The repair of a home or office begins, starting with finishing the ceilings. Aligning the ceiling with your own hands without the help of specialists is a rather laborious step in this difficult process. Consider the most relevant method - plastering alignment. Content:
- Tools and accessories
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Types of plaster mixes
- Cement plaster
- Lime plaster
- Gypsum plaster
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Ceiling preparation for leveling
- Disinfection
- Stripping
- Primer
- Installation of beacons
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Ceiling alignment features
- Plastering
- Working with gypsum plaster
Aligning the ceiling with plaster allows you to get rid of irregularities and sometimes save not extra centimeters at the same time. If the level differences are several centimeters, then this is the only way to make a high-quality repair of the ceiling.
Ceiling leveling tools and accessories
Finishing work, in particular leveling the ceiling, is an expensive process, so you can try and do it yourself without resorting to the help of a master. Having decided to plaster the ceiling yourself, stock up on materials and tools.
We need the following tools and accessories:
- Plastic or galvanized buckets of sufficient volume (minimum 15 liters);
- Electric drill with different attachments (mixer is required) and a power of at least 800 W;
- Spatula set - 50, 100, 200 mm;
- Stainless steel trowel (trowel);
- Plaster comb;
- Plaster float;
- Metal ironer (grater);
- Plaster falcon, long enough for the size of the room;
- Spongy grout;
- Wide brush or roller;
- Small pickaxe, hatchet, scoop;
- Rule made of aluminum 2-2.5 m long;
- Bubble level (better laser);
- Rotband (Knauf) plaster mix;
- Screws 6x45 mm;
- Beacon profiles 6 mm;
- Primer "Betonokontakt" (Feidel);
- Hand protection gloves, respirator, tape measure.
Each master may have his own set of tools, but the standard minimum is about the same. Materials for work may also differ from those listed, here are the best options.
Types of plaster mixes for the ceiling
The finishing stage begins with the preparation of a working solution - gypsum, cement or lime. Currently, gypsum plaster mixes are popular. Materials of German origin, such as Rotband (Knauf), are especially convenient in work on leveling the ceiling with your own hands. Let's compare plaster mixes for leveling ceilings.
Cement-based plaster for ceilings
It is a cement-sand mixture, various additives are used to increase its plasticity, for example, lime. It is universal, it is used to cover ceilings in any premises: living rooms, bathrooms, saunas, kitchens, etc. The advantages include low cost, durability, strength. In addition, it does not freeze when mixing in large quantities, sufficient time to work. Disadvantages: it dries for a long time (up to two weeks), it is difficult to work with it without sufficient experience, final putty is required, poor adhesion to a smooth concrete surface, work is accompanied by an abundance of dust and dirt.
Cement mortars are more durable, resistant to frost and increased moisture compared to gypsum, but this fact is not particularly relevant in a living room.
Lime plaster for ceiling
Most of the mixture is lime and sand, there is a small amount of cement and other additives for certain properties. It is used for plastering any premises, except for those where a lot of moisture collects - bathroom, swimming pool, sauna. Its advantages: ease of application, fairly fast solidification, excellent antibacterial and thermal insulation properties, resistance to high temperatures, vapor permeability, contributing to the creation of a comfortable indoor climate, environmental friendliness, good adhesion to any surfaces, the lowest cost. Disadvantages: record holder for fragility, does not tolerate moisture well.
Gypsum plaster for ceiling
The mixture contains mainly gypsum and mineral additives. Rotband gypsum mixture has the ability to better retain moisture than analogs, therefore it is recommended for kitchens and bathrooms. There are few disadvantages, and they are completely covered by its advantages: it quickly hardens during operation, therefore batch mixing is recommended, does not tolerate mechanical damage, high cost, is afraid of water. We list the advantages of gypsum mixtures:
- They make it possible to apply a thick layer of up to 50 mm in one pass without the risk of cracks during the operation of the room.
- Gypsum practically does not shrink, therefore, when solidified, it does not form cracks.
- When leveling the ceiling with gypsum plaster, less material is consumed for the same area, compared to cement mortar.
- Gypsum plaster is a very plastic material, record-breaking easy to work with, productivity - up to 40 m2 one person per day.
- Good adhesion to the surface, low specific gravity makes this material problem-free for leveling the ceiling.
- Lower thermal conductivity and better sound insulation compared to cement.
- The ceiling, leveled with plaster mix, "breathes", creating a comfortable atmosphere in the house.
- With its help, it is much easier to level smooth, for example, concrete ceilings, does not slip.
- During operation, forms very little dirt and dust.
- Lays down evenly, does not require finishing putty.
- Eco-friendly mixture, harmless to humans.
- Prevents heat loss, absorbs and releases moisture well.
Ceiling preparation for leveling with plaster
It is possible to plaster the ceiling covering made of any material - wood, stone, concrete. Before leveling the ceiling with plaster, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.
Decontamination of the ceiling before plastering
Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the ceiling surface. Maybe it will show not only pollution, but also a fungal disease, mold. Disinfect if necessary. Remove traces of mold and mildew with a sponge dipped in water, treat them with a special compound.
For disinfection, you can use the following disinfectant solutions from domestic manufacturers (some are made on the basis of copper sulfate) or imported products:
- Homeenpoiste (Finland);
- Pufas (Germany) - in the presence of small spots of mold and mildew;
- Feidal Schimmel - Ex-concentrate (Russia);
- Belinka (Slovenia);
- Bagi Anti-Mold (Israel);
- Deo-anti-mold (Russia);
- Sepotosan-T (Russia);
- Mogel-Fri (Sweden);
- NEOMID (Russia).
In case of large-scale infections of the ceiling surface, it is better to subject the "mycelium" to a blowtorch or plasma welding. Chlorine-containing anti-mold products do not give long-term results and must be handled with care.
Cleaning the ceiling before leveling with plaster
Carry out a complete cleaning of the ceiling from ancient paint, whitewash, plaster, and various dirt. Removal of the old coating is recommended, even in the event of visually invisible wear. So you can avoid cracking it in the future and save centimeters of ceiling height. The main tool for these works is a hard spatula.
Different cleaning agents and methods are used depending on the coating material:
- Whitewash can be removed with hot water.
- To remove plaster, wet the ceiling with a spray gun or roller and sponge, and not only will you get rid of the dust, but it will also be less time-consuming to separate it. When scraping off plaster, use a hammer chisel, ax, or crowbar.
- The enamel can be removed with a spatula in layers, and a particularly durable version will require the use of a drill with a special brush attachment (do not forget to wear a respirator and goggles).
- Removal of old paint is carried out with special solvents - domestic (Shchelkovo, Volgograd) or "Pufas" (Germany). If the paint is applied to the plaster and "fused" with it, then they are removed together 30-40 minutes after coating with the product.
Not only must the ceiling surface be cleaned, but also all connecting seams and pipe passages. After completing all cleaning work, the ceiling should be well cleaned of crumbs and dust.
Ceiling primer before plastering
The primer is applied to the cleaned ceiling to eliminate its defects and strengthen it so that the plaster does not fall off later. The holes near the pipes are filled with polyurethane foam. After it has completely dried, the excess must be carefully cut off at the ceiling level.
If there are a lot of potholes and they are deep, then it is advisable to purchase a quick-hardening cement-based putty "Spachtelmasse" or "Uniflot" from Knauf. Wide seams and cracks are additionally sealed over the putty with serpyanka tape. In case of a few damages, it is sufficient to seal them with Rotband gypsum putty.
The entire surface of the ceiling is treated with Knauf-Concrete Contact or a similar primer. With a brush dipped in the ready-to-use mixture for primer "Betonokontakt", work through all the rusting - ceiling joint seams, chips, pipe passages. This primer makes the surface slightly roughened, which contributes to good adhesion of the plaster.
The work is carried out with a medium-sized rectangular spatula. Defects are covered with small strokes, so that there are no gaps. After a strip of putty about a meter is formed, remove the excess with a large spatula.
Smooth surfaces are primed as follows:
- Concrete priming … A smooth concrete surface does not hold the coating well. To increase the adhesion of concrete to the ground, the surface roughness is preliminarily created with a sandblaster, or notches, cuts are made on it, for example, with an ax.
- Priming wood and steel surfaces … On such complex surfaces, the plaster will not stick without the use of a special plaster mesh with cells of 10 * 10 mm. The metal mesh is fixed to the ceiling with staples or nails with a wide head.
Installation of beacons on the ceiling for leveling
The next item of work on the ceiling is the installation of beacons that resemble rails. There are metal and plastic perforated lighthouse profiles with a depth of 6-10 mm and a length of 3000 mm. Lighthouses serve as a guide when leveling the ceiling with plaster. This is a very crucial moment, the quality of the plastered surface depends on the correctness of its implementation. Perfectly horizontal ceilings do not exist in nature - experienced plasterers believe. If the ceiling is needed not so much horizontal, but simply visually even, then this step can be skipped to save consumables and align by eye with the rule. It is another matter if the surface of the ceiling is so curved that a global correction is needed. Then the installation of beacons cannot be avoided. Beacon installation technology consists of the following stages:
- Level the ceiling. To do this, you need to measure the height of the walls in all corners of the room, find the smallest one and mark the zero level with a pencil. Using a water level, this distance is applied to the remaining (large) corners and a pencil mark is put.
- The whitewashed cord beats the horizontal lines between the marks on the walls. This is the mark for the lower boundary of the future revised ceiling.
- Under the beacons on the ceiling, you should draw parallel lines with a pencil, or simply mark the beginning and end of each profile. We must try to draw lines in high areas in order to reduce the amount of solution.
- Studs are driven into the pencil line and the marks in the corners, or screws are screwed in, the fishing line is pulled with effort between them. The number of beacons depends on the size of the room. It will take about 2-3 rows at a distance of 130-180 cm from each other.
- Beacons are placed along the stretched line. To do this, stepping back 10-15 mm from the wall, apply a solution from a rotband or fugenfüller, on which a lighthouse rail is glued.
- The ends of the lighthouse profile are leveled along the broken line on the wall, then leveled using the building rule and a small level (they can be fastened to each other with wire).
- The next row of the beacon profile is located at a distance slightly less than the length of the rule. For example, if the building rule is 1.5 m long, then the distance between the beacons will be approximately 1.3 m.
- Leave the beacons installed on the ceiling to dry for 2-6 hours, otherwise they can be accidentally knocked down when plastering.
An important point is to place beacons around the light. If there are windows, then beacons should be placed along. With this method, possible defects in the alignment of the ceiling will be less noticeable. When leveling the ceiling with Rotband, take into account that the plaster dries quickly, and the installation process of the beacons must be done very conscientiously. To get some margin of time for leveling the beacon profile, it is better to fix it with a regular starting putty.
Features of leveling the ceiling with plaster
Having finished preparing the ceiling for leveling, we proceed to the main stage of finishing - the actual application of plaster. This method is indicated if a perfectly horizontal ceiling surface is not an end in itself. If the ceiling has a large curvature, but you want an impeccable result, then the use of plaster in this case is not justified, since a large amount of work and material will be required.
Ceiling plastering
When the lighthouses are completely dry, you can start plastering with the prepared solution. The process of plastering on beacons consists in throwing a mixture between their rows and stretching it with a rule. Having finished working with one row, they move on to another.
The technology for applying the leveling mixture is as follows:
- The mortar is applied with a small spatula on the falcon, then on the ceiling with spreading movements, filling the space between the beacons.
- The entire prepared mixture is laid out and a rough leveling of the basting is made with a large spatula towards you. The rule should be firmly pressed against the beacon profiles so that there is no excess solution left.
- The layer is aligned with the aluminum rule in zigzag movements towards itself. The grooves left by the rule are immediately filled with mortar.
- If it is necessary to apply several layers, each subsequent one is applied no earlier than 20 minutes later. The layer is immediately leveled, referring to the level of the beacons.
- After leveling the area between the beacons, after 10-15 minutes, grout the treated area with a sponge soaked in water until it is flawlessly smooth.
- Hard-to-reach places around pipes and in corners are cut and leveled with a spatula.
- The ceiling is leveled, all beacons must be removed and the furrows left by them must be repaired.
- Check the ceiling for evenness using a rule. Cut off the excess, add where there are pits. Fill the corners and joints of the ceiling with the walls with a trowel.
- The leveled ceiling should dry out for a while until matt appears. As soon as the plaster has acquired the desired condition, it should be smoothed with a steel trowel or trowel in a circular motion.
- To get rid of the need for finishing putty, it is necessary to re-grind the ceiling with P150-170 sandpaper or a metal float within 24 hours. Pre-moisten the ceiling generously with water.
- Plastering the ceiling is almost complete. The surface is almost perfect and ready for painting, pasting, tiling. Smoothness "to zero" can be achieved only by subsequent finishing putty and sanding.
Important! Until the plaster layer is dry, you must not open the windows to ventilate the room.
Features of working with gypsum plaster
Leveling the ceiling with gypsum plaster is much easier than traditional sand-cement mortars. With some dexterity, a beginner will also cope with the work. But there are several peculiarities in the preparation of the solution and its application.
The features of mixing the solution are as follows:
- Gypsum mixes quickly solidify, so they are prepared in an amount sufficient for half an hour of work.
- In the course of plastering the ceiling, it is unacceptable to add dry matter, water, or other components to the mixture, as this will upset the balance.
- To level the ceiling, the mortar is made less thick than for the walls. Then it sticks better to the surface, and gravity will not cause the plaster to collapse.
When applying gypsum plaster, it should be borne in mind that the thicker the layer, the more likely the appearance of bubbles, under which there is no adhesion of the plaster to the ceiling, and it sags. It is better to apply a thin layer first, and then immediately the main one until it hardens. It is not recommended to apply more than 1 main layer to the ceiling.
Materials of German origin, such as Rotband (Knauf), are especially convenient in work on leveling the ceiling with your own hands. They allow you to process the ceiling without using any additional materials. When leveling the ceiling with Rotband, it is important to process the entire ceiling in one day so that the stripes between the beacons do not dry out. This makes it easier to dock them, and they will not differ from each other. How to level the ceiling with plaster - watch the video:
Having decided to level the ceiling on your own, it should be borne in mind that the upcoming work is quite voluminous. Do not be afraid of difficulties, with modern materials it has become much easier.
