The device of a stretch light ceiling, its advantages and disadvantages, the selection of system components and the scope of application, recommendations for assembling the structure with your own hands. Skylight represents a new trend in indoor lighting. Installing lighting fixtures over a translucent stretch ceiling turns the ceiling into a light source without visible fixtures. By choosing the right stretch film and the type of fixtures, you can create a unique atmosphere in the room. We will talk about the variety of light ceilings, the rules for their selection and the sequence of assembly of the floor in this article.
Advantages and disadvantages of light stretch ceilings
Light ceilings at a relatively low cost have a huge number of advantages that distinguish them from the variety of tension systems:
- Use of economical luminaires … The design uses LED strips that consume only 40 W to illuminate 1 m2 ceiling. The service life of such lamps reaches seventy thousand hours.
- Variety of design … There are many options for covering light-transmitting film, which allows you to give the ceiling and the room as a whole an original look. The multi-level skylights look stylish. The cost of materials for leveling the surface of the ceiling, together with construction work, is more than the cost of erecting a light ceiling.
- No need for preliminary preparation of the ceiling … The canvas is attached to the wall corners and does not depend on the condition of the ceiling.
- No requirements for the shape of the ceiling … Light systems can be installed on ceilings of any geometric shape, even in rooms with curved walls.
- Visual increase in space … The patterned light ceiling visually increases the height of the room.
- Changing the design of the room … Using the remote control, you can change the glow of the LEDs, setting the intensity and color at your discretion. In the presence of the main luminaire, it can be used as a decorative lighting.
- Long service life … The film is able to maintain its original appearance for many years.
- Simplicity of design … Installation of the ceiling is carried out as soon as possible.
- Easy surface cleaning … The film has the ability to repel dust. You will need clean water to clean the material.
- Creating a cozy environment … Being in a room with a light ceiling set to a muted glow has a calming effect on a person.
A light ceiling is considered a modification of a stretch ceiling, and all the positive qualities of such types of floors are inherent in it. Above the canvas, you can hide communications and cables, the material will hide all defects of the base ceiling, the product is undemanding to use.
However, the presence of luminaires in the design creates a number of problems for users, which are considered the negative side of light ceilings:
- For uniform illumination of the canvas, the lamps should be located at a distance of 10-15 cm from the film. The ceiling is lowered to this height, and it is not recommended to install light ceilings in rooms with a small distance from the floor to the floor slabs.
- After installation, nothing in the structure cannot be changed without dismantling the coating, therefore the work requires careful preparation.
- Failure to comply with the assembly technology will lead to the appearance of defects on the finished floor.
- Maintenance and replacement of lighting devices and assemblies hung on the base floor is impossible without dismantling the film.
- Lighting devices work with low power transformers. Lighting a large area means purchasing multiple transformers and increasing ceiling costs.
- The decision to use the ceiling as the main luminaire of the room means the acquisition of a very large number of LEDs and dimmers (dimmers), they also require funds.
- There will be additional costs if the power calculations for the luminaires are incorrect. In this case, you will have to buy additional local lighting devices.
- Punctures or cuts cannot be repaired on skylight film.
Selection of light stretch ceiling elements
In the construction of the light ceiling, typical parts and assemblies are used that are used in all such structures. A beautiful glow is obtained thanks to the properties of the film and the special rules for the placement of lighting fixtures.
Film for the formation of a light stretch ceiling
To obtain the effect, a high quality dense translucent PVC film is required. She is listed as translucent in catalogs. With the advent of this type of film, the question of how to make a light ceiling disappeared forever. Such a film transmits up to 50% of the light from the lamps placed above it.
From below, through the film, the wires and the state of the base ceiling are not visible. When the lighting is off, it looks like a matte surface, but after turning on the lamps, an evenly luminous ceiling is visible.
Various modifications of the film differ in the degree of transparency, which depends on the color of the canvas. White ceilings have a high degree of transparency, brown ones - the lowest. For a ceiling with the function of the main light, choose a canvas in a light shade that creates daylight. There are no restrictions on the color of the film for decorative floors.
Luminaires for luminous stretch ceilings
LED strips are produced in the form of flexible boards 8-10 m wide and 2-3 mm thick, with LEDs and resistors located on the surface. The common length of the product is 5 m.
In order to make a proper choice, study the basic qualities of LED luminaires:
- Glow tint … It can be white, red, blue, yellow, green. There is a large selection of RGB color strips, with all of the above colors.
- LED type … The strips are equipped with two types of LEDs - SMD 3528 and SMD 5050, which differ in intensity.
- Number of LEDs per standard length … Affects the brightness of the glow and the power of the device. On a one-color product of a meter length, 60, 120, 240 elements are placed. A running meter of colored tape contains 30 elements. The more light elements there are, the brighter the light.
- Waterproof … Bathroom light ceilings are equipped with waterproof LED modules. There are two types of such tapes - IP 30 or IP 65. The higher the value, the higher the protection.
For the normal functioning of the LEDs, a voltage of 12V is required, which is provided by a 220V / 12V transformer. Smooth adjustment of the brightness of the glow of each color is performed by the controller, which is controlled by the remote control.
DIY light stretch ceiling installation technology
Light stretch ceilings are a type of traditional stretch ceilings, but the model installation technologies are the same only in terms of the installation of the canvas. The presence of luminaires in the structure of the light ceiling divides the installation work into two parts: the installation of lighting elements and the tension of the canvas.
Calculation of materials for a luminous stretch ceiling
Before work, calculate the amount of consumables for arranging a stretch ceiling using the following recommendations:
- The film is fixed to the wall profile by means of notches on the edges of the canvas and on the surface of the rail wall. This method is called harpoon. It is distinguished by high requirements for the size of the canvas.
- To perform calculations, draw a drawing of the ceiling, on which, to scale, draw the location of the baguettes. The estimated area is reduced by 7%, this will be the area of / u200b / u200bworking the future ceiling. The film is delivered to the customer with the specified dimensions. In addition, it will indicate the base angle from which the editing starts.
- From the drawing, you can also determine the total length of the wall profile, equal to the perimeter of the ceiling plus 10%.
- The fasteners for the baguette are placed every 8-15 cm, determine its quantity along the length of the profile.
Installation of LED strips for a luminous stretch ceiling
The light ceiling will justify the costs if the installation of the main elements of the system - lamps - is correctly performed. Below is the sequence for installing LED strips:
- Clean the surface of the old coating so that it does not fall on the stretch fabric later.
- Seal gaps and other indentations where the LED strips will be placed.
- Examine the ceiling for the presence of fungi and mold, if found, treat the damaged areas with antiseptics.
- Prime the ceiling.
- Move all furniture out of the room.
- Lay out the LED strip on the floor in the order in which it will be attached to the ceiling, and connect to the controller. The controller connectors are marked with colors for correct wire splicing: R - for red wire, G - for green, B - for blue.
- It is allowed to cut the tape only according to the marks indicated on the segment, otherwise some of the diodes will not burn. After cutting, solder the contact wires to the module.
- For lengthening, the samples are connected with special devices - connectors.
- Only 5 meters of tape are allowed in series, longer sections are connected in a parallel way.
- Connect the controller to a step-down transformer. To calculate the power of the transformer, multiply the power of one meter of the product by the meter of tape. The power of the transformer is selected 20% more than the calculated value.
- Connect the transformer to the 220 V network, check the operation of the lamp. If everything is ok, unplug the tape and start gluing it to the ceiling.
- Degrease the areas on the base slab to which the modules will be attached. Remove the adhesive backing from the tape. Glue the lamp to the ceiling.
- After installing the tape, connect a controller with a transformer to it and check the operation of the luminaire again. If the result is positive, fix the controller with the transformer in the specified place and proceed with the installation of the film.
When assembling LED systems, avoid sharp bends of the modules. The turning radius should be greater than 18-22 mm. Damage to diodes and resistors is not allowed. When connecting the modules, observe the polarity to avoid burning out the LEDs.
How to make a luminous stretch ceiling
The work on fastening the baguette of the canvas must be carried out carefully, the consequences of poor-quality assembly are very difficult to fix. It is advisable to visit friends who have such systems and take a photo of the light stretch ceiling for better perception.
After purchasing all the elements, install the ceiling in the following sequence:
- Using a laser or other level, find the lowest corner of the room, step back 150 mm from it and place a mark. The gap is necessary so that the light from the LEDs is not spotty.
- Draw a horizontal line through this mark around the perimeter of the room.
- Fix the baguettes to the wall with self-tapping screws and dowels so that the top of the profile coincides with the line on the wall.
- Remove any sharp objects from the floor that could damage the film.
- Heat the room with a heat gun to a temperature of 60 degrees and maintain the temperature regime until the film is finally fixed.
- Unroll the canvas and find the base angle. Do not place the film close to the heat gun, so that it does not lose its elasticity prematurely.
- Anchor the base corner and the diametrically opposite corner to the baguette. To fix it, pass the harpoon into the groove of the profile and press it with a spatula until it clicks.
- To facilitate installation, heat the canvas with a heat gun with air heated to a temperature of 70-80 degrees.
- Repeat the operation for the two remaining corners.
- The next step is to fasten the sides of the canvas from the corners to the center.
- Warm up the wrinkles that appear on the material with a construction hairdryer. When working, do not bring the tool closer than 200 mm to the surface.
How to make a light ceiling - watch the video:
As you have seen, it is not difficult to assemble the light ceiling with your own hands, some difficulty may arise when installing the electrical network of the lamp. Do the work carefully, as mistakes often lead to burnout of the luminaire and costly restoration work.
