Types and installation of Armstrong ceiling

Suitable designs

A large list of requirements for quality and functionality leaves a sufficient number of successful options. When choosing a ceiling for an office, you should familiarize yourself with the properties of each of the proposed materials and techniques.

Stretch ceiling

And the supporters of this method of decorating the ceiling in the office, and the opponents have serious arguments. The latter will remind you of the instability to fire of vinyl and the solidity of the structure itself. Indeed, if necessary, it will not work to partially remove the stretch ceiling in the office. In order to gain access to the cable laid along the ceiling, a complete dismantling is required. Water resistance, which is considered one of the most important advantages of a stretch ceiling, is irrelevant in the office: most often there are no pipelines in this type of premises and the risk of flooding is minimal.

Glossy stretch ceiling in the office visually increases the room in height

Proponents of this solution cite the speed of installation as an argument. The stretch ceiling is installed in a few hours, and the next day the work process will continue in the renovated premises.

Drywall constructions

Thinner than wall ceiling plasterboard allows you to create multi-level structures and effectively zone the room. Alas, such technologies are in demand only with a large ceiling height. But this material in itself is an excellent sound insulator, so it does not require additional efforts to resolve this issue. After installation, the structure is painted. This fact can be attributed both to the advantages, since it allows subsequent repairs to be carried out inexpensively, and to the disadvantages: painting cannot be compared in presentability with cassette or rack structures. However, it all depends on the purpose of the premises and the estimate for repairs.

Drywall allows you to play with the shape of the ceiling

It is worth saying that the plasterboard office ceiling, as well as the film ceiling, does not provide quick access to communications placed under the ceiling. That is why stretch ceilings in the office and solid plasterboard structures are rarely installed, they are classified as possible, but not the best solutions.

Advantages of raster ceiling systems

Raster-type ceilings have several important positive characteristics:

• water resistance;
• frost resistance;
• not susceptible to corrosive processes;
• light fastness;
• ensuring unproblematic access to engineering communications if repairs are necessary;
• decorative coating does not lose its original appearance for a long time.

Dismantling and reassembly of rod suspensions is easy to do on your own, without using the services of professionals. In addition, decorative elements can be placed in a different order on the suspended structure.

Taking into account all the numerous advantages, it should be noted that raster-type ceilings are considered modern systems, characterized by a variety of shapes and colors. Thanks to this, designers have the opportunity to realize the most unusual ideas.

Types of suspended ceilings and their features

Suspended combined ceiling

The modern materials market today offers a variety of types of suspended ceilings, depending on the task set by the designers:

The shape is curvilinear.

These ceiling systems are used to create multi-level ceilings.

A special chic is the combination of flat and curved ceilings. The main disadvantage of this system is its high cost. As a rule, these types of suspended ceilings are made to order.

• Planar - these are systems that do not belong to curvilinear:
• Modular - ready-made modules (cassettes, rails, panels) form a single plane of rectangular or square shape.

These include:

• Cellular - the existing ceiling planes on the back are covered with a background substrate;
• Tiled - based on square elements;
• Cassette - a standard system made with cells of different sizes (60x60 cm - for small rooms; 60x120 cm - for more spacious ones);
• Lattice - ready-made lattice modules.
• Rack - narrow slats that are arranged crosswise.
• Solid - in the people they are called frameless. Their distinguishing feature is the creation of an exceptionally flat, smooth surface that cannot be distinguished from a specially aligned ceiling with the naked eye.
• Decorative - their design feature lies in the open system of the suspended frame.

Open grid system

So, we talked about what are suspended ceilings. However, in order to choose the best option for ceiling decoration in a particular room, this is not enough: we will consider the individual characteristics of ceilings depending on the material they are made of.

Advantages and disadvantages of the solution

Cassette structures are a type of suspended ceilings, having all their pluses and minuses. A similar coating is attached to a special frame, which is pre-assembled from special metal profiles.

Separate fragments of the coating in the form of square or rectangular modules are attached to the assembled base. Installation takes very little time and can be done by anyone who can hold a hammer drill and a screwdriver in their hands. If necessary, this circumstance will allow not to hire installers, but to limit oneself during assembly.

The choice of colors and textures of the future ceiling can also be attributed to the advantages of such a finish. The cassettes from which the coating is assembled can be painted in a variety of colors, and the surface texture is selected from several options in the catalog. You can choose the size and shape of the panels, although in most cases standard square parts are used.

Of particular interest may be perforated types of cassettes, which will provide the best air exchange and allow you to mask the air conditioning ducts. To do this, the air ducts are located above the ceiling surface, in the overhead part of the structure, and the intake and supply of air directly into the room is carried out through the perforation of the coating.

In cases where the ceiling needs to be repaired, it is enough to remove and replace with new only those parts that are damaged. At the same time, it is not necessary to completely disassemble and replace the entire structure. The possibility of local repair will significantly save and extend the life of the composition.

If desired, you can use different types of cassettes in one design. Part of the cover can be made of metal parts, while the other can be assembled from glass or mineral panels. This will allow you to visually divide the room into several zones and create a completely unique design. In addition, recessed lights can be installed instead of several panels.

For those rooms that need additional sound or heat insulation, there are solutions with such properties. At the same time, in the space between the coating and the floor slab, a layer of heat insulator or soundproofing material can be placed. The presence of such a space will allow you to place all the wiring and other technical communications in it.

However, the cassette ceiling also has disadvantages that must be taken into account, regardless of where such a coating is mounted - in an office, private house or apartment. Basically, they are not too significant, but it is necessary to know about them.

The most important of all the disadvantages is that the height of the walls in a room with such a finish will inevitably decrease. This is due to the need to mount the frame, which will take a little height. For office premises, this is usually not critical. In such places, the height of the floors will allow you to mount any composition without any problems.

The second minus, which is of significant importance, is the geometric orientation of the pattern on the coating. The entire plane of the ceiling will have a pattern consisting of the boundaries of individual elements. With a competent approach, this feature can be turned from a disadvantage into a virtue by “beating” the given moment in the finished composition in an advising way.

wood cladding

Ignoring the vast array of man-made interior materials, real wood has lost none of its popularity over the centuries. It can not only be used to make furniture or carpentry, but also to make a ceiling of extraordinary beauty. The wood is multifunctional in use and looks great both in residential premises, country houses and in offices, giving them a representative appearance. There are so many options, there is always a great opportunity to find one that fits into any interior style solution.
Wooden ceilings are covered with stain, carvings and varnish, combined with stained-glass windows, and structures are made of several levels. At the same time, they also remember about good lighting, for the manufacture of which office ceiling lamps of all acceptable types are used.
Important wood cladding options for office ceilings are clapboard cladding and square or rectangular wood panels.

Caissons with wooden panels

Surface lined with clapboard

Very often, instead of solid wood materials, MDF panels are used for sheathing the ceiling. This option will cost a little less and provides the possibility of combined use (for example, with light components).

Wood fiber decorative panels with colored stained glass windows

One of the very unusual wood ceiling systems are caissons. Their name is made from the French word "caisson", if translated into Russian - a box.
In other words, recesses are actually made in the plane, forming cells of various geometric shapes, which are filled with wood elements covered with carvings or paintings. The coffered ceiling is used when facing a room in baroque, empire, renaissance styles.

Real wood coffered ceiling

Ceiling design can give the room not only austerity and pomposity, evoking thoughts of antiquity. It can be warm and comfortable, like this painted version.

Painted wood ceiling

A multi-level system can be made not only from gypsum or PVC sheets - wood is also suitable for this. The photo below shows a similar version of the wooden ceiling in the restaurant hall.
It's not only wonderful.

Tiered wood structure

• The tree constantly emits its original smell, and therefore the room will have a special climate that helps a person to rest and relax in the best possible way. Once you have been in such an institution, you will certainly want to return there.
• Any multi-level system provides an opportunity to hide the poor qualities of the base plane and communications, and also arrange ceiling ventilation. This option for ventilation of rooms is more convenient than the location of split structures, which do not matter, fit into the interior, on the surface of the walls.

When choosing a material for the ceiling surface, it is necessary to focus on both the overall interior of the room and its practicality. The budget for construction or renovation also plays a huge role.
We told you about inexpensive group variations, and about unique and expensive ones. We hope that we helped you to form with the selection, and your office will have a ceiling that will please both its employees and customers.

Cassette ceilings

They are now considered the most used in office interiors.
In specificity, this applies to large areas of space:

• long corridors of public buildings;
• food companies;
• entertainment establishments;
• combined office space, the fashion for which came to us from the western side.

Cassette ceilings at work are especially convenient for installation and, importantly, for dismantling. Indeed, in such places there are a lot of wires that need to be hidden.
These are security and fire alarms, telephone and video cables, computer network wires. Office lamps on the ceiling are also selected according to the size of the area.
Basically, there are a lot of them and they ask for constant replacement. To service the entire economy or search for a faulty wire, you need to get into the ceiling space.
In this case, the cassette ceiling for the office is more convenient than any other

Cassettes, often in the form of squares 50 * 50 cm, are moved to the side with a light touch of the hand - and access to the wires is free.
There is another big plus for this design. In case of damage to any allotment, it is enough to change one or two cassettes, it is not necessary to repair the entire plane.
The most important thing is to have a few cassettes from this batch in stock.
Cassette ceilings belong to the category of suspended frame systems. Of all the other types of hinged structures, they are especially easy to install.
In a small office, this work can usually be done by hand. Cassette ceilings are distinguished only by the type of panels used for finishing.
And plasterboard cassettes are considered very popular with holes. They are used to improve ventilation and soundproofing of the room, the low cost of this type of cassette also helps their widespread use.
The size of the holes on the panels can vary, but very often it is no more than 2 millimeters. To avoid the monotony of the ceiling surface, cassettes can be combined in color and texture, and, in other words, a chess combination is considered very popular.

Cassette system variations

Ceiling of a combined type of smooth and perforated cassettes

Panels for such ceilings can be stamped. In this variant, to improve the artistic quality, manufacturers apply a pattern to the outside of the cassettes.
There is an option when smooth panels are painted and covered with an anti-corrosion compound.
Office ceilings made from mirror cassettes have also found their own fans. In specificity, they look great in comfortable bars or cafes, beauty salons and exhibition halls.

Mirror cassette ceiling

As a mirror, not only a ceiling made of mirror glass can be called. It comes in both frosted and colored glass.
Unlimited possibilities of their combination attract decorators who make unique interiors.

Colored glass cassette ceiling

A surface with a mirror property makes it possible to use in lighting not only fluorescent ceiling office lamps, which in most cases are installed on a smooth or perforated cassette ceiling. Thanks to the reflective plane or the transparent features of the glass, there are limitless variations to produce a beautiful backlight.

Illuminated frosted glass panels

Due to this, the range of use of this type of cassette systems is much wider than that of various others. In residential areas and houses, they have also found use. Glass cassette ceilings look great in a bathroom, dining room or hallway.by the way, they have a characteristic to visually enhance the space.
Mirror ceilings are not just beautiful - they are comfortable: they are not afraid of moisture, steam, or elevated temperatures. Panels can also be aluminum: both smooth and perforated.
This is a very expensive option, but also reliable. Its glossy surface makes the room bright enough, which saves from the need to use a large number of light sources and additional lighting.

Aluminum cassette ceiling with ventilation grilles

Hanging systems for the office

Rack construction

Technology that allows you to carry out repairs quickly and accurately. A frame is attached to the ceiling, to which long rails are mounted. At the same time, the ceiling is lowered by at least 10 cm, but not only sound-absorbing materials, but also boxes of household gadgets can be placed in this space. Rails made of aluminum or stainless steel are also a reflector: a room with such a ceiling seems bright and comfortable.

Slatted ceiling - a spectacular modern design method

Cassette ceilings

Cassette ceilings in office premises are most in demand. This fact is evidenced even by the abundance of offers of typical square-shaped lamps and ceiling-mounted air conditioners of the appropriate size. Indeed, such designs in the office are optimal:

• mineral fibers and glass used for the manufacture of tiles are environmentally friendly and fireproof;
• access to a specific point will require the dismantling of several specific sections, and not the entire structure;
• office ceiling tiles are available in various colors and textures, which allows you to effectively play with the design of the surface.

Installation of this type of false ceiling is also carried out along rails fixed to the ceiling and walls.

Cassette ceiling installation: video process

The abundance of building materials is often confusing. A careful study of all the "pros" and "cons" when choosing a method of finishing the ceiling in the office will save not only from unnecessary expenses for repeated repairs, but also from a long stoppage of the work process during installation. Modern technologies are able to offer options that meet all requirements.

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Are suspended ceilings relevant?

Suspended ceiling is a metal frame suspended from the ceiling base, on which various modular elements (plates, panels, slats, etc.) or drywall sheets are attached.

Currently, the design of ceilings is undoubtedly a very creative process. The variety of types of suspended ceilings allows you to decorate the interior in various styles, make it fashionable, functional and attractive. At the same time, they are mounted quite easily, without requiring the performance of various labor-intensive work. Compared with the usual ceiling finishes, suspended ceilings have a lot of undeniable advantages. With their help, it is possible to hide the flaws of old ceilings, as well as all kinds of engineering communications: ventilation equipment, pipes, various cables, etc. Ceiling panels significantly reduce the noise level, create the necessary thermal insulation. Some types of false ceilings have coatings with a high level of light reflection, and this allows you to improve lighting while reducing energy costs.

Benefits of using

You can read more about the advantages of stretch fabric in this article. Here we would like to emphasize the points that are priority for offices:

• Fast installation. You do not have to stop the work of the company for a long time to install ceilings.
• Presentable appearance that will impress partners, customers and staff.
• The ability to apply a company logo or choose a thematic design using photo printing.
• Easy care - ceilings do not require expensive detergents and are quickly cleaned of dust.

However, it is pointless to talk about the advantages of such coatings without illustrative examples. We recommend that you look at the following photos - perhaps you will adopt a couple of tricks.

Types of such ceilings

Stretch

Due to their qualities and beautiful appearance, stretch ceilings are installed in private houses and apartments, restaurants, cafes, bars, swimming pools, offices, etc. The design of PVC film suspended ceilings provides for the creation of complex structures, it is also possible to combine stretch and plasterboard ceilings. Stretch ceilings are easily exposed to mechanical stress, but easily cope with the consequences of flooding from above (water collects on the ceiling, then it can be lowered without damaging furniture and repairs, and the stretch ceiling will easily take the desired shape).

Rack variant

It is assembled from aluminum rails, coated with a special composition, in various colors and shades. A wide range of applications, original appearance make it possible to use a slatted ceiling in residential areas with a high level of humidity (bathroom, kitchen), but also in bars, offices, etc. The rail is also easily susceptible to mechanical damage, which must be taken into account during installation and operation.

Type Armstrong

It is a construction of metal profiles, divided into squares. They are closed with pressed plates and raster lamps. Such ceilings are installed mainly in offices, reception rooms, waiting rooms, cafes.

Armstrong ceilings are afraid of moisture. The advantages include the fact that in case of replacing the slab or laying a line in the inter-ceiling space, the slabs can be easily replaced or dismantled, and then returned to their original place without resorting to the services of a ceiling installer.

Grilyato

The installation method and appearance are reminiscent of the Armstrong ceiling. These options differ only in the plates that cover the cells. Cells are closed with lattice plates. Grilyato ceilings are installed in hospitals, train stations, airports, shopping centers and other large areas. Their main advantage is the simplicity and speed of installation and their relatively low cost.

Mirror ceiling

A mirrored false ceiling will add zest to any interior, visually enlarge the space and fill it with light. Mirror options consist of mirror tiles coated with a protective layer, as well as glossy stretch ceilings, which have good reflectivity, can be used as a mirror shelf.

Drywall option

Suspended plasterboard ceiling with original green lighting

The design of plasterboard suspended ceilings is distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and colors. Plasterboard can be used to build a single-level, two-level and multi-level false ceiling and complex ceiling structures. The disadvantages of drywall ceilings include their poor moisture tolerance. In case of flooding, the ceiling, like all other repairs, will have to be redone.

The hanging version of PVC film and drywall can be designed as a starry sky. This effect is achieved with the help of lamps, paintings and lamps, special wallpapers coated with a phosphorescent layer. The design of a false ceiling made of plasterboard will not only emphasize and give a new sound to a properly selected lighting solution. A variety of lamps (spotlights, LED strips of various colors and multicolor, chandeliers, sconces, etc.) will contribute to filling the interior with life and space.

The most popular trends in the design of the room and the ceiling: classic, ethno, modern, high-tech, country, etc.

The design of suspended ceilings in the photo is presented in its diversity. There are really a lot of design options. There are plenty to choose from.

When choosing a design and a room, you should be guided, first of all, by your vision of the room, the chosen style, the amount of money that will be spent on repairs, and the way the room is illuminated.

Also, one should not forget about the dimensions of the room, since multi-tiered ceiling structures will not fit into rooms with low ceilings, since the height of the room is no longer very high.

Ceiling fixtures for cassette ceilings

Properly arranged lighting for the ceiling for the office is considered the main task, since it is unrealistic to work all day in dimly lit rooms, especially in winter.
Additional lighting can not be used in any room. In the store's trading hall, this is quite acceptable, and in the offices of administrative-type institutions or, possibly, hotel corridors, the rate is made only on important light sources.
In the most common and common variations of plasterboard or iron cassette ceilings, raster lamps are used for suspended ceilings. They will be installed (LVO) or external, overhead (LPO).

Raster light source

• For these light sources, very different office ceiling lamps are used. They are called office because they are never installed in residential premises.
• Lamps for raster flat light sources can be fluorescent or LED. In appearance, they can sometimes be distinguished - they are similar in shape.

Lamp for raster lamp

LED lamps are lamps of a new generation: quite economical, with a fairly low heat output and a long operating period.
They have a wide variety of shapes, and are used not only as office ceiling lamps for raster lighting sources, but also for point-type lighting devices, as well as in various types of wall and chandelier lamps.

LED lamps for spotlights

In the first part of the note, we told you about the types of ceilings that are most often used in offices and social buildings. But in the configuration of the office of any enterprise there are not only rooms for employees and corridors - there are also offices for management, assembly halls, foyers and recreation.
The interior of these premises can radically stand out both in varieties and in the cost of the materials used for decoration.

What is a raster

This word means that we are talking about a "separate cell". So it is customary to call a specific segment having a certain area. The surface of a raster ceiling consists of several cells. To assemble it, you will need to install a suspension system, to which special T-shaped profiles are attached.

As a result of installation, the ceiling plane is obtained consisting of a large number of cells, which have a clear shape in the form of geometric shapes:

• square;
• rectangle;
• rhombus;
• hexagon.

The transparency of the raster ceiling is achieved by:

• gap between the ceiling surface and the profile;
• cell parameters;
• lamp sizes.