Polyurethane cornices for suspended ceilings - how is installation carried out?

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As you know, nothing can be glued to suspended ceilings. Therefore, installation of ceiling plinths is carried out exclusively on the surface of the walls. At the same time, there are no special problems with foam parts, but if a polyurethane ceiling plinth is used to decorate the stretch ceiling, some installation difficulties may arise.

general information

In recent years, there has been a tendency to decorate facades and create amazing interiors. Each era has its own architectural style. In our time, new types of materials have been discovered. It’s a pleasure to work with them, and their price corresponds to the consumer’s level. Polyurethane cornice is one of them.

Decorative stucco molding is a type of not only decorative decoration, but also a way of personal expression. At the initial stage of development, it had only a manual nature of work, which significantly affected the cost. In addition, the stucco molding was not resistant to temperature changes. Because of this, decorative items deteriorated and cracked.

Peculiarities

Ceiling cornices for suspended or suspended ceilings differ in many ways from the options mounted on permanent ceilings. The first and main difference is the limitation of choice. For stretch ceilings, bus profile models are usually chosen, quite rarely equipped with a baguette. Other designs are not used.

The second difference lies in the installation features. There are two different methods you can use to install your curtain rod.

The first method of fastening is on top of the canvas. It is quite simple, but you need to notify the ceiling production and installation company in advance that you have decided to install a ceiling model.

The second method is more complicated than the first and is suitable for rooms with high ceilings. In this case, a special niche behind the ceiling is equipped for the cornice, thereby creating the effect of a hidden cornice. The invisible profile can be equipped with spectacular lighting, but even without it, the curtains flowing as if from nowhere look quite impressive. The company must be notified of the need to install a hidden cornice, and the structure itself must be purchased in advance. The size of the niche itself depends on the width of the cornice.

Both types of curtain rods can be installed even in the middle of the room. They are great for dividing partitions, for example, thread curtains, which serve to zone space.

The ceiling model has a number of advantages:

• Allows you to hang curtains if it is not possible to install a wall curtain rod;
• They can withstand quite a lot of weight depending on the material from which they are made;
• Visually they pull the room up, making the ceiling higher.

You should take care of installing each option in advance. The best thing you can do is to delegate the installation of the cornice to the same company that hung the ceilings. For a relatively small fee you will receive a number of benefits:

1. Save time and nerves. Professionals will install the profile quickly and correctly, and there will be no problems with operation in the future.
2. If the ceiling is damaged, all costs of repairing and replacing it will be borne by the company. Replacing a stretch ceiling costs much more than the money you will save by installing the cornice yourself.
3. Professional offices offer a wide range of materials for making curtain rods and their colors. As a rule, the assortment is not inferior to the store, with the exception that the office may not be able to offer you options made from elite wood.

Characteristics

Modern innovative technologies have made it possible to improve stucco molding. It began to be produced using polyurethane. Polyurethane molding has the following characteristics:

• Light weight.
• Durability and reliability.
• Easy to process.
• Wide selection of patterns and shapes of products.
• There is no need to use hammers and nails during installation.

Polyurethane curtain rods are manufactured in an industrial environment, which helps produce products faster and with better quality. With the help of an established mechanism, the product has an affordable price for consumers.

Installation does not require complex technological work. Ceiling cornices made of polyurethane are flexible and light weight. This allows you to attach them to the joints of walls and ceilings without much difficulty.

The ceiling cornice requires taking into account its length at the installation stage.

Manufacturers produce polyurethane cornices up to two meters long. Before installation, you need to thoroughly prepare the surface on which it will be attached. The process will not be noisy, which will not cause discontent among neighbors.

During the work process, it is recommended to use only glue from reliable manufacturers. When choosing cheaper and dubious brands, the possibility of an unexpected collapse of the product in the future cannot be ruled out.

Professional glue, after being applied to the surface, tends to expand and eliminate voids between the contacting elements. It allows polyurethane products in the interior to last firmly and for a long time.

Even if the cost of high-quality material is higher than average, it is better to purchase it. In the future, this will save you from problems and additional cash injections.

Bonding lighter parts

With smaller curtain rods or moldings, the installation process is a much simpler task. Here it is important to choose the right adhesive composition and accurately saw off the edges of the parts joining in the corners. It is from the corners that you should start installation - this will make it easier to correct all the flaws at the very beginning of the work.

You should only apply glue to the plane of the parts that will be directly adjacent to the plane of the walls. For those fragments of the cornice that will be joined to each other in the corners or along the length. The adhesive mixture is also applied to the joints of adjacent parts. The glue is distributed evenly over the plane and a narrow spatula is perfect for this. Pay attention to the instructions included with the adhesive mixture - some compositions require application not only to the decorative elements being glued, but also to the plane to which they will be glued.

Important: the composition is needed with minimal drying time, since you will have to hold the mounted element with your hands until the glue completely sets. If the drying time is long, the procedure will become very tedious.

After all parts of the cornice are glued, they need to be given time for final fixation. When the time specified in the instructions for the adhesive has passed, you can proceed to the final processing of the joints and puttying of all existing gaps or cracks. Usually, after installation, such elements do not require additional painting, but if there is a desire or the putty areas stand out too much, you can paint the cornice along the entire length with a suitable paint.

Application

Polyurethane cornices are often found when installing hidden types of lighting. This fashionable design solution fits aesthetically into the interior of the room. Cornices have a specific design.

To prevent overheating of the material, there is a special foil coating on the inside of the element.

Two types of lighting can be used:

• LED;
• fluorescent lamps.

The cost of such a decorative element is justified by its uniqueness and design aesthetics.

Features of ceiling fabric

How to glue a plinth to a suspended ceiling? In this case, the usual gluing of fillets, when one side is fixed on the ceiling and the other on the wall, is not suitable. This is due to the characteristics of the ceiling covering fabric:

1. thin PVC fabric is very durable, but has poor resistance to solvents. The components included in the adhesive can easily damage PVC;
2. the ceiling fabric is not fixed rigidly, and if fillets are glued to it, the connection will be fragile;
3. Even if you manage to attach the skirting boards to the suspended ceiling, as the adhesive dries, the fabric will wrinkle unevenly.

Another disadvantage of the usual gluing method: if you attach a plinth to suspended ceilings, this connection cannot be disconnected without damaging the ceiling fabric.

Due to these features of the material, plinths for suspended ceilings are glued only to the wall and have a wide vertical part, which allows for a more durable attachment to the base. Sometimes during installation there is still a small gap between the ceiling fabric and the fillets, but designers recommend masking this drawback by installing LED lighting in the gap.

Facade polyurethane cornices

When carrying out decorative facade work, a number of problems need to be solved. The main thing is the choice of cornice. Most often they choose expensive plaster or concrete ones. However, a competent designer will give preference to polyurethane cornices. The complexity of installing concrete and gypsum structural elements is time-consuming. Additional funds will be spent on attracting special installation teams. Environmental influences also influence the choice of building materials.

Polyurethane cornices are much better resistant to external irritants compared to concrete and plaster. The products are coated with a special protective layer. It protects the structure from natural influences.

There are types of cornices designed to hide façade gutters. They are not destroyed by water and give the facade an excellent aesthetic image.

Ceiling cornices made of polyurethane and polystyrene foam in the interior

Of all the possible options, polyurethane and foam decorative trims and moldings provide the best design, good stability, durability and excellent appearance even after 10-15 years of use of the cornice.

Foam plastic forgives even serious mistakes

Preparatory work

Decorative elements are installed at the very last stage of repair. They will add a designer “zest” to the room. Additionally, cornices create increased space at the top.

If hidden lighting is used, there will be an element of a “floating” ceiling. Installing hidden lighting will not cause much concern.

We print out the packaging. We inspect the products. It must all be from the same batch, otherwise there may be slight differences between the elements. Most often this is expressed in the shade and dimensions of the drawing.

We carry out the following work in sequence:

1. We clean the contact areas from dust with a damp sponge. We are waiting for it to dry.
2. We get rid of irregularities and burrs. The former can be covered with putty, and the latter can be cut off.
3. If the area is more than 50 centimeters wide, you need to prime its back side. We wait 6 hours for drying.

To ensure a high-quality joint between the cornices, you need to prepare the surface of the walls in detail. The following requirements are put forward to them:

• dryness;
• high-quality primer;
• evenness.

How to install

The installation of built-in and open cornices is quite different. If you are not confident enough in your abilities, do not have suitable experience in the construction business, and if you have the opportunity to hire professionals, we strongly recommend that you contact the company. Installing a cornice is not a quick and rather painstaking task. However, it is possible to do everything yourself if you follow the instructions.

It should be repeated again that the decision to install any type of ceiling cornice is made at the planning stage of installing a stretch ceiling.

To hang an open structure, you must complete the following steps:

Mark the future position of the cornice on the ceiling. Attach the fixing frame to the walls. Secure a wooden beam the length of the cornice, and such a thickness that it fits against the future ceiling panel

Please note that the beam must be well processed to remove all irregularities and roughness. It is also necessary to treat it with an antiseptic solution to prevent the growth of fungi and mold. Stretch the ceiling

First you need to glue protective rings onto it with holes burned inside for twisting. It’s better to just burn the holes, so you’ll melt the edges. Screw the cornice using self-tapping screws to the beam.

To attach a niche cornice, do the following:

• Screw the cornice to the main ceiling where you have planned its location.
• Attach the beam with clamps almost close to the cornice. It should help hide the cornice, so choose the right height.
• Attach the canvas fastener to the beam and, based on the height of the fastening, tension the ceiling.

All precautions for the beam and for the canvas are the same as for fastening an open structure

It is recommended to choose good quality solid wood beams for beams. If the quality of the board is poor, there is a possibility that it will crumble as a result and that the screws will not hold securely enough.

Be extremely careful when installing hidden curtain rods. Its edges must first be wrapped with masking tape so that when stretching the ceiling fabric they do not damage the material with sharp corners.

Main stage

Fastening is carried out in two ways:

• only with professional glue;
• combining glue with screws.

Important fact! With large dimensions and significant weight of the cornice, the installation of additional fastening dowels is required.

For installation you will need a standard set of tools. Let's list:

• pencil;
• roulette;
• saw;
• glue gun;
• sponge;
• small carnations.

Fastening process:

1. A polyurethane baguette is applied to the point of contact with the wall. Next, marks are made with a pencil. Evenness is checked using a level.
2. Cut the cornice to the required length. Joints should be cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
3. A layer of glue is applied under the product in a zigzag manner. After this, press firmly in the marked place. Nails can be used as additional fastening.
4. Work continues in exactly this sequence. Drops of glue at the joints should be wiped off immediately with a sponge.

Dimensions

A fairly wide range of sizes allows you to choose options for ceilings of any size, while the ceiling itself will remain without a joint.
The most popular plastic and aluminum models have similar dimensional characteristics. A single profile reaches 4 m in length; longer or curly options are made from several elements. The width reaches 87 mm relative to the number of rows of fastenings. The strip covering the curtain fastenings is 50 or 90 mm, while the one extended for blend patterns reaches 300 mm (quite rare custom-made models).

Wooden models are made to order, or can be purchased ready-made. The length of finished cornices is 200 cm, custom-made – up to 400 cm. There are no standard sizes for baguettes.

Final stage

The curtain rod should dry after the previous procedures. 24 hours is enough for this. We carry out the final work:

• The remaining glue is cut off.
• The joints are processed using sandpaper.
• If there are hollow areas, you need to fill them with glue or putty.

After carefully setting the decor, you need to treat the joints. It is enough to go over them with white paint and a brush.

For complete, perfect painting of the cornice, it is advisable to use a compressor.

Peculiarities

A feature of such ceiling structures is the prohibition of installing any weighting parts that could damage the ceiling film. In such a room it is impossible to use ordinary ceiling cornices. This is exactly the case when the construction of a secret fastening system for curtains will be optimal.

An extremely popular decorative technique for decorating a window opening is when the curtains seem to flow from the ceiling. This looks especially impressive in combination with decoration using lighting. To do this, when installing suspended plasterboard ceilings, it is necessary to immediately mount a niche in order to hide the cornice there. Using this material, not only rectangular windows are designed; U-shaped, curved, and semicircular ceiling structures for cornices are made from plasterboard.

In some older houses, the window beam is the floor slab. Of course, with this arrangement of the window it will be impossible to install a traditional cornice. A ceiling option for fastening curtains hidden in a niche will save the situation.

If the joints are cracked

No matter what polyurethane plinth is glued to, they very rarely fall off the wall. But the problem with corners is not uncommon. It usually occurs if the joints were glued with assembly adhesive or any other composition. Then hairline cracks form first, then they can increase to several millimeters. What to do with cracks in the corners of the baseboard? How to fix?

The first thing to do is clean the old glue from the joint. The easiest way to cut is with a knife. Then the joint can be filled:

All these methods will only give a temporary effect. If cracks appear at the joints, there are reasons for this. And until the causes are eliminated, cracks will appear again. If it is simply an unsuitable composition (not for joints, but for installation), then the normal appearance may last longer. If the joints were glued with the “correct” glue, then the reason is more serious. Possibly - shrinkage of the house, cracks, etc.

Source

What is flexible plinth made of?

In the price lists of stores, our finishing material is positioned as “flexible polyurethane ceiling plinth.” What properties does polyurethane have?

What are the physical and chemical properties of the substance that determine the characteristics of the ceiling plinth made from it?

• First and foremost: the concept “polyurethane” combines a large list of polymers with quite different mechanical properties. Density and elasticity range from soft rubbers to hard plastics.
• Features common to all polyurethanes are high wear resistance and resistance to aggressive environments.

What does this tell us in relation to the topic of our article? Polyurethane baseboards can be safely washed using any detergent. Even small abrasive powders will not harm the ceiling plinth. Of course, if it is not painted (see How to choose the right ceiling wallpaper - tips and recommendations from the best experts).

• The operating temperature range for polyurethanes is approximately from -60 to +80 degrees. If for industrial use the upper limit is sometimes too low, then when used as a finishing material the temperature reserve is even somewhat excessive. Unless, of course, you plan to decorate your Finnish bathhouse with a flexible plinth.

Polyurethane is best known as a high-strength rubber substitute.

Easy, functional and effective

A ceiling cornice with lighting visually enlarges the room.
Not many of us think about the fact that modern architectural decor made of polyurethane stands out not only for its impeccable forms, but also for its functionality.

Corner and straight shelves act as small display areas. Polyurethane baseboards and borders allow you to hide electrical wiring and other communication systems.

Curtain rods with hidden lighting emit a soft, reflective and, according to many experts, light that is beneficial for vision. Directed upward, it creates the impression of a planning ceiling, thereby masking its height.