Do-it-yourself two-level plasterboard ceiling

Plasterboard ceilings are common. They allow you to hide the imperfections of the area - irregularities, elevation differences. Communications and electrical wires are placed in the cavity between the concrete and the building sheet.

The most popular type is a two-level structure, in addition to the listed advantages, it also carries a design sense - the room becomes designed in a certain style. It is quite possible to make a ceiling model in several tiers with your own hands.

Calculation and drawing of a two-level ceiling

Before work, it is important to familiarize yourself with all sorts of design options, apply your own imagination and draw up a thorough sketch, which is then transferred to the marking paper in large-scale parameters.

An accurate drawing will increase the speed of work and help you see the finished model in advance. Especially if the owners have conceived a complex structure with numerous transitions and radii.

The drawing will help you find out the exact amount of materials required without overpaying for excess. Even the amount of fasteners can be calculated in advance.

The attachment points of the profiles with laid communications in the grooves will not come as a surprise. This is important as the risk of short circuits occurs frequently when drilling in concrete.

The drawing allows you to immediately make the zoning of the room, determine the location of furniture or create your own ensemble with built-in cabinet models.

As for the features of the drawing itself, if there is no experience, then you should not arrange a structure with large differences in height. The minimum difference in planes is the thickness of the drywall sheet. She is already able to give the ceiling the necessary relief.

The optimal height of the vertical elements of the structure is guided by the profile width - 50–60 mm. Maximum - 20 cm. These are the values ​​at which the setting of vertical profiles is optional. Anything that requires additional pieces of metal, suspensions and fasteners.

The reference point for all profiles starts from the lowest corner. It is required to designate it separately on the drawing and then carry out calculations according to its height, not forgetting to mark the dimensions on paper.

Arranging a two-level plasterboard ceiling with your own hands is no more difficult than a single-tier covering. It just takes more time.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a two-level plasterboard ceiling

Of course, modern designs cannot do with two levels. There are tons of options on the web that suit palaces. However, the realities of standard apartments and the lack of experience of a homebrew master do not allow to build anything grandiose. It is difficult and in some cases looks inappropriate in a small room. Two levels is enough.

Required materials and tools

The purchased drywall is allowed to rest in the room for three days. During this time, it will become malleable to processing. In addition to the selected raw materials - moisture resistant for kitchens, baths, bathrooms and ordinary - for other rooms, you will need:

• Aluminum profiles of different widths - from 2.5 to 6 cm. Ceiling - C-shaped, guide - U-shaped.
• Crabs - holders of frame lintels. Spring hangers.
• Fasteners. For guide profiles - dowel-nails, for ceiling - anchors, for cardboard - self-tapping screws.
• Putty and tools for working with it - spatulas, serpyanka tape.
• Sealing damper. It is a tape that compensates for sounds and vibrations.
• Perforator, screwdriver.
• Laser and water level.
• Hacksaw or electric jigsaw. It is convenient for the latter to cut ornate structures.
• Decoration - halogen lamps, topcoat.

The work is dusty and dirty. It is worth stocking up on glasses and a respirator in advance. By the way, to create a multi-level structure, professionals most often use hardboard instead of drywall on vertical bends. It is more flexible than gypsum board and does not need to be wetted before repeating the intended contours.

Ceiling preparation

First of all, the home craftsman must mark the places of the hidden wires and the junction box. Failure to do so means putting yourself in danger of electric shock, or at least losing your home network for a long time. Places of laying are marked with a marker. Also, the preparation includes cleaning concrete from building chips, dust, dirt. A vacuum cleaner is best suited for this purpose.

In addition to the ceiling, walls are prepared for receiving the profiles. The upper edges are leveled up to half a meter from the ceiling. If the areas deviate too much from normal surfaces, it makes sense to carry out plastering work over the entire plane or install drywall. Then the walls can be additionally insulated or soundproofed.

Ceiling markings

Now it is important to decide whether the first level will be a concrete ceiling or a plasterboard sheathed in a horizontal plane. For accurate application of drywall, cut the part, apply it to the ceiling and mark the contours. This place is equipped with a thin profile - the thickness of the gypsum board or carefully leveled and plastered in order to adequately match future surfaces.

For the installation of the second level, the steps are as follows:

• Find the angle, the height of which is less than the others. A control point is laid on the wall according to the drawing and the desired width of the second tier.
• Using a laser level, the marks are projected onto the rest of the walls. In order not to be mistaken in the work, the border is drawn with a special cord-mark. The resulting perimeter is drawn along the line. These are the places for installing the guide profile.

For amateurs, the best way to do it yourself is to apply all the lines of a previously prepared drawing. It is more convenient to navigate by them - you do not have to hold paper in front of you every time.

Frame construction

It is not difficult to fix the profiles alone - they are lightweight. But there is a problem of compliance with the level. Therefore, it is better to act together:

• A damper tape is glued or screwed to the attachment points. It will reduce the vibrations of the aluminum ceiling and the interaction with the concrete wall. A U-shaped guide profile is screwed directly to it. At the joints, it is connected with crabs. If the length is not enough, the profile is extended.
• Now, along the contour of the marked fragment of the first level, a profile is attached, repeating bends or other elements. To do this, first fix the suspensions, bending their ends for subsequent sheathing. And then, having cut the profile with metal scissors on the sides, screw it in a waveform.
• It remains to lay the ceiling profiles inside the resulting segments. Suspensions are again attached, on which a damper tape is glued in pieces, then profiles are attached to them. It is important to remember that the distance between the ceiling components from the wall is less than the next ones - 25 cm, the rest - after 50 cm.
• Vertical posts are screwed along the bend. If the wave width is not too large - 5–6 cm, then they can be dispensed with. In order to tightly hold a strip of drywall, it is recommended to increase the number of suspensions for a curved profile. You will also need to increase the amount in the immediate vicinity of the walls.

Almost the frame for plasterboard cladding is ready. If what you see suits the masters, you can proceed to the next stage. Otherwise, it is recommended to bring the design to perfection, otherwise it will be reflected on the entire plane of the levels - the curvature will be clearly visible.

Plasterboard sheathing

The drawing is remarkable in that it is immediately clear how much material is required. First, the first level of the ceiling is strengthened by sheathing the prepared frame made of thin profiles, if it is decided to close the unpresentable ceiling. Holes are immediately drilled in the details for inserting a chandelier or lamps, and the edges are chamfered for better adhesion with the primer.

Then they are taken for the second level - the laying of large sheets starts from the corner. The next ones are laid apart so as not to get coincident seams and with an indispensable gap of 2 mm for subsequent putty. Self-tapping screws need to be fixed often - no more than 20 cm from each other and also observe a different position in relation to other fasteners. The hats must be recessed inside the sheets.

The last step will be a vertical strip of drywall, if hardboard was not purchased. To do this, the cut strip is moistened with water by means of a needle roller and made to absorb for 15–20 minutes. It is advisable to immediately give it the desired bend by fixing it between the uprights on the floor. They are then screwed into place in a similar manner to the other parts. The two-level plasterboard ceiling is ready.

Finishing

The edges of the resulting ceiling are sanded to make the corners ideal for a topcoat. Seams and fasteners are putty. It remains to make the ceiling presentable. To do this, it is painted with water-based, acrylic or glossy compositions. It is important not to allow aggressive acetones in the coating, otherwise they will corrode drywall. After processing, the backlight is mounted.

It is important to purchase halogen - incandescent lamps can carbonize the material.

So, having studied the material, you can discover that the installation of a two-level plasterboard ceiling with your own hands is not complicated, as it seemed earlier. After all, professional home renovators also gained experience for the first time. The unpretentiousness and availability of raw materials in terms of price will allow owners to change their own ceiling when they want it.

Photo of two-level plasterboard ceilings with lighting

DIY video for installing a two-level plasterboard ceiling