Mirrored ceilings

I spent two weeks at home. I was sick. And okay, I would give up all business because of a serious illness – flu there or pneumonia. And it’s funny to say – knocked down an exhausting continuous runny nose. It was a shame to sit at work, flowed as if from a bucket, people shied away. She took the bulletin out of grief, crawled under three blankets and began to wait for healing. And he still does not exist. Yearning. Still, as luck would have it, the TV broke. I had to look out the window all day and spit at the ceiling. Outside the window, nothing exciting, as always, was happening. The ceiling also did not please.

And he was so disgusted with me that I firmly decided to transform him beyond recognition. Let nothing remind me of the disease! Moreover, from senseless lying on the couch and lack of positive emotions, I developed another disease with the fashionable name “depression”. In such cases, psychologists advise you to change your life or, in extreme cases, the situation..

I wondered for a long time: “What could I do with my ceiling?” A friend came up with an idea: make, he says, a mirrored ceiling – it’s cool, and the room will seem larger. I say: “Where can I get such a mirror?” And he: “Well, you’re dark! There are also special suspended ceilings with a mirror surface. They are called – rack. You go to the markets, explain what you want. There, knowledgeable people will tell and show everything “.

I didn’t go to the markets. First, I have an inner dislike for them. Secondly, there is no time. Thirdly, again, an unfortunate runny nose: I run into the cold and again slag. And, fourthly, why go somewhere, when you can call many companies in half an hour, find out everything, and then go once and buy.

I phoned a dozen companies specializing in false ceilings. I tried to be as brief as possible: “I decided to replace the ceiling, but first I want to understand what kind of rack ceilings there are, how they differ from each other, how much they cost, who makes them?” In response, as a rule, a deep sigh was heard, and the interlocutor advised to turn to other sources. To my fair: “Why?” sounded like the following: “We sell only one type of slatted ceilings, and we cannot say anything about the rest.” And, oh joy, at last one company agreed to give detailed advice. “Come, we’ll tell you.” Here’s what I found out.

Secret knowledge

Experts were unanimous: if you really want to have a mirrored ceiling in a room, of course, I can make a rack. But in general, these ceilings are used primarily in rooms with high humidity: in kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, saunas, swimming pools. Why? Because suspended slatted ceilings are made of aluminum, which, as you know, does not rust. So you can easily wash them – they will only get better from this (in the sense of cleaner).

“Shouldn’t I buy a rack ceiling for the kitchen?” – I thought. “You can go to the kitchen!” – confirmed the idea expressed aloud, my interlocutor. I love to eat, what is there to hide. As you know, cooking consumes not only a lot of time, but also “spoils the interior”. Dirt accumulates on the ceiling instantly, so almost every year you have to whiten or cover with a water emulsion. And the aluminum suspended ceiling is easy enough to clean.

We have already written that there are also tiled suspended ceilings. Compared to them, rack and pinion have two indisputable advantages: they do not get wet and do not rust. There are, of course, moisture resistant tiled ceilings. But rack and pinion is somehow nicer to me. In addition, the rack-and-pinion ceiling is very easy to assemble (I’ll tell you more about this).

Ceiling under the microscope

How is a rack suspended ceiling?

It consists of slats bent at the sides. They are made of aluminum tape, from which you can cut a rail of any length. We mainly sell in lengths of 3 and 4 meters. But some companies have their own cutting machines. The buyer wanted a rail 3 meters long 93 cm 5 mm – chick! And you’re done! Receive.

Now about the width. There are not very rich options here – 20, 15, 10 and 9 cm.The most popular width of slats among our population is 10 cm.

A very important parameter is thickness. The thicker the rail, the stronger the ceiling. The optimum lath thickness is 0.5 mm. This is quite enough for the ceiling to keep its shape and not deform during installation. If you make the rail thinner (0.47 or 0.43 mm), the ceiling may bend and dents will appear on it..

Reiki are of three types: open, closed and with inserts. Closed ones are attached end-to-end, going behind each other and resembling a wooden lining. A small gap remains between the open rails. But it is practically invisible – such models are usually hung in halls with a ceiling height of more than 5 meters. So no one will even notice any cracks. There are also slats with inserts. Such models are similar to open ones, only the distance between the slats is covered with narrow aluminum strips. The ceiling is flat, without grooves and depressions. Very easy to clean and ideal for the kitchen.

It turned out that the most popular color of the rail is white (apparently, the idea that the ceiling should be only of this color is firmly rooted in us). Those with richer imagination can decorate their life with black, red, blue, and almost any color of the ceilings. The slats will be covered with enamel in the desired shade – and, please, your ceiling is ready. True, the surface will be matte, not shiny. But the chrome ceiling (which my friend called “mirrored”) glitters remarkably and, I must say, is very popular with us, takes second place in the sales ranking after white. In third place – “gold” and “copper” (painted in gold or copper).

Thus, the strips with inserts are attached to the bus (left – “wrong side”, right – front side)

When buying a ceiling, pay attention to such an important detail: a high-quality ceiling is always sold in a transparent film, which protects the slats during transportation from scratches and damage. If the ceiling is without film, this should alert you. Most likely, it was made in some semi-handicraft production. Not a single serious manufacturer will allow itself to “put up for sale” a rack ceiling without a protective film.

Who is in that much?

By the way, about the manufacturers. The long-liver of the Russian market can rightfully be called the Dutch company HUNTER DOUGLAS.

Her ceiling “LUXALON” was the first to be seen by a Russian buyer. And it still remains the most popular and high quality. It is made from 0.5mm aluminum. His life span is rather long – 25 years. This means that for a quarter of a century there will be no problems with the ceiling. You will have time to grow old, your children will grow up, and the ceiling will be as good as new. True, you will have to pay for the quality: this ceiling costs $ 35–57 per sq.m. depending on the type of rail and color.

In addition to ordinary suspended ceilings, the company produces a multi-panel version. This makes it possible to combine strips of different colors and types (open, closed, with inserts).

Italy is represented in Russia by Catena (CATENA) and Prometal (PROMETAL). The first one is now practically gone from our market: competition, you know – Russian manufacturers are stepping on their heels, producing cheaper ceilings. The second firm, on the other hand, is flourishing. I don’t know the reasons, but the fact remains that its ceilings will soon decorate one of the capital’s airport. The price of such a ceiling is $ 16.8 / sq.m. or $ 1.55 for a 3 meter rail.

How to calculate your ceiling? Usually the buyer names the total ceiling area that he needs. The seller names the price based on the cost of one square meter. Then the area is converted into the number of laths. The seller counts again, and then again converts these slats into square meters. In a word, remember, to determine the price, they operate with square meters, and use the “quantity” of pieces for counting (in the sense of rails). Moreover, the larger the area of ​​the ceiling you buy, the cheaper it will cost 1 sq..

Let’s go back to the firms. A young, but very promising German company “Geipel” (GEIPEL) entered the Russian market recently, but has already won the recognition of buyers. Its ceiling costs $ 11-16.5 per sq.m. or $ 0.9-1.77 for a 3-meter rail.

In Russia, not so long ago, suspended rack ceilings were not made. But times are changing and now the Russian company Albes, on imported machines using Italian or German aluminum tape, produces good ceilings similar to those of Prometal and Geipel. They are cheaper than imported ones, though not much: $ 10.3–16.2 ​​per 1 sq. M. or $ 0.9-1.35 per rail.

The main thing is that the suit fits

Installation is a very important stage in the life of a suspended ceiling rack. The final result largely depends on the installation, that is, the indescribable beauty of the interior (which, of course, you want to achieve). Therefore, it is better not to skimp and call a team of installers. Firms selling ceilings usually provide this service and give a year of warranty for their work. Installation prices range from $ 3 to $ 10-15 / sq.m. depending on the complexity of the installation. In addition, this figure is influenced by the purchase volume: the larger the total area of ​​the purchased ceiling, the cheaper its installation will cost. This is obvious: it is unprofitable to send a brigade to the customer if you want to make “rack beauty” only in the bathroom.

In principle, if you really want to, you can start installing the rack ceiling personally – it differs from other suspended counterparts in the ease of assembly. The main thing is to act directly opposite to the rule “there is strength – no mind is needed.” Because one careless press – and a disgusting dent remains on the rail, which can no longer be fixed. But experts and we still do not recommend doing this. It is better not to risk and not be greedy, but to call the masters.

The price of the ceiling usually includes four elements: the slats themselves, the tire, the suspension and the baseboard. This kit includes installation instructions.

We have already understood what reiki is. Now let’s look at the other parts of the design. The tire is made of aluminum or steel and is a bar with “teeth”, for which the slats are hooked. Each type of rail needs its own tire – so that there are no cracks, bends and distortions. In addition, the rails of one company cannot be attached to the bus of another in any way, interchangeability is not suitable here.

Move on. The tire with the slats attached to it clings to the suspension. Basically, it is a wire that is attached to a real concrete ceiling. This is a very important design detail: a suspended ceiling is called so because it hangs on a suspension. The suspension can be adjusted in height – higher or lower. At the same time, keep in mind that rack suspended ceilings “eat up” from 4 to 7 cm in height, and in some cases up to 12. So if your apartment has low ceilings, and your height is about two meters, you need to buy rack ceilings carefully.

A plinth, or a “corner” against the wall, is in fact just a decorative piece. It covers the joint between the wall and the ceiling, just like the skirting board lying on the floor. Please note that the ceiling plinth must be screwed on perfectly straight. Otherwise, the ceiling with one edge will touch the plinth, and the other will dangle ugly in the air.

Let there be light!

To “illuminate” a room, of course, you need lamps. As a rule, point or “rectangular” (raster) luminaires are mounted in suspended lath ceilings. But, alas, they are not included in the package and must be purchased separately. Better, of course, immediately, “without leaving the checkout.” There were cases when ceilings had already been installed in the apartment, and at the very last moment the citizen realized that they had forgotten about the lamps. Annoyance!

Lamps try to match the color of the ceiling: white, chrome or gold. The bathroom needs lamps with a special cap that protects against moisture.

The most inexpensive spotlights are priced at $ 1.7 per piece (white) and $ 3 (chrome, gold). It is important that you do a competent wiring, then the ceiling will be intact, and a short circuit from dampness will not occur.

But how to insert the lamps into the rail? After all, there are no holes in it. In fact, it is very simple: you need to measure the diameter of the lamp (if we are talking about a point) and cut a hole of the required size. They say that it can even be done with scissors. I do not know, I have not tried it. But it is better, of course, to entrust this matter to specialists. As for the raster lamps, a hole is made for them with a special machine and already a “full of holes” rail is sold. This rake is called “screen” and costs an average of $ 7 per unit. Sometimes the “screen” is sold complete with lamps.

Where to go on ceilings?

So, the matter is small – where to buy such a wonderful superceiling? Communication with professionals finally convinced me of one thing: I will not go to the market. Why do you need an extra intermediary, when you yourself can go to the firm and it is much cheaper to purchase the ceiling you like? In addition, firms are interested in making their customers satisfied – they need to keep the brand. Therefore, the fate of your ceilings for a long time (depending on the warranty period) will be in their reliable calloused hands. In addition, on the market, as a rule, there is only that which is in mass demand, something refined is unlikely to pick up there..

For example, a new product has now appeared – a curved suspended ceiling: you need, say, to combine two rooms by the ceiling, and they are at different levels, or some ledge is worn out. What to do? After all, the rail cannot be bent, it will twist and deform. We solved the problem as follows: according to your order, they will make slats with the letter “g” or any other desired shape. As you wish. This kind of pleasure costs about $ 3 more than a regular straight ceiling. But beautiful.

So if you have finally made up your mind and realized that without rack ceilings your future life loses its meaning, we offer a memo, including several simple rules:

Firstly, do not forget that a high-quality ceiling must be covered with a protective film.
Secondly, remember about the lamps. Better to buy immediately. Then the installation team will install them simultaneously with the ceiling..
Thirdly, the price depends on the total ceiling area. The more spacious the kitchen (bathroom, pool), the cheaper one square meter of rack ceiling will be.
And finally, fourthly: Raise your eyes and honestly admit to yourself, are your “native” ceilings really so high? Maybe they already fall almost on your head, and you still want to attach a suspended one to them? Believe me, it only makes sense to install a slatted suspended ceiling if the height of the “sky” in the apartment allows you to painlessly sacrifice 4-10 cm of the height of the natural ceiling. Otherwise, you will have to abandon this wonderful idea. Well. Understood. As for me, I still can’t decide which rack ceiling to choose. Truly, from much wisdom, many sorrow.