profile, you need to make marks for the location of the guide profiles.
- Then, between the opposite marks, pull the cord and fasten its ends.
- Looking at the prepared drawing, it is necessary to measure the required distance from the wall and make a mark above the cord on the surface of the base ceiling. All other suspension attachment points are determined in the same way and are marked on the ceiling.
- Then, at the points of attachment of the suspensions, you need to drill holes using a puncher.
- After that, through the fixing lugs, the suspensions must be fixed to the ceiling using metal anchors with a head diameter of 13 mm.
- In places where lighting fixtures or other equipment are placed, additional suspensions should be fixed.
Important! A distance of 600 mm should be maintained from the wall to the outermost suspension, and the distance between the attachment points of the suspensions should not exceed 1200 mm. The location of the suspensions on the ceiling is determined by the intersections of the main and intermediate profiles.
Installation of basic profiles for cassette ceilings
The main profiles are installed between the wall rails. If necessary, they can be cut to the desired length.
The work on their installation is carried out as follows:
- Main profiles must be supported on wall rails, aligned with the cord and secured with a latch mechanism.
- Then, with the hooks of the hangers, you should hook the main profiles to the special holes and align them in a horizontal position using quick-clamping clips. When squeezed, they allow the lower gimbal pin to move up or down, and when released, they fix a certain gimbal position.
- After installation, the position of the profiles must be checked using a level.
Installation of intermediate profiles for cassette ceilings
Installation of intermediate profiles starts from the center of the room:
- Intermediate profiles must be positioned between the main elements with a step of 600 mm, and then their ends must be snapped into the main guides using special clamps. Intermediate profiles are connected to each other according to a similar principle.
- The corners between the profiles must be strictly straight. You can use a square or protractor to check.
- After finishing work in the middle of the room, you should go to the intermediate profiles close to the wall and cut them to the required size.
- The edges of the profiles, on which the latch is preserved, must be inserted into the main guides, and the other ends must be laid on the wall profile.
Installation of ceiling cassettes
Finally, the simplest work remained - the installation of decorative plates. After checking the right angles of the received cells of the frame, the cassettes must be inserted into them with an edge, turned over horizontally and laid on the profiles. With a correctly executed frame, the edges of the slabs should not be visible from below.
At the final stage of the work, you need to install the cut slabs. Their preparation should be done carefully using a cutting hand tool. Chipping of the slabs should not be allowed - the edge of the ceiling should look as beautiful as its middle.
DIY closed cassette ceiling
The installation of closed ceilings is slightly different from the above description:
- Profiles with fasteners located on their lower shelves are used. The edges of the cassettes are inserted into the mounting holes.
- Bearing profiles are placed along the long wall of the room with a step corresponding to the dimensions of the cassettes.
- The dimensions of the panels of such ceilings are far from being unified. For example, panels are often 300 mm wide.
- The main profiles are attached to hangers with a pitch of 300 mm.
- The distance of the extreme suspension to the wall is taken as 600 mm, and between adjacent suspensions - 1200 mm. Based on these data, the number of suspensions required for one profile is determined.
How to make a cassette ceiling - look at the video:
The finished cassette ceiling, made of plastic, metal or glass, can then be washed with water, and made of mineral fiber, wood or plaster can be cleaned of dust with a duster. Good luck!
