At first glance, it seems that the creation of multi-level curly plasterboard ceilings is only possible for specialists with extensive experience. In fact, given the main features of fastening the frame and sheathing of its plasterboard, the original structure can be built with your own hands. Please note that before starting the preparatory work, you will need to take out all the furniture from the room, remove the chandelier (wrap the ends of the wires with electrical tape), curtains, cornices, mirrors. It is better to cover windows, doorways and floors with foil, since the preparation process is very dusty.
Selection of materials for curly plasterboard ceiling
To carry out the work, you will need profiles, connectors, fasteners and drywall directly. Their selection must be taken seriously in order for the structure to be strong and durable.
Profiles will be needed of two types: UD - guide (starting) and CD - ceiling (bearing). If you plan to make a curly plasterboard ceiling with your own hands in a room with high humidity, then it is better to choose galvanized elements. They are resistant to corrosion.
The same goes for fasteners and connectors. For installation, you will need different types of self-tapping screws, a crab connector for fixing the longitudinal profile and jumpers, a serial connector for building up the ceiling profile. The latter is necessary only if the length of the room from the window to the opposite wall is more than three meters (standard profile length).
As for the dowel fasteners, it is undesirable to purchase them with plastic parts. At elevated temperatures, this material melts, and therefore, if there is a fire in the room or in the neighbors above, the entire structure will collapse to the floor.
When choosing drywall, it is imperative to take into account the specifics of the room in which it will be installed. The following types of sheets are distinguished according to their operational characteristics:
- GKL … It is used at temperatures from +10 degrees and humidity up to 70%. Suitable for installation in living rooms. Leaf color - gray, marking - blue.
- GKLO … Fire-resistant material, in the core of which reinforcing components are added. Leaf color - gray, marking - red.
- GKLV … Moisture resistant sheet with anti-fungal additives and silicone granules. It is used for finishing ceilings in rooms with high levels of humidity: kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages. Leaf color - green, marking - blue.
- GKLVO … Drywall with increased fire and moisture resistance. Usually used in industrial premises with a high humidity index and special requirements for fire safety. Leaf color - green, marking - red.
Usually, curly plasterboard ceilings are made in bedrooms and living rooms, where the level of temperature and humidity allows the use of ordinary gypsum board. However, for installation in the kitchen and bathroom, it is recommended to use GKLV.
As for the dimensions of the sheet, their width and length are standard: 1, 2 * 3 meters. But the thickness can be 12 mm, 9 mm and 6 mm. Some experts argue that for the first level of the curly ceiling, you need to use 12 mm drywall. However, we do not see the feasibility of such a weighting of the structure and we recommend sheathe the ceiling with 9 mm sheets, and use a 6 mm (arched) gypsum board for the side parts of the created figure.
All materials required for installation must be certified and of high quality from reliable manufacturers and trusted suppliers. You should not save on components, this significantly reduces the operational properties of the structure and its durability.
Drawing up a drawing of a curly plasterboard ceiling
There are different ways of attaching multi-level structures, we will consider one of the simplest - fixing the figure to the first tier. This will not impair the load-bearing capacity of the suspended ceiling, since the figured level will take up a small surface area.
First you need to make a diagram of the planned structure. This is one of the main stages of work, on which the result directly depends.
In the process, we adhere to the following instructions:
- Draw on the sheet the shape that you want to create on the ceiling. It is advisable to make a drawing in 3D format, and if possible, it is better through an appropriate computer program for drawing up three-dimensional drawings (for example, AutoCad).
- We apply a lathing scheme on the sheet, taking into account the pitch of the longitudinal profiles of 0.4 meters, and the jumpers - 0.5 meters.
- We calculate the height of the first and second tier. The height of the space between the base surface and the first level will be from 2.5 cm - this is the standard width of the starting profile. If you plan to install spot lighting or lay communications, then this distance increases.
- We mark on the drawing the place of installation of the lighting wiring, the path of laying the wiring, ventilation ducts and pipes, the areas for mounting the lamps.
When drawing up the drawing, keep in mind that the wiring should only be laid between the base ceiling and the first level of the structure. On the second tier, you need to organize conclusions for connecting lamps, if required.
Surface marking before installing a curly plasterboard ceiling
To carry out the work, you need a laser level (you can do with a water level), a paint stripping cord, a tape measure.
We do the markup as follows:
- We measure the height of the corners and center of the room.
- Determine the lowest angle and mark on it the distance from the base surface to the first tier.
- Using a level, we apply marks in the same plane for the rest of the corners.
- We fix temporary screws at the marked points and pull the paint cord between them.
- We beat off the contours of the first tier around the perimeter of the room.
- We mark the lines of the longitudinal fastening of the supporting profile on the ceiling in increments of 0.4 meters. Be sure to check horizontality using a level.
- We make marks for fixing the suspensions in increments of 0.5 meters. In this case, the distance from the suspensions to the lintels on each side should be 25 cm.
- Perpendicularly we beat off the contours of the fastening of the jumpers with a step of 0.5 meters. Please note that they should not be located at the same level, but in such a way that the sheets can be fixed in a checkerboard pattern, but in one direction.
For beginners in this business, it is better at this stage to apply a drawing of the future figure to the ceiling. This will help to immediately identify shortcomings in the location. For example, a drawing that is too small, a significant offset to the side compared to the photo of a curly plasterboard ceiling.
Installation of the first level of a curly plasterboard ceiling
Installation work on the sheathing of the crate with drywall sheets should be carried out at a temperature above 10 degrees and an air humidity below 70%.
Before starting work, drywall must be left to lie down for several days in the room where the installation is planned, in order to adapt to the temperature and humidity conditions. Please note that it is recommended to store it only in a horizontal position to prevent deformation.
During this time, you can make a frame according to the following instructions:
- We make holes for fasteners in the guide profile in increments of 0.3-0.4 meters. If they are, then proceed to the next step.
- We apply the profile to the marked line so that its lower edge is strictly along the contour.
- With six-millimeter dowels, we fix the guide along the perimeter of the room.
- In the places marked on the ceiling, we attach the hangers with expanded dowels through the internal holes. It is undesirable to attach it to the outer ears in order to avoid being pulled back in the future. Expanded dowels are ideal for fixing hangers. They do not fall into the voids of the concrete floor.
- We stretch a nylon thread across the placement of the ceiling profiles to expose all the elements to the same level.
- We cut sections of the bearing profile, if necessary, and insert them into the starting one with self-tapping screws.
- To prevent pulling of the fixed cord, bend the ends of the middle suspension under the profile.
- We fix the ceiling profile at the level of the stretched thread.
- We fix the jumpers with "crabs" using four self-tapping screws.
- At this stage, we are laying down all communications. To do this, first of all, we de-energize the room.
- We place the wires in a corrugated pipe made of non-combustible plastic, which we fix to the base surface. Do not allow the wires to hang over the plasterboard.
- In the places where the lamps are installed, we draw conclusions and isolate the ends.
- We sheathe the frame of the first tier with plasterboard in such a way that one sheet overlaps only half of the bearing profile, the second half will be occupied by the next sheet.
- When fixing drywall, we deepen the caps of self-tapping screws into the material, not forgetting that excessive deepening can simply break through the sheet. To do this, it is convenient to use special screwdriver nozzles, which limit the screw-in depth.
It is recommended to work together, because one gypsum board has a fairly large weight. It is unlikely that it will be possible to hold and fasten it on your own.
Lathing for the second level of the curly plasterboard ceiling
We will construct a curly ceiling made of plasterboard by directly attaching the second tier to the already finished first one.
For this:
- We apply a drawing to the drywall. To draw a circle, we screw a shallow small self-tapping screw and attach a thread with a pencil to it at the opposite end.
- For curved sections of the drawing, we prepare a template made of thick cardboard, which we then circle on the surface.
- Along the contour, we attach a guide through the drywall to the ceiling profile.
- If it is necessary to bend the part, then we make cuts with metal scissors. The steeper the bend is planned, the closer to each other we cut the notches.
- We cut the supporting profile into separate elements, the length of which is equal to the height of the figure.
- We attach them to the guide profile, observing a step of 20-30 cm on flat areas and 5-7 cm on curved ones.
- At the bottom edge, we attach a guide profile, with which we connect the segments of the carrier.
- We pull a nylon cord along the lower level and install a CD-profile along it with a step of 0.4 meters. To do this, cut off the side at the junction and screw the lower part to the guide.
With certain assembly skills, you can independently create more complex shapes on the ceiling with more levels.
Features of fastening drywall to a curly ceiling
Plasterboarding even the most bizarre figure is easy if you follow the following instructions:
- The drawing is applied to the sheet and cut out. We fasten it with self-tapping screws to the installed frame.
- We sew straight sections of the vertical plane of the figure in the same way.
- To mount the gypsum board on curved sections, we make shallow cuts on the back of the material and gradually bend it. When microcracks appear, you should not worry. It will be possible to get rid of them by priming.
- There is another way to fold the sheet. To do this, pierce it with a needle roller and spray it with water.
- We fix the drywall in a curved form using weights. After drying, we attach it to the frame.
- We glue the joints with reinforcing tape, put putty on the gaps and on the places where the fasteners' caps are deepened.
- We glue the coating with fiberglass for reinforcement and apply a finishing putty layer, the thickness of which should not exceed 1.5 cm.
Please note that for the installation of such a structure, the ceilings must be high enough. If it is planned to arrange spot lighting, then only the first level will take away about 10-15 cm of the total height. Watch a video about installing a curly plasterboard ceiling:
To understand the question of how to make curly ceilings from drywall, you first need to familiarize yourself with the rules for drawing up a drawing and applying markings. It is also required to study the features of fastening the profiles and adhere to the instructions for plasterboard sheathing. Only by strictly observing the nuances of these processes and fulfilling all the requirements, you can build an impressive and original figured level on the suspended ceiling.
