Ceiling made of PVC (plastic) panels: a step-by-step guide

Plastic has many supporters and no less opponents. But if you need an inexpensive, quickly installed and attractive finish, then one of the most popular options is plastic panels. Their range is increasing every year. There are plain, striped, checkered, with flowers and plant elements, imitating brickwork, natural stones, etc. Of all this variety, the ceiling made of plastic panels is usually made monochromatic. And most often - white or very close to it - with a light shade, such as "baked milk", ecru, ivory, etc.

A small part of the assortment of plastic panels

According to the type of surface, they can be glossy or matte. There are collections with a rough top surface - for those who prefer original solutions. Also available with shiny accents. But since the ceiling made of plastic panels is almost always made in technical rooms - kitchen, bathroom, toilet, on the balcony - small, as a rule, sizes make you choose a glossy surface: it visually raises the ceiling, and due to reflection, the room seems more spacious. Also, reflections on the ceiling increase the illumination - with a matte ceiling, it is necessary to take more lamps or increase their power.

Harmful or not

You can often hear that plastic has no place in the house. Perhaps, but we have plastic almost everywhere. They even pack goods in it; we have many products in the kitchen and in the bathroom also made of plastic. PVC panels are made from the same group of plastics as syringes and food containers. What is nice is that this material has no pores in which bacteria and other microorganisms can settle. If there is a nutrient medium on the surface and conditions are favorable, they will multiply, but they can be removed with one movement of a cloth soaked in soapy water or a disinfectant solution. The plastic panels are really hygienic. Proof can be considered the fact that the sanitary station allows them to decorate medical institutions.

There are plastic panels mirrored or with mirrored parts - stripes

The second point that stops many: the flammability of plastics. They really burn. They begin to maintain the flame at a temperature of + 360 ° C. For comparison: Chipboard and fiberboard, OSB (OSB) start to burn at + 250 ° C. If we compare these materials in terms of the amount of smoke emitted, then plastics emit it by 40-50% less.

Another reason: the ceiling made of plastic panels does not breathe. If you live in a private house and you have a ventilated attic upstairs, air exchange is important. If you live in a high-rise building, you still need to equip a ventilation system, which is a must for both the kitchen and the bathroom with a toilet. And to prevent condensation from accumulating behind the ceiling, install a pair of ventilation grilles in the ceiling in opposite corners. Although, the ceiling is still leaky and with sufficient air exchange, no problems arise.

Types of plastic ceiling panels

All PVC panels are divided into two categories: wall and ceiling. They differ in rigidity and weight: the mechanical strength is unimportant on the ceiling, therefore the material is made lightweight, with thin walls. You need to handle them carefully: you can even crush them with two fingers.Is it possible to mount wall panels on the ceiling. It is possible, but they are more expensive, and their higher strength is not in demand. In addition, they are heavier, therefore the load on the frame will be slightly increased (if any) and this must be taken into account when installing it.

Now about the sizes of panels and the types of their surfaces. There is a material whose appearance resembles a lining: the same stripes, only made of plastic. The ceiling of such panels is also called rack-and-pinion because the surface is very similar in appearance.

Rack plastic ceilings

An almost flat surface, without gaps, with hardly distinguishable joints, is obtained from seamless plastic panels. The joints of such panels are almost invisible: the front surface is flat and smooth, and on the sides there is a spike and a groove, like on a regular lining, with which the cladding is assembled.

Ceiling made of seamless plastic panels

There is also sheet plastic. It is more difficult to work with it and it is not used much: it is necessary if columns or other nonlinear surfaces are finished, and it is more convenient to assemble the ceiling from slats.

There are PVC sheet ceiling panels

The pluses of ceilings made of plastic panels include ease of maintenance: almost any contamination is washed off with warm soapy water. The appearance remains unchanged for about 5-10 years - it depends on the quality of the plastic.

How to make a ceiling from plastic panels

When buying PVC slats, you will also need finishing profiles - moldings - with which the ends and joints are made out. Their choice depends on the configuration of your room and on how exactly you are going to make the ceiling. There are two options: make a false ceiling or attach the plastic directly to the main one.

Types of profiles for installing plastic panels

Suspended ceiling made of plastic panels

On the one hand, the suspended ceiling allows you to covertly lay communications without being involved in wall chasing. On the other hand, it "eats" some height. At least 3 cm will go to it. But this is if the lamps are installed ordinary, and not built-in. To install a built-in lamp, the false ceiling must be lowered from the main one by 8-12 cm. You will not find smaller lamps, except for furniture or LED ones. If you put enough of them and make the mirror illumination separately, then the illumination should be enough.

Suspended ceiling made of plastic panels

Assembling the frame

When installing a suspended ceiling, a frame is assembled from guides. Profiles are most often used for working with drywall. If you are doing the ceiling in the bathroom or in the kitchen, take galvanized profiles and fasteners. In drier rooms, this is not critical. A frame is also assembled from wooden bars of 30 * 30 mm or larger section.

Nailed planks or profiles first along the perimeter, putting them all in a level. Then, on standard suspensions (there are two types) or wooden blocks, intermediate guides are fixed in increments of 50-60 cm. They are also aligned so that they are in the same plane with those installed earlier (it is easier to do if you pull the threads between the already installed ones and align along them).

A ready-made frame for a suspended ceiling made of plastic panels

If you decide to make the minimum indentation, just to lay the corrugated hose - 3 mi, then the strips are nailed directly to the ceiling. If necessary, the level is leveled using lining - pieces of plywood, wood wedges, etc. In this case, the wireframe looks something like this.

In order not to lower the ceiling, the gap can be minimized

Installation of starting strips

After the frame is assembled, you can start installing the plastic panels. It begins with the installation of a start profile. In the case of the ceiling, a ceiling molding is also used.

Attach one of these profiles first

It is fastened close to the profile or strip, fixed around the perimeter of the room. The edges are sawn at an angle of exactly 45 °. The length must be measured very precisely: the slightest discrepancy leads to the appearance of gaps.Against the background of a white ceiling and white profiles (or colored, it doesn't matter), the cracks turn black very clearly. If they are small, it will be possible to cover with putty, but it is better to cut it off clearly: exactly along the length of the wall or with a light - 1 mm - space.

The cut-off strip can be glued or screwed on with self-tapping screws. It is better to glue the ceiling molding (on liquid nails). So the joint turns out to be perfect: by gluing you press the bar tightly, screwing it onto the "bugs" you cannot achieve this effect, since it twists it forward a little.

On the side that goes to the wall, a thin strip of glue is applied in a zigzag pattern. The surface of the wall is degreased (you can take 646 solvent). After drying, the piece is set in place, pressed tightly along its entire length and comes off. Glue should remain on the wall. Leave it to dry for a few minutes (4-8, depending on the viscosity, the bar should not float, and the glue should stick well) and then put it in place. To be sure that the bar is level, take a rule, a ruler, a flat bar and check the level of the glued starter profile. If necessary, until the glue has finally set, the bar is adjusted.

Installation of a starter profile for plastic panels

Having glued the starting profiles on three sides (with the letter P), they are left to dry, otherwise, when installing the strips, you can move. After 8-12 hours, the glue will harden and installation can be continued.

If during gluing "liquid nails" are squeezed out somewhere, do not clean it. Wait until completely dry, then pry off with a sharp knife. The glue will simply break off and no residue will remain. If you try to remove it with a liquid, it will only smear and stain everything around.

Installation of plastic panels on the ceiling

After the glue has dried, you can start installing the plastic panels themselves. Measure the size from one joint of already mounted skirting boards to the other, add 1.5-1.8 cm to this value. Cut the panels to this length. You do not need to do them over the entire width or length of the room - they will not become in profile. If the geometry of the room is ideal, you can cut a lot at once. If there are deviations in size, do several pieces, adjusting the length along the way. You can cut plastic with a jigsaw or a grinder.

The first panel fits into the previously installed molding from three sides. It is placed with a thorn forward - in the bar. Sometimes, if the finishing profile is made of soft plastic, the top (mounting shelf) will bend, making installation difficult. To reduce the deflection, this edge can be grabbed with self-tapping screws. This will make it easier to insert the strip, otherwise you have to correct it with a spatula, setting the panel in place. It should fit into the baseboard or starter profile exactly along its entire length. The inserted strip is fixed to each guide with a self-tapping screw. For fastening to a wooden frame, you can use a stapler with staples (if you are installing in a bathroom or kitchen, then take the staples from stainless steel or galvanized).

Installation of the first strip of plastic panels on the ceiling

The setting of subsequent lanes is the same. They are installed first with one edge - into the molding (it goes into the skirting board by 6-7 mm), then insert the other edge. After that, the bar is leveled, lifting the middle with the hand and eliminating the deflection, tapping on the edge with the palm of the hand, driving the lock into the groove. It doesn't take much effort, just to get a tight fit. Below you will see that there is no gap at the junction, which means the strip has become normal.

If there is an assistant, he supports the installed panel so that it does not fall out while fixing it to the screws (staples). If you work alone, you can eliminate the sag by sticking small pieces of double-sided tape on the profile. They will hold the bar until you secure it. So you collect all the panels.

During the installation process, do not forget to cut holes for the installation of lamps.You can do this with a ballerina or a ring nozzle, you can try it with a jigsaw, but if you are good at the tool and can make a round hole. As it turned out, you can make a hole with a conventional drill with a thin drill ... how? Watch the video. There are a couple more practical tips.

Having installed a strip or strips in which there is a hole for the lamp, you immediately mount it, connect it and check it. If this is not done right away, then problems may arise: how can you connect the wires if the entire ceiling is already assembled? Just disassemble part of it. And if you put the last strip on glue? We'll have to break. Therefore, we install and check the performance immediately.

Installing the last panel

Most of the difficulties arise when installing the last strip. It usually has to be cut. Measure the actual distance from one side of the ceiling and the other. The difference can be several centimeters. This is nothing unusual or complicated. But then there are two options:

• Simply insert the cut strip into the pre-glued starter profile or plastic skirting board. With sufficient panel width, this is possible. But then from the measured distance you need to subtract about 5-7 mm and so cut off the strip. Otherwise, you will not insert it. And so it has to be carefully corrected with something thin (steel spatula) so that it fits into place. After several attempts, it still turns out ... But besides the difficulties with the installation, there is another drawback: after a while, since the strip is slightly shorter, it departs (sinks more into the molding) and a small gap appears in the ceiling.
• The second option is to glue the strip. Then, cutting off the last panel, set aside the distance measured earlier on the ceiling as it is. And not from the beginning of the panel itself, but from the stop bar. Then it is glued in its pure form on "liquid nails". Only the glue is applied not to the strip, but to all the guides. And the one that is along the wall, and on perpendicular laying (to which they were attached with self-tapping screws). Further, the technology is the same: they applied, pressed down, set aside for a few minutes, and then finally installed. The disadvantage of this method is that the strip is not removable. It will need to be broken if necessary. Therefore, leave one more in stock - just in case.

Installation of a plastic ceiling made of PVC panels is almost finished. It remains to install the last plastic skirting board. On it, the mounting strip is first cut: leave only the baseboard. After that, you also cut it at the corners at 45 °, try it on, just cut it off. After trying again "dry" and making sure that the size is correct, the plinth is smeared with glue, only both shelves: the one that will be glued to the ceiling and the one that will be glued to the wall.

Installation of the last plank

Sealing gaps with acrylic

Actually, the installation is over. But sometimes one more operation is necessary: ​​covering all the gaps with white acrylic. This operation is not needed if you bought high-quality panels that have perfect geometry - French and Belgian. After assembling them, there is no need for correction: there is no sagging that forms due to the fact that the panels are uneven. Otherwise, take an acrylic sealant, insert the tube into the assembly gun, and fill in all the cracks and gaps. Usually these are joints and corners, and also the place where the plastic skirting board joins the ceiling. Often there are so many slots that you have to go through the entire perimeter.

Fill the gaps with small sections of 30-40 cm, removing all unnecessary and leveling the seam. Acrylic smoothes well until it grabs, which is a matter of seconds. Because - they smeared a piece, corrected it. If everything is fine, smear on. You can remove excess acrylic with a soft cloth, but sometimes it is more convenient with your finger - for some reason it turns out smoother. After smearing a piece, take an object with a sharp and even edge (a small spatula) and a damp sponge. Cut off the excess putty evenly with a sharp corner of a spatula, then rub everything with a damp sponge, until it is clean, otherwise you will not wipe it off later.So go through the entire perimeter and leave to dry for 8-12 hours.

Fresh acrylic wipes well

After the acrylic dries, it can be pulled into the seam. We have to take the tube again and fill the gaps that appear, rub in, remove the excess and wash off the smeared. This second time is usually the finish one. After drying this layer, stains remain on the plastic ceiling. Wipe them with a damp, clean sponge and then gently rub them with a soft cloth until they shine. Now the ceiling made of plastic panels is ready, and after installing the fixtures, the repair can be considered complete.

How to mount to the ceiling

If the ceiling is already flat and does not need level correction, plastic panels can be attached directly to it. The order of work is the same: first, the starting profile, then the strips cut to size are inserted into it, fixing at least 50 cm.

You choose fasteners depending on the material from which the floor is made. You can hit a tree with nails or staples from a stapler. It is more difficult with concrete: self-tapping screws will not work, and you will be tortured to drill a hole for a dowel for each fastening. Then it is better to assemble the frame with a minimum distance from the ceiling and then collect everything as described above.

Wireframe with minimum padding

Another option is to glue on liquid nails. The technology is well-known, but its disadvantage is that such a ceiling made of plastic panels turns out to be non-separable and in which case it will have to be completely dismantled.

Ceiling luminaires made of plastic panels

It's not about design or quantity - here everyone is determined by himself, but about the type of lamps and power supply. There are two options: install ordinary lamps for 220 V or with a step-down transformer for 12 V. In the first version, they put ordinary incandescent lamps or housekeepers, in the second - halogen or LED. In any case, a separate machine with an RCD should be allocated for the lighting of the bathroom or kitchen, which will turn off the electricity supply in the event of a short circuit.

Features of installation and selection of lamps for 220 V

If you install lamps for 220 V, and put in them even low-power (40-60 W) incandescent lamps, you will have to somehow take care of the thermal insulation of the case. Due to the fact that the lamp heats up, its body also gets very hot. From the heated case, the plastic darkens and warps over time. Therefore, glue a layer of some kind of flexible thermal insulation material on the body.

One of the options for a 220 V ceiling lamp

The second point concerns electrical safety when working in lighting at 220 V. It is necessary to install lamps with a high degree of protection in the bathroom: at least IP44. This means that the lamp housing is protected from water jets. Such lamps cost a lot: the technology is complex. Second point: for the most part they are rather bulky, since the case is usually ceramic. Just hanging it on plastic won't work: you will need mortgages. They are installed when assembling the frame: these are additional jumpers in those places where the lamps will be attached.

Halogen and LED

Since lamps of this type require only 12 V, the electrical safety requirements are lower here. In principle, any design is suitable. Power from the panel after the machine is supplied to the transformer, and from it to the lamps. Up to 4 lamps can be powered from one transformer, but there is a limitation in the instructions for them: the maximum length of the wire to the lamp should not exceed 2 meters. Lamps work normally even at a distance of 2.5-2.7 meters. At a higher voltage, the voltage drop is already significant and the glow is weaker.

Four halogen bulbs on the plastic ceiling are powered by one transformer

If you decide to put a transformer outside the bathroom to increase safety, this is a serious limitation, especially if the bathroom is rather big.Then it will have to be transferred to the bathroom and hidden behind a false ceiling made of plastic panels (the thickness of the device is about 3-4 cm).

Sometimes a transformer is installed on each lamp. This is normal, just more expensive, but justified with a large distance between the fixtures.