Stretch ceilings consist of a frame and a canvas on a fabric or PVC basis. The frame profiles must withstand a significant web tension force without deformation. We will now tell you about their choice and types. In addition, visible and invisible profiles are produced:
- Visible baguette … In the case of a visible profile, when the ceiling is stretched, its part remains outside, which is closed by a flexible skirting board. Such a profile is used to fasten the canvas to a wall or other vertical planes. The step of its attachment is 10-20 cm. The visible part is 26 mm wide and semi-matt white. Such a baguette is installed with the smallest loss of room height, equal to 3 cm.
- Invisible profile … It is closed with a stretched canvas. If necessary, the structure can be decorated with a decorative plinth, which is fixed with glue on the wall. Invisible PVC moldings can repeat the unevenness of the walls, they are fastened in increments of 10-20 cm. With the help of an invisible molding, curved sections of ceilings are made without noticeable steps with a radius of less than 200 mm. The loss of room height when using an invisible profile is about 2.5 cm.
Profile material for stretch ceiling
Stretch ceiling profiles are made of metal or plastic. The material for the manufacture of a metal profile is an aluminum alloy. The baguette is strong, perfectly withstands a significant load of a stretched canvas without deformation. Such baguettes look solid, they are reliable and durable.
However, such a profile is expensive, and it is more difficult to assemble ceilings with it, especially on curved sections of the walls. At the same time, aluminum moldings have to be partially sawed, and this violates their integrity and reduces the speed of installation. Another disadvantage of the aluminum profile for stretch ceilings is the need to pre-drill holes in it before driving in the dowels for fixing it. This also takes time.
The plastic profile is made of polyvinyl chloride. Plastic fastening molding is much lighter and more mobile than an aluminum profile. Its cost is less, and ceilings using such a profile are cheaper.
Plastic profiles are very flexible, they can be used when installing stretch ceilings in special rooms, which may include rooms without corners, with many pilasters and curved sections. It shows itself perfectly when arranging multi-level ceilings. But most importantly, its installation is done close to the main ceiling, so the loss of room height is reduced.
However, the plastic profile also has its drawbacks. With a strong tension of the PVC film, the profile for stretch ceilings can bend or even break if the material is of poor quality.
Methods for attaching tension cloths in profiles
The canvases of stretch ceilings are fastened in the installed profiles using a harpoon, glazing or wedge method, based on this, the following types of profiles are distinguished:
- Profiles for harpoon system … This profile has an h-shaped structure and a fairly high rigidity. The optimal thickness of the front wall allows it to withstand the tension of the blade with harpoon fastening. The peculiar arrangement of harpoon profiles for a stretch ceiling makes it invisible after stretching the canvas. In addition, the baguette has a special profile element in its design. A strip (plinth) intended for the system is installed on it. This happens at the final stage of the ceiling installation.
- Profiles for glazing bead system … The glazing bead is used when clamping the canvas with a glazing bead. It is made of aluminum and used together with an insert. In such a profile, the fastening of the canvas is the most affordable. It provides for fixing the baguettes to the wall 1.5 cm below the ceiling surface. In this case, the edges of the canvas fit in the same way as filling them under a conventional ceiling curb. The advantage of the glazing bead profile for stretch ceilings is that you can always easily reach the surface of the main ceiling, carry out electrical wiring or repair work.
- Wedge system profiles … For the wedge system, an aluminum U-shaped profile with a section of 12x15 mm is used. It is completed with a special fixing wedge and decorative skirting board, which gives the ceiling a finished look. Wedge profiles can also be used for curved wall surfaces. Another advantage of the profile of such a system lies in the easy dismantling of the canvas when it becomes necessary to lay communications under the stretch ceiling or repair the floor.
Features of choosing a profile for a stretch ceiling
When choosing a profile for a stretch ceiling, the following should be taken into account:
- When installing the ceiling, all types of profiles reduce the height of the room by 2-3.5 cm. This is important, especially when it is small.
- It is necessary to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of a particular type of profile. They were mentioned above.
- The material for making the profile is selected taking into account the area of the room and the weight of the canvas, which will be fixed in the baguette in one way or another.
- It would be reasonable to purchase a hidden profile mounted on the walls. It allows you to create curved and straight shapes. The ceiling profile is used less often.
- Often, flexible stretch ceiling profiles are installed with cost savings or multiple curved sections. In other cases, it is advisable to install an aluminum profile.
After choosing a baguette, you need to decide on the type of fastening of the stretch ceiling panel to the profiles. The most popular of these is the harpoon method. Even in the process of making the film, manufacturers weld special harpoons to it. And the baguettes come with clothespins, fittings and plugs. All this is selected in advance, taking into account the size of the canvas.
How to choose a profile for a stretch ceiling - watch the video:
We hope you have decided which profile is better for stretch ceilings and which system to choose for fastening the canvas. Good luck with your work!
