A curved ceiling made of gypsum plasterboard, its advantages, surface marking technology and the nuances of installing drywall on bends, the selection of the necessary materials and tools. Curved ceiling lines can be marked with circular arcs or freeform. Therefore, it is performed in various ways:
- Using a compass … Any impromptu version can be used to draw arcs. For example, a piece of profile fixed at one end with a self-tapping screw. You can attach a pencil to its free end. An easier way is to make a "compass" from a screw screwed into the ceiling and a cord with a pencil tied to it. The radius of the circle will determine the length of the stretched cord. After connecting the resulting arcs with straight lines, the marking will become a reference point for attaching the frame profiles.
- By points … This method is used for rooms with significant floor areas. In this case, the marking of the ceiling curved lines is carried out using dozens of points applied to the structure and smoothly connected.
- By pattern … Such markings can be easily applied twice - on the base ceiling and its first level. The template is made from a piece of cardboard using a compass and a piece of profile taken as a ruler. It is convenient to perform this procedure on a table or floor.
- Approximately … This method is suitable if there is an initial intention to create an asymmetrical box shape on the ceiling. A freehand drawn arbitrary curve also has the right to life as a markup. In the future, all flaws can be eliminated with putty.
The planned height difference between the levels of the curved ceiling made of gypsum board is on average 10-15 cm. Large vertical drops in the ceiling can be used to accommodate additional lighting equipment, but the height of the room can always allow this. Slight drops in the ceiling of 10-12 mm also make the curved ceiling volumetric. They are carried out by layer-by-layer patching of figured elements made of gypsum plasterboard.
DIY curved ceiling installation technology from gypsum plasterboard
For the manufacture of a curved ceiling, there is a certain procedure:
- The supporting frame of the first tier of the ceiling is made in the traditional way. With the help of a water level and a paint cord, a line of guide profiles is marked along the perimeter of the room. A number of profiles PN 28 × 27 are installed along this line using a perforator, dowels and self-tapping screws. Then the bearing profiles are fixed in them, which are fixed in a horizontal position with the help of ceiling hangers. The usual spacing of the profiles is 600 mm. In places where the future "wave" of the ceiling passes, the pitch of the profiles should be reduced to 400 mm. A guideline for this can be the marking of curved lines, previously drawn in one of the above ways on the overlap plane.
- After completing the installation of the frame of the first level, it must be sheathed with sheets of gypsum board. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that they go 10-15 cm beyond the curve of the conditional line of the boundary of the ceiling wave. The step of fastening the self-tapping screws when fixing the gypsum board sheets on the frame should not be more than 250 mm.
- At the end of the sheathing, the marking lines denoting the boundaries of the wave must be transferred to the finished first level of the ceiling. Having retreated from these lines at a distance of the thickness of the gypsum board, a pre-curved metal profile should be fixed on it. Its bending is performed by frequent notching the profile edge using metal scissors for this purpose, and fastening with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver. The curved profile is attracted through the gypsum board sheet to the elements of the main frame.
- At the next stage, it is necessary to make the frame of the second level of the curved ceiling from plasterboard. When installing a two-level structure, the profiles are fastened with a standard pitch, and the three-level version of the ceiling provides for its reduction. When the frame is ready, the suspended ceiling must be hemmed with gypsum board, while leaving a small margin of 1 cm to work on fitting the wave.
- Taking its direction as a reference point, the lower profile should be fixed in accordance with the line of the location of the upper one. Control over possible displacements must be carried out using a building level.
- After that, the lower and upper parts of the curved part of the frame must be tied with profile posts and its vertical plane must be sheathed with plasterboard. On a curved section, it is more convenient to use thinner gypsum boards with a thickness of 6.5 mm. If such material is not available, frequent cuts must be made on the outside of the standard sheet to bend it.
- At the last stage of the installation of the gypsum plasterboard structure of the curved ceiling, the protruding outer corners of the arcs can be decorated with special plastic corners, securing them with small self-tapping screws. The joints of the plasterboard sheets of the ceiling must be treated with a reinforcing tape-serpyanka and sealed with plaster putty. At the end of this preparation, the entire ceiling should be putty, the dried surface should be sanded with an abrasive mesh, primed with acrylic compound and painted.
The nuances of fixing drywall when installing a curved ceiling
Fastening drywall sheets to a curved metal frame differs from standard solutions and has several important nuances:
- First of all, the higher level of the ceiling is sewn to the frame, since later it will be he who will hold the curved profiles of the metal structure of the next level.
- The curved element is fixed with self-tapping screws through the already hemmed plasterboard to the underlying base frame. If there is no profile at the point of attachment of the metal arc behind the sheet, then on the reverse side under it you need to place a gasket to screw the fasteners into it. Otherwise, the self-tapping screw can be torn out of the sheet from the effects of loads. For gaskets, you can use profile cuts, pieces of fiberboard or plywood.
- Bending of gypsum board blanks can be done wet and dry. The application of each of them depends on the situation. The first method is used with small radii of curvature of the ceiling level, and the second - with its smooth outlines.
- The thickness of the plasterboard sheets is of great importance. The larger it is, the less bending of the part can be done with the wet method. Its essence lies in the fact that in order to achieve the plasticity of the material, the surface of the gypsum board is pierced with a needle roller, and then moistened with water. The dry method is more radical: cuts are made on the surface of the part, allowing it to be bent to the required curvature.
How to make a curved ceiling from gypsum board - watch the video:
With a great desire and sufficient diligence, you can create any shape of curved plasterboard ceilings with your own hands. Especially when the fantasy is inexhaustible and there are skillful hands. Good luck in your work!
