Drywall is one of the most versatile materials. With its help, with the same success, you can align curved walls or put up partitions, equip a niche, make an arch or ledge. Plasterboard sheets will allow you to close any irregularities, and working with them is much easier than with plaster, so drywall is often mounted on the ceiling. In addition, this material gives unlimited scope for design imagination: it can be used to build multi-level structures of an unusual shape, make special niches for lamps and much more.
A few important points
When installing, you need to know some important nuances:
- For mounting the gypsum board on the ceiling, you must use the appropriate profile: UD and CD. Metal products used for the construction of partitions and walls are not suitable here.
The optimal thickness of drywall for the ceiling is 9.5 mm. It is this material that has sufficient strength so as not to sag under its own weight, but at the same time does not overload the floors. But you can also use standard wall drywall with a thickness of 12.5 mm.
- If the distance from the drywall sheets to the base ceiling is small (up to 12 cm), direct suspensions are used. To fix a multi-level structure, more than 12 cm from the ceiling, you need to use spring suspensions with a clamp. With their help, you can install sheets even at a distance of 1 m from the base.
- The minimum distance from the base surface is 5 cm. If recessed fixtures are used, this distance is increased to 8–12 cm, depending on the size of the lighting fixtures.
Necessary materials and tools
You need to get ready for work. To do plasterboard ceilingyou will need the following tools:
- metal scissors;
- drill;
- level;
- putty knife;
- drywall knife;
- screwdriver;
- sandpaper;
- hammer;
- roulette;
- pencil.
Ceiling materials:
- guide profiles (UD);
- bearing profiles (CD);
- drywall sheets;
- crab connectors;
- suspensions (with a large distance to the ceiling - spring suspensions with a clamp);
- self-tapping screws;
- screws;
- dowels.
Restrictions on the use of GKL
Drywall for the ceiling is used in the construction of suspended structures. They are very popular due to the fact that they hide irregularities well, allow you to decorate the room in an original way, do not require careful surface preparation, are quickly erected and allow you to save a lot. However, there are a few points that can negate these benefits:
- Ceiling height. Typical houses do not have high ceiling heights. In most cases, this parameter is in the range of 2.5–2.7 m. Often the construction of a multi-level structure is undesirable precisely for this reason.
- Upstairs neighbors. If the tenants on the floor above often flood you, then you should not use drywall for the ceiling. This material is sensitive to water, even moisture-resistant modifications swell and deform after severe flooding, and then the entire ceiling will need to be replaced.
- For the above reason, it is not recommended to use GKL for the bathroom and kitchen.
Preparatory stage
Work begins with the calculation of the necessary materials.
- First, a sketch of the ceiling structure is made.
- Then calculate how many materials will be needed.
- With the data received, they are sent to the building materials store, where they buy everything according to the list. It is advisable to take materials with a small margin, about 10%. At the same stage, they decide which drywall is better to buy: ordinary or moisture resistant.
- Now proceed to marking the ceiling. First find the lowest corner.The distance to which it is planned to lower the ceiling recede from it and set a point from which a line is drawn along the perimeter on the walls. Guide profiles will be installed here.
- Then draw the markup under the carrier profiles. The distance between them should be 60 cm. The distance from the extreme profiles to the wall should be the same, so it is better to make markings from the center.
- On the resulting horizontal lines mark the places where the suspensions will be installed. The step between them is 50 cm.
Profile fixing
We proceed to the installation of suspensions, guide and carrier profile.
- First, hangers are attached to the ceiling at the marked points. Dowels should go strictly vertically upwards, not at an angle. Then the wings of the suspension are bent down. The standard length of the plates is 12 cm. If the distance from the drywall to the ceiling is less, then the excess length after installing the profile is cut off with metal scissors or simply turned up.
- Then they proceed to the installation of the guide profile around the perimeter of the room. It must be well fixed in the wall. Install the profile on the dowels.
The step between fasteners is no more than 50 cm, but at the same time, 1 profile cannot have less than 3 dowels.
- Now you can install the carrier profile. It is inserted into the grooves of the guide and the evenness of the installation is checked by level. Then, using self-tapping screws for metal (it is most convenient to use self-tapping screws with a drill end), the ceiling profile is attached to the suspensions. Each plate will take 4 self-tapping screws with a press washer. You need to twist tightly so that the structure does not hang out.
Fastening drywall to frame
If frame assembled correctly, then the fastening of the GKL will not cause any particular difficulties. Sheets for installation must be prepared, often they have to be cut to the desired size.
- Mark up on the sheet.
- Then the line is drawn several times with a sharp drywall knife. To make the incision even, you need to lead the knife along the ruler. In order for the blade to go deep into the sheet by half its thickness, you will have to draw the knife along the line several times.
- GKL is placed on a flat surface (for example, a table) so that the incision falls on the edge, and break it off. The movement should be sharp and strong, then the edge will be smooth.
Further work alone will be difficult, because drywall will need to be lifted to the ceiling and held at a certain height. To do this, you will need assistants or a special lift. The sheets are attached to the supporting profiles with special self-tapping screws for drywall every 15 cm.
When all sheets of drywall are fixed on the ceiling, you can start finishing work. Most often, it is suggested to use water-based paint for the ceiling, but drywall can also be used. wallpaper or use other materials to give an attractive look to the home.