Do-it-yourself crate for drywall: step-by-step instructions and video. How to make a reliable ceiling crate for drywall

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 6 minutes

Finishing the ceiling with drywall can serve several purposes at once. This is surface leveling, and masking of various elements of communications, and the construction of complex multi-level structures. Insulation, sound insulation, lighting elements can be placed in the space above the plasterboard. But to create a strong and durable structure, it is necessary to correctly make a frame for drywall on the ceiling.

Wooden or metal?

There are several options for the implementation of the crate for mounting the GKL on the ceiling.

It can be made from wood or metal. The main advantages of a wooden frame are environmental friendliness, availability of material and ease of assembly. But there are also many disadvantages:

• As a rule, such a frame is used only with a flat base surface. Aligning walls or ceilings with it is a real torment.
• Before assembly, all structural elements must be carefully treated with an antiseptic solution. Otherwise, a long service life cannot be guaranteed.
• Wooden crate is not used in rooms where humidity exceeds 12%. At high rates, structural elements will swell and warp.
• During installation, it is required to leave gaps between the wall and the bars, compensating for the displacement of the geometry of the latter under the influence of temperature and moisture.
• A wooden frame is considered less durable than a metal profile structure.

The metal frame is devoid of these shortcomings. It is resistant to the influence of the external environment and microorganisms, durable and practical. With minimal building skills and the necessary tools, it is easy to assemble it yourself. Mounting a frame from a profile will require careful calculation of the necessary material and various auxiliary elements: suspensions, crabs, connectors.

Ceiling frame types

The crate is of two types:

• Cellular, when load-bearing profiles or beams create a kind of lattice (see the next photo). As a rule, it is used in most cases of leveling the ceiling with drywall.

• Transverse. Profiles or slats are located only in one direction, and the GKL is attached to them across. This method is usually used by experienced craftsmen.

There are also single-level and multi-level structures. The ceiling in two or more tiers is rather complicated in calculation and installation, but all costs are more than paid off by the original appearance. To develop projects of such structures, it is better to resort to the help of a professional designer.

Necessary materials and tools

Since metal profile frames are most often used to align ceilings, we will list everything that is required for their installation.

From the tools you need to prepare:

• Levels. Bubble will also work, but laser is better. It makes no sense to buy it on purpose, if there are no plans to professionally engage in repair work. It is better to borrow from friends or rent. The hydraulic level is easy to do with your own hands.
• Perforator for making holes in the wall for dowels, on which the profiles will be attached.
• Drill and drill bits for metal.
• Screwdriver.
• Hammer, metal shears and tape measure.

It is convenient to use to connect profiles to each other. It provides a better fastening than small metal screws (they are also called "fleas", "bugs" or "seeds").

From the materials you will need:

• Profiles - carriers and guides. Fasteners:, self-tapping screws for metal, dowel-nails.

A correctly drawn frame diagram will help determine the exact amount of material.

Charting

Depending on what type of frame is selected, the necessary measurements are taken. Then a diagram is drawn on a sheet of paper, taking into account the features of the chosen design.

For a honeycomb frame:

• The length of each wall is measured. It is for each, since often opposite walls in apartments do not match in size.
• The distance from floor to ceiling is measured at the corners of the room and in its center.
• From the lowest point of the ceiling, the thickness of the suspended structure is laid off. It depends on what will fit in the space between the base surface and drywall. It can be insulation, sound insulation, lighting elements, wiring or other communications. The minimum distance between the ceiling and drywall is 50 mm.

• The layout of the bearing profiles and crossbars is drawn. In this case, it is necessary to choose the optimal step so that the sheets must be joined on the profile. Usually the step is 60 cm.
• The result is a grid with cells of the same size. On it it is necessary to designate the attachment points of the suspensions with a step of 30-40 cm.
• It would be useful to draw on the diagram of all communications and the location of fixtures.

For the cross frame:

• The height of the structure is selected according to the same principle.
• The step of the bearing profiles is 0.5 meters.
• The locations of the suspensions are determined in the same way as for the cellular frame.

For multilevel structures, there is no clear algorithm. The order of work depends on the number of levels, the location of the boxes and other features of the design ceiling. But the general principles for placing fasteners remain the same.

Preparatory work, transferring the scheme to the ceiling

Preliminary preparation consists in the elimination of the old coating. All elements are removed, the strength of which is in doubt. Large cracks are sealed with cement, and then puttied.

At this stage, you also need to get rid of stains of fungus or mold, if any. It is better to treat the entire base surface of the ceiling with an antiseptic to prevent their occurrence in the future.

After preparing the base, you can proceed to the markup according to a pre-compiled scheme. It is convenient to carry it out with a chopping cord or paint thread. The scheme drawn on paper is transferred to the walls and ceiling. Not only the position of the profiles is noted, but also the attachment points of the suspensions.

Frame installation

Work order:

• In the guides, holes are pre-drilled for dowel-nails with the intended pitch (sometimes they are made at the manufacturing stage by the manufacturer).
• A damper tape is glued to the side adjacent to the wall. It is needed so that sound vibrations are not transmitted from the wall to the frame.
• The rails are attached to the wall. The bottom edge of the profile must match the line on the wall.
• Hangers are being installed. The step between them is 60 cm. If the frame is of a cellular type, they should fall between the jumpers.
• The carrier profiles must be cut by about a centimeter. This is necessary so that the structure does not deform with the possible expansion of the metal under the influence of temperature.
• The installation of the profile begins from the place where it is paired with the guides. For fixing, self-tapping screws for metal are used.
• Having aligned the carrier rails with a level, attach them to the suspensions. All profiles must be strictly in the same plane.
• If the structure consists of cells, crossbars are attached. It is preferable to arrange them in a checkerboard pattern. The joints are reinforced with crabs.

USEFUL INFORMATION: How to level the walls with drywall without a frame with your own hands (video)

This article discusses the issue of leveling the supporting structure under the ceiling sheathing. On the ceiling, the battens can be parallel or perpendicular to the window. Accordingly, the sheathing itself, whether it be lining, planken or some other wooden panels, will be installed perpendicular to the bars during installation. So it is more convenient to work. Everything is determined by the effect that needs to be achieved by the sheathing - to lengthen or expand the room. The visual lengthening of the room is achieved by placing the panels perpendicular to the window, and the expansion is parallel.

Separately, we will talk about the choice of a bar.

1. Choice of materials.

1.1. Bar selection.

A bar is used as a supporting structure for the ceiling sheathing. Such a bar can have a section of 20*30, 25*40, 30*40, 40*40, 45*45 and 50*50 mm and others.

Council number 1. You can not save and you have to buy dry! planed! smooth! bar. Such a bar will not lead and it is easier to attach the skin to it.

Council number 2. It is considered correct to choose a bar not of a rectangular, but of a square section. It is more convenient to work with a square section bar because it can always be turned over and positioned to the skin with the most even side. The choice of a rectangular bar should be treated with the utmost care.

The length of a dry planed bar is usually 2, 2.5 or 3 meters. Perhaps the length of the bar will not be enough and it will need to be increased.

Council number 3. The amount of bar should be bought a little more than necessary and bought by the piece, and not by running meters. Not knowing how long the bar will be in the store, calculate in advance how many pieces you need to buy a 3-meter bar or a 2.5-meter one. In general, measure seven times - cut one.

1.2. Choice of screws.

Self-tapping screws are needed - for wood and a certain size. The threadless part of the self-tapping screw must be greater than the thickness of the bar. The diameter of the self-tapping screw for mounting the crate must be more than 5.0 mm.

1.3. Calibrated mounting pads - spacers. In principle, it doesn’t matter which A or B spacers to use on the ceiling: A-spacers are more convenient, and B-spacers are somewhat cheaper. Spacers are sold in sets of 50 (A) and 60 (B) pieces, respectively. If we use B-spacers, then they should be located on both sides of the self-tapping screw.

2. The order of work.

2.1. Bar preparation.

In advance, on the floor, we trim the bar along the length, bait the screws. It is possible to use self-tapping screws of smaller length, but larger diameter. For reliable clamping of the bar with a shorter self-tapping screw, it will be necessary to make a hole in the bar with a diameter greater than the diameter of the self-tapping screw.

2.2. Alignment of the bar on the ceiling.

It is convenient to use a laser level, although you can use the old-fashioned way - a long level.

The work is done in pairs.

In our example, the work was performed as follows.

A draft bar was installed on the floor beams without alignment with a step of 0.5 meters. On the draft bar, the second row of the bar was installed with alignment with B-spacers. In the process of work, a lot of extra time was spent on the installation of the crate due to low-quality black self-tapping screws: curves, the slot was badly punched and cut off, the head flew off.

We recommend using high-quality galvanized wood screws with a TORX slot from our catalog. All self-tapping screws for wood undergo additional anti-friction treatment with silicone grease, which reduces the effort during their installation by 30%.

2.3. The bars were aligned with the level with an accuracy of 1 mm. In the process of alignment, the required thickness of the sandwich was selected from B-spacers, as can be seen in the photo. Almost all the spacers from the set were used, since it is very easy to select them.

Today, many people order the manufacture of plasterboard ceilings - they look great, and at the same time they are much cheaper than floor design options. The durability of such a design depends on the frame - if it was installed correctly, then it will last more than a dozen years. What plasterboard ceilings look like can be seen in the photo.

Plasterboard ceiling lathing is not complicated, so if you wish, you can do it yourself if you follow the instructions exactly.

Sheathing materials

The structure for fastening drywall is made of two materials: a profile of a metal or wooden bar.

The tree is deformed with fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels, therefore, if you use timber for crates, it is necessary to maintain a constant microclimate in the room. As for how to hang drywall on a ceiling with a wooden crate, the frame must first be treated with a special bio- and moisture-proof impregnation. But even if the moisture content of the wood before installation was, as expected, 10-12%, and all the preparatory work was carried out, there is still no guarantee that the beams will not deform over time and the plasterboard ceiling will not be covered with cracks.

Therefore, the ceiling lathing for drywall is most often made of metal profiles. Metal is a reliable and durable material that tolerates environmental influences well; the frame made of it is easy to install. In addition, they are cheaper than wooden beams.

Preparing to install the frame

Often the question arises about how to screw drywall to the ceiling.

First, prepare all the required materials:

• nails and dowels;
• self-tapping screws;
• roulette;
• level;
• perforator;
• screwdriver;
• direct suspensions;
• single-level connectors - "crabs";
• profiles 60x27 mm;
• metal guide profiles, having a size of 27x28 millimeters, each length is 3 meters.

The total length of the guide profiles should be slightly larger than the perimeter of the room: special calculations are carried out to calculate the required amount. Regarding how to lower the ceiling with drywall, the two-level design will take about 15 centimeters of the height of the room.

First, the number of longitudinal profiles is determined, for this the width of the ceiling is divided by 0.6 meters. For example, if the ceiling width is 3 meters, then 5 profile strips will be required. But if the width is larger, then the material consumption will increase. The required number of transverse profiles is calculated in the same way. The distance between them should be 60 centimeters. It is advisable to buy them with a small margin.

Hangers are used only for longitudinal profiles, therefore, to calculate their number, divide the total length of the profiles by 60. Hangers are attached in increments of 60 centimeters.

Single-level connectors are used for fastening longitudinal and transverse profiles, and in addition, for joining them.

Plasterboard ceiling frame, look at the video:

Frame installation

The crate for drywall on the ceiling begins to be created by fixing the guide profiles on the wall at a distance of about 10 centimeters from the main surface.

As for how to properly line the ceiling with drywall, you need to carefully control the location of the profiles. If they are not on the same level, then the crate will turn out to be a curve. For mounting profiles to the walls, dowels are used - they are installed in pre-drilled holes. The distance between them cannot exceed 80 centimeters.

Then hangers are attached to the ceiling. Profiles will be attached to them. To install the hangers, self-tapping screws and a level are used, with which the location of the guides will be controlled. The "ears" of the suspensions are bent up.

Electrical wiring is led into corrugated pipes. They must be placed above the surface of the ceiling structure. It is unacceptable to start wiring in a metal profile. After that, drywall is attached to the frame and the finishing is performed - they putty and paint the surface, and install lamps.

A drywall niche on the ceiling can be of any shape. This material allows you to create any shapes, so the design of ceiling structures is limited only by imagination.

Sheathing with wooden or plasterboard sheets is impossible without first creating a frame. Now, many owners of apartments and private houses, when installing a false ceiling, prefer a wooden crate. Its main element is wooden bars located at equal distances, the cross section of which is in the range from 20 by 40 mm to 80 by 40 mm. Ultimately, the structure is provided with sufficient strength.

Advantages and disadvantages of wooden crates

It is undesirable to use a wooden crate in rooms with high humidity. Under such conditions, the wood changes its shape (deforms), which affects the ceiling lining. A wooden frame does not provide such opportunities as its metal counterpart - creating a multi-level structure or giving it a non-standard shape (oval, star, etc.).

Only that the acquired bars (slats) should be left indoors for two or three days so that they “get used” (acclimatized) to its microclimate.

The procedure for installing a wooden crate on the ceiling

First of all, marks are made around the perimeter on the walls with the help of a level, which serve as a guide for the bars. It is allowed to fasten the rails either to the walls or to the ceiling. The latter option is usually chosen when the distance between the base floor and the slats is greater than their height.

In order for the internal rails of the frame during their installation to be strictly in the same plane, they resort to the following technique. In the lower part of the extreme bars located at opposite walls, screws are screwed in (or nails are driven in) onto which two or three rows of wire, rope or thread are pulled like strings. At the same time, even the slightest sagging of these landmarks is not allowed.

The method of fastening - dowel-nails, self-tapping screws, nails - depends on the base material. Moreover, they should be longer by about 35 mm of the rail thickness. The quantity is calculated based on the fastener pitch, the optimal value of which is about 0.5 m. The permissible distance between the wall and the nearest point of attachment of the bar is considered to be within 20 cm.

The thickness of the inner bars does not always coincide exactly with the distance between the base floor and the plane of the future crate. The difference, i.e. the missing thickness is easily compensated by the use of adjustable (U-shaped) suspensions. An alternative would be linings made from pieces of wood, plywood or fiberboard. Areas where there are protrusions of the bars outside the plane are cut off with a planer.

To align the suspensions, it is enough to adjust the rod clamps: after making sure that they are located on the same level, they are attached with several self-tapping screws 25 mm long each.
Having dealt with the crate, proceed to the wiring. For fire safety purposes, the cable is laid in special channels. Thus, the wiring will be hidden in the space under the ceiling sheathing. Additionally, between the crate and the sheathing material, you can create a noise and heat insulating layer.

In this article, we will analyze how the ceiling lathing under the plastic panels takes place. The appearance of PVC plastic panels on the construction market has made a real revolution in the finishing industry. The use of this material made it possible to take a fresh look at the design and methods of finishing such capricious, in terms of construction, parts of the room as ceilings.

Material properties

Habitual plaster, which cracked, peeled off and got dirty, is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Its place is confidently and permanently occupied by PVC panels. The plastic coating of this material is distinguished not only by beauty, but also by high practical qualities, such as:

• durability;
• water resistance;
• elasticity;
• immunity to high and low temperatures;
• environmental Safety;
• the ability to quickly assemble and disassemble;
• the ability to hide all the defects of the upper plate;
• the ability to quickly and inexpensively delimit the attic and work areas in warehouses where the ceiling surface has not been mounted.

The possibility of quick assembly and dismantling in order to replace or repair individual fragments is achieved due to the fact that removable elements are used to fasten such a finish, from which the frame is mounted.
A plastic ceiling frame is a supporting structure to which PVC ceiling panels are attached. The main element of the frame is the crate - rigidly, in a certain order, guides made of various materials fixed on it, to which plastic panels are attached with the help of fasteners.

The material used for mounting the crate

Since the crate performs two main tasks - the basis for fastening the panels and creating a flat surface for them, then the material for it must be strong, stable and durable.
Today, the construction industry offers fasteners in order to mount the ceiling crate under plastic panels made from:

1. tree.
2. Become.
3. Plastics.

Each of them has its pros and cons. More about this.
Wood is the most popular material for the manufacture of PVC panel ceiling battens. This material has proven itself over many years of use.
The tree is characterized by:

• strength;
• durability;
• flexibility and ease of processing.

With appropriate processing - non-susceptibility to rotting, burning and mold.
The negative qualities of wood include its ability to change shape when dried. Considering that PVC panels are rigidly fastened to a wooden frame, if the rail is led, this will lead to a curvature of the plastic surface.
Steel profiles are a great success with builders, due to the positive properties of this material, such as:

• high strength;
• durability;
• the possibility of manufacturing structures of any complexity.

The disadvantage of steel products is the instability to corrosion, which in wet rooms can lead to dirty streaks on the plastic. The cost also matters a lot.
The ceiling lathing for plastic panels, made of plastic, is characterized by:

• accuracy of forms;
• the possibility of using for laying electrical wires;
• resistance to corrosion, rot and mold.

Plastic profiles have a rather high cost and a narrow range of applications. In addition, they will not be able to withstand a lot of weight.

Design features

Lathing for PVC plastic can be made from one material and in a combined way. Also, frames can be fixed only on the ceiling or on walls and surfaces. The choice of installation method depends on the characteristics of the room:

1. Wooden and plastic frames are used when fastening directly to the floor slab when it is flat and there is no need to take up space.
2. The design of metal profiles is used in cases where a large area is sheathed with PVC plastic and a significant mass of the material fixed to it will act on the crate.
3. The combined design is mounted when there is a need to lower the ceiling level in order to hide certain elements or defects in the floor slab.

How is the crate on the ceiling under PVC panels made?

Before starting the manufacture of the ceiling lathing for plastic panels, it is necessary to carry out certain preparatory work.
These include:

1. Removal from the floor slab or the inside of the roof of all parts of the finish and objects that may fall on the PVC panels.
2. Coating of wooden blanks for lathing on the ceiling under PVC with an antifungal compound and fire-retardant impregnation.
3. Anti-corrosion treatment of steel profiles.
4. Preparation of devices for work at the upper level - ladders or goats.
5. Acquisition of necessary building materials and tools.

Tools and materials

To install the ceiling sheathing under the plastic panels, you will need the following property:

• hacksaw with fine teeth;
• hammer;
• perforator;
• screwdriver;
• roulette;
• building level;
• pliers;
• dowels and screws;
• chisel;
• a set of bars and rails.

Lathing installation

The frameless design is mounted directly on a concrete slab. This work is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Preparation of rails of the desired length.
2. Drilling holes in them for mounting. The distance between the drilling points is 30 cm, from the edges - 2 cm each.
3. Drawing on the ceiling, through the holes in the rails, places for drilling.
4. Drilling holes.
5. Inserting plastic dowels into the holes.
6. Screwing rails with self-tapping screws.

Important: First you need to fasten the slats around the perimeter of the room, and then, with an interval of 40-50 cm, the rest of the slats.

Lathing of ceilings for plastic panels using a spatial frame is carried out in 2 stages.
Stage 1 includes the following steps:

1. Taking measurements.
2. Sawing out segments of the supporting profile.
3. Application of markings on the wall for the installation of a support profile.
4. Drilling holes for it (every 15-20 cm).
5. Fixing on the walls of the supporting profile.
6. Installation of steel suspensions with an interval and a distance of 50 cm.
7. Measuring and sawing guide profiles.
8. Fixing the guides in the support profile.
9. Fastening plumb and horizontal guides.

Stage 2 is simpler and requires less effort and time. During it is carried out:

1. Taking measurements.
2. Sawing out rails for placement around the perimeter of the frame.
3. Drilling holes in these rails every 30cm.
4. Screwing rails to steel rails.
5. Measuring the distance between screwed rails.
6. Sawing rails and drilling holes in them for self-tapping screws.
7. Screwing the rails with metal screws to the rails.

After the assembly of the crate is completed, work is carried out to fix fasteners and plastic panels on it. If necessary, mineral wool can be laid in the space frame. This will be an extra layer of thermal insulation.

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