DIY stained glass ceiling installation

Recommendation points

• The nuances of the structure of the stained glass ceiling
• Adding a stained glass ceiling to a project
• The nuances of preparation
• Stained-glass window illumination. Selection and installation
• Installation of the frame and installation of filling with your own hands

The article provides a step-by-step guide to installing a stained glass ceiling. You will learn about the nuances of design and preparation, about the choice of frame material and filling, about the requirements for elements and lighting. We will also talk about how to mount a stained glass window into the ceiling and how much it costs 1 sq. m of stained glass.

A section of the ceiling in the form of a stained glass is an exquisite and functional solution for those who love and know how to create an interior with their own hands. You can create a simple yet attractive design yourself. For more complex curly shapes, you will have to resort to the services of professionals.

The nuances of the structure of the stained glass ceiling

Stained glass ceiling is a ceiling filled with translucent material, sometimes backlit. Accordingly, this is a frame suspended structure that is attached to the base of the ceiling (floor slab) and to the adjacent planes (walls, frame). In most cases, the transparent area is part of the plane of the suspended ceiling made of gypsum board, plastic, lining, etc., performs the function of illumination and additional lighting.

Stained glass construction consists of two combined elements – frame and filling.

The frame of the stained-glass window is a system of profiles connected to each other in a single flat frame. The profile must meet several requirements:

1. Sufficient spatial rigidity. The frame must be able to support the weight of the filling. If you plan to make lightweight polycarbonate stained glass, then any profile, even the thinnest, will suit you. But when using glass or plexiglass (plexiglass, acriplast), a profile with thick walls (2-4 mm) is required.
2. Filling. The shape, size, general appearance, style of drawing, the degree of transparency of the stained-glass element are determined based on the style of the interior and the size of the room (ceiling). The filling can be made by hand – the guide is described in the article “How to make stained glass with your own hands.” For beginners, we recommend choosing a straight structure with edge-to-edge geometry, where the profile will intersect the entire plane.

The undoubted advantage of such a backlight is that it is quite simple to maintain. The filling sheets are simply stacked on the profile shelves and can be removed and washed at any time. You can add color, shade or visual volume using special films designed for these purposes..

Video instruction for pasting polycarbonate

Adding a stained glass ceiling to a project

If you decide to make a stained-glass ceiling in the room, the calculations must be entered into the project even before the start of all work. The most successful solution is a section in the center, repeating the shape of the perimeter (usually rectangular) and occupying 20–40% of the ceiling area. Stained glass with an area of ​​more than 50% is appropriate to call a translucent ceiling, and not a plot.

We create a plan of the ceiling with drawing the edges of the frame and draw a section on it for a stained glass window. It is necessary to check the observance of the norms for the installation of the ceiling frame (for gypsum board – suspension spacing 400 mm) No profiles should pass inside the section – only corrugated wires fixed to the plate. Then the drawing should be transferred to the area. The main points are the points of attachment of P-suspensions along the perimeter of the stained-glass window.

We strongly recommend that you first assemble the entire ceiling, and then proceed with the manufacture of the stained glass frame according to the existing dimensions. This will avoid errors even in the case of a small offset of the axes..

The nuances of preparation

The style of framing the stained-glass window can be “played” in different ways, for example, to make a protruding border. Further, the frame can be installed at a different level from the ceiling. This will give the structure volume, but it is suitable for a height of at least 2.8 m, since volumetric elements do not look on a low ceiling.

How to make a volumetric border for a stained glass window, see the video

During the installation of the rest of the plane (it is done first of all), it is possible not to cut the finishing plane immediately to size – this is laborious and not always accurate. It is enough to make a margin inside the site, so that later you can accurately cut it in place.

After accurate cutting to size, the UD-27 profile must be fixed (with self-tapping screws) to the edge of the plane from the inside. A stained glass frame will be mounted to it in the future. All wires must be securely fixed to the base.

Stained-glass window illumination. Selection and installation

The only ideal material for stained glass lighting is LED strip. But this type of lighting requires knowledge about the operation and adjustment of LEDs, the selection of power supplies, cable cross-sections, wiring, etc. General requirements for effective lighting:

1. Installation, connection and tests must be completed before starting work on the stained glass window.
2. The tapes must be applied evenly, with equal spacing.

If you doubt your abilities, entrust this job better to a professional.

What does the stained-glass window light look like, see the video

Installation of the frame and installation of filling with your own hands

After all the conditions are met and the place of installation of the stained-glass window is ready (extreme fastening profiles), you can start creating a plane. At the design stage of the infill, the shape of the drawing must be known, from which the location of the frame profile follows..

Home stained glass is economical and simple to make from oracle or polycarbonate – they are easy to process and paste. For such filling, it will be enough to create a frame from an aluminum corner with a shelf of 20–30 mm or an unequal shelf of 10×30, 10×20 mm. It will be reliable enough and will not burden the entire structure.

Operating procedure:

1. Mark the places where the frame edges meet the main ceiling (“well” of the stained-glass window).
2. Cut and install the profile, fixing it to the extreme profiles of the base at a given height.
3. If necessary, install a duplicated (paired) profile in the places of mutual connection.
4. Check for correct installation – conformity to drawing and dimensions of filling parts.
5. Install intermediate hangers with a step of 300–400 mm. To do this, drill a vertical flange of the profile and install a conventional ceiling suspension (“butterfly”). Hook the profile with the suspension hook.
6. Carefully insert the filling parts into the profile frame.

In practice, the installation itself is not such a difficult process for someone who made a false ceiling with his own hands. It is much more difficult to create an interesting filling, but it is quite possible even at home..

Prices for materials for stained glass

Material	Specifications	Price 1 m2, at. e.
Polycarbonate	Monolith, 2 mm, translucent or colored	nine
Plexiglass	Monolith, 2 mm, translucent or colored	12
Glass	Transparent 2 mm	7.5
Aluminum profile	20x20x1.5 mm	2 cu e. / running. m
30x30x2 mm	3 cu e. / running. m
10x20x2 mm	1.8 cu e. / running. m
10x30x2 mm	2.5 cu e. / running. m
LED Strip Light	Glanzen Brm-0008-65 5 m, 300l amp, IP 65	12 cu e. / pc. 2.4 cu e. / running. m
Total approximate price of 1 m2 stained glass	Polycarbonate 2 mm, al. profile 10x30x2 mm, tape, hangers	About 35 usd e.

When deciding to install a stained-glass window, consider its important advantages, the main of which is its combined properties. By installing a stained-glass ceiling, you will get not only a beautiful decorative ceiling, but also the cheapest lighting. LEDs consume less than 10 W per 5 m of tape (300 lamps), and this is already a tangible savings.