Complex communication systems on the ceiling are not uncommon today. Therefore, it is often necessary to make a shelter for them, so that with their appearance they do not spoil the whole aesthetics of the image of the ceiling and the room as a whole. This is either some kind of niche or ledge, but most often it is a drywall box.
Drywall allows you to create a virtually perfect even surface, and even any shape. If you are making a beautiful multi-level ceiling, then it already contains a box that will hide all communications. And this is taking into account the fact that you do not need such additional work as ditching the ceiling for the wire.
The illuminated box gives an additional design effect, and allows you to place lighting where it is needed - for example, by a mirror or closet. Any width and height, any size, all strictly according to the features of your room.
If we talk about the shortcomings, then the box, as well as any drywall construction, steals the height of the ceiling. Therefore, if your room is initially low, you should refuse this option. Yes, and the installation of such a box, although it can be done, of course, with your own hands, but it is easier to assemble this structure together - it is almost impossible to do it alone.
What material is needed for a drywall box
To create such a box, you will need special drywall sheets. To make a box in the bathroom or kitchen, purchase moisture-resistant drywall (green sheets). For the rest of the rooms, standard drywall is also suitable. Always buy material with a small margin.
In addition to drywall, you will need:
- Bearing and guide profiles;
- Fasteners such as self-tapping screws, crabs, brackets, connectors, dowels;
- You will also need a laser or water level;
- Knife for cutting drywall sheets;
- Primer;
- Screwdriver;
- putty;
- Putty knife;
- Galvanized corners.
When buying drywall, look at the packaging - the bottom sheet is often damaged during transportation, and according to the rules, it must be written off as packaging. But not all sellers do this. And for work you need strictly whole, not deformed sheets.
Preparing the ceiling for the installation of the box
You need to clean the ceiling from the previous finish. You will also have to close up cracks and large holes in the ceiling and in the area of \u200b\u200bpipe outlets. The electrical wiring is placed in a corrugated sleeve, it is fixed on the ceiling so that it does not sag. The base surface and pipes are coated with a primer, this is necessary in order to avoid the appearance of rust in the future.
While the primer dries, prepare the drywall. Bring sheets of drywall into the room, and let them lie on the floor for a couple of days. The material must adapt to the microclimate of the room, this is very important.
After that, you need to draw up a drawing of the future box. A frame diagram is drawn, dimensions are affixed, the base of the box is marked, holes for pipes or fixtures are taken into account in the drawing. In the finished box, you will not be able to put these holes at random.
The size of the drywall box on the ceiling
Usually, for small boxes, a width of 45 cm is used, less often - 40 cm. This width is sufficient to form the so-called cornice niche. The depth is determined as follows - hanging curtains should not be deformed from contact with a battery or window sill. This indicator depends on the type of eaves.
To determine the width of the box with lighting located under the wardrobe, you need to take into account a convenient distance when opening and closing its doors. The width and depth of the future structure is chosen so that the casing does not adjoin the pipes. There must be at least 4 cm to the pipes.
Plasterboard ceiling finish
When the box is assembled, you need to putty it. For this purpose, you will need two spatulas, the first working and auxiliary. The worker has a width of 200 mm, and an auxiliary spatula is needed in order to apply putty on surfaces having a width of 50-100 mm. During the work period, you will have two spatulas in your hands at once. So you can transfer the mixture to a working spatula, and clean the spatula from the already dried putty.
You simply press the spatula to the surface and draw it along the plane. All the recesses are filled with putty, but the excess must be removed. True, it is more difficult to display corners on the box. To get a clear geometric edge, you need a perforated painting corner. To fix it, two heaps of the mixture are applied on both sides of the face, near the edge of the box.
Then the corner is pressed into the putty layer. Due to perforation, excess mixture will move outward - spread the putty with a spatula. At the same time, remember to respect the geometry of the structure.
Pro Tip: If you are applying the starter mix first and then the finish mix, use the materials from the same company so that the mixes do not flake off from each other when they dry (and this happens).
Do-it-yourself drywall box on the ceiling (video)
Next, grouting is done first with a large mesh, then with a fine one, special corners are fixed at all corners, which will help smooth out the flaws. When all requirements are met, the design serves for many years.
A large number of people want to give their ceiling a special charm, because the overall design of the room depends on it. One of the ways to transform the surface of the ceiling is to install various decorative plasterboard elements. Statistics indicate that the predominant number of users create boxes from GKL. But many do not have the desire to turn to specialists and therefore are wondering how to make a horizontal drywall box on the wall with their own hands?
Such a product is installed in cases where it is necessary to create additional lighting or decorative lighting. Also, such a product made of plasterboard is able to visually hide various kinds of communications: electrical wiring, air conditioning systems, air duct, etc. The main difference between such boxes and plasterboard ceilings is that the first option concerns the surface of the base part of the ceiling. If it is necessary to create a unique design of the room, then it is recommended to make a drywall box on the ceiling with backlight.
How to create a frame without involving specialists?
If it was decided to independently engage in this process, then you should act according to a certain technology.
In the process of creating a frame, you will need:
- perforator;
- self-tapping screws for metal;
- screwdriver;
- level;
- chopping cord (for marking);
- measuring device (roulette);
- scissors for cutting metal.
To create a drywall box on the ceiling with your own hands, you must perform preparatory measures:
After the frame is completely ready, you can proceed to the plasterboard sheathing.
The process of sheathing the box
The finish of the box is significantly different from the ceiling lining. In the first case, the finishing occurs in small narrow stripes, in the second, a single sheet is mounted. In order to carefully cut the necessary strip, you need to use a hacksaw. But there are also special knives for drywall.
The process begins with checking the electrical wiring, because after the work is completed it will be almost impossible to fix the problem in the electrical circuit. Next, the prepared strip should be installed on a niche shelf. Fastening is carried out with special self-tapping screws for drywall. After that, you should proceed to fixing the vertical part of the box.
The drywall strip is mounted to the suspension racks and the guide profile located on the ceiling. After completion of work aimed at sheathing the vertical part, the next stage of work takes place - sheathing of the horizontal part of the structure. The installation is completed by mounting the side on the end parts of the box. This element will hide the backlight, which will be located in a niche. It is necessary to emphasize that the upper edge of this side and the ceiling must be located at a distance of at least 50 mm. Also, the edge should be fixed by putting a U-shaped profile on it. A horizontal drywall box is created using a similar technology.
Finishing work of plasterboard construction
- large spatula (200x250 mm);
- spatula medium (50x100 mm);
- putty;
- sandpaper (size does not matter);
- mesh for grouting;
- perforated paint corner.
Why do you need two spatulas? The answer is quite simple, the presence of these two items greatly facilitates the overall process. 200x250 mm acts as an aspen spatula, and 50x100 mm is an auxiliary one. The last option is to clean the main unit. After applying the putty on the spatula, it is necessary to press it tightly and carry it over the entire surface. All recesses obtained must be filled with material, and excess putty must be removed. Such actions are also necessary to create a drywall curtain box.
The most difficult action of finishing work is the removal of corners. Without a special corner, this is almost impossible to do. Its installation is very simple - you only need to bring it to the corner and attach it with putty. Due to the fact that it has a perforated surface, excess material under the influence of the corner will be squeezed out. It must be evenly distributed over the entire surface. The use of such a component requires both a drywall corner box and any other design option.
Putty grouting is done with a special mesh. This action must be performed in a circular motion. After the previous applied material is completely dry, a final grout is required.
Design solutions in decoration
Many users want to transform their resulting design. Some of them turn to professional designers for help in choosing colors for painting the surface, but the majority of people decide this issue on their own. For a plasterboard box with lighting on the ceiling or wall, it is necessary to select certain elements of the overall interior, which will stand out due to specially directed lighting.
The process of creating a product from GKL is quite simple, did you manage to achieve the desired result without the help of professionals?
Now you will not surprise anyone with a plasterboard ceiling structure. Many designers resort to using it. But it will be a pleasant surprise for your family and friends if, thanks to this article, you make an original two-level plasterboard ceiling box with your own hands around the perimeter of the room.
It is not so difficult to create a beautiful drywall box with your own hands without resorting to the services of expensive builders and designers. The most important thing in this matter is to determine how your design will look.
Designing a ceiling box
It is important at the beginning to think over the dimensions, taking into account the possible built-in lighting, the location of the furniture located in the construction area, as well as the hidden installation of the cornices, and do not forget to make the correct layout of the future box.
Having made a markup at the intended installation site and correcting it, if necessary, it becomes possible to calculate the exact amount of materials.
The main materials we use
For the installation of plasterboard ceilings, various plasterboard structures on the ceiling are mainly used:
- profile CD (width 60 mm, height 27 mm and length 3 - 4 meters);
- UD profile (width 27 mm, height 28 mm and length 3 - 4 meters);
- dowel with a screw for fastening profiles to the base (mainly this is an impact dowel-screw 6 x 40);
- self-tapping screws 3.5 x 9.5 with a drill for metal (in the common people, seeds - fleas or bugs) for connecting profiles to each other;
- self-tapping screws L25 for metal or drywall for fastening drywall sheets to a metal structure;
- plasterboard ceiling having a size of 1200 mm x 2500 mm with a thickness of 9.5 mm;
- mesh for seams;
- perforated corner;
- deep penetration soil;
- plaster putty;
- water-based paint.
Box frame assembly
The assembly of the structure must begin with the installation of the UD guide profile. Thus, you can see the outlines of the future box and the level of the ceiling. At this stage, it is possible to correct or redo the design, which will be much more difficult in the future. If everything is in order, proceed to the complete assembly. When installing the supporting CD profile, do not forget that the distance between the profiles should be 40 cm or 60 cm. It all depends on the severity of the entire ceiling structure. If it is not large and light, then the distance can be increased and, accordingly, if the size of the structure is large, then the profile should be placed more often. You also need to take into account that a profile must be laid under each seam at the junction of sheets.
If, as in our case, the main ceiling is made of PVC film, then when installing the box, an additional profile should be laid in the places where the stretch ceiling is attached.
Laying electrical wiring
When the frame of the box is assembled, it's time to do the electrical wiring. To do this, you need to bring the wires to the locations of the lamps and switches, check the integrity and correctness of the installation of the entire electrical part using the “ringing” method.
All wiring inside the structure for safety must be in a corrugated sleeve or cable channel to protect the wire and securely fasten without cable tension.
If the previous steps are completed, the wiring is checked, the frame of the box is even, drywall sheathing begins.
Fastening and puttying drywall
To do this, the exact size is taken from each plane of the structure, a sheet is cut to size and fixed with self-tapping screws. At the same time, it is not necessary to twist the self-cutting screws a lot, because a lot is also bad, like an insufficient amount. Step between screws 12-15 cm.
Having finished with the sheathing, it is necessary to hide the protruding wiring so that it does not interfere during puttying.
We begin to putty the plasterboard ceiling box. (More on how to putty drywall.) To do this, first of all, we put a perforated corner on the corners, it must be attached very evenly and at the same time adhere to the structure as much as possible, it can be fixed to putty or a stapler. After that, you need to putty the drywall joints, making sure that the seam is completely filled with putty mixture, and glue the mesh for the seams.
After drying, you can start puttying the entire plane of the box, just do not try to putty all the irregularities at a time. Each subsequent layer should even out the defects of the previous one without creating new ones. At this stage of work, there is no need to rush, because how evenly the structure is puttied, so it will look for evenness. The finishing layer is recommended to be done, it is very thin, it only serves to smooth the surface.
Completely dried putty should be sanded with fine sandpaper or mesh no larger than 120-140. After grinding the surface, all dust is brushed off the surface. We are looking for a marriage.
Then, with local greases, we putty the necessary areas, which, after drying, need to be sanded. When the sanding is finished, be sure to prime the puttied surface with a brush or roller, using a deep penetration primer.
The final stage - painting
After the primer dries, the surface is painted with a roller and brush in 2-3 layers of paint. The interval between layers is 2-6 hours ( you need to look at the recommendations of the paint manufacturer). A brush is necessary for painting hard-to-reach places and corners, the rest of the plane is painted with a roller.
If a stretch ceiling is used in the main ceiling or there are stretch ceiling inserts in the structure, they are installed after the drywall box is completely ready.
If during the installation of the stretch ceiling the painted surface of the structure is contaminated, then the places of contamination are carefully tinted with paint using foam rubber.
Upon completion of all work, holes are cut out in pre-planned places with a knife or special nozzles for a drill and lamps are installed.
The original drywall box is ready.
General view of the room after installing the stretch ceiling and wallpapering.
It took me about a week to create the design. I hope my tips will help you in your work.
The appearance of the bathroom can hardly be called beautiful because of the pipes that can be seen from everywhere. If you hide them, then the bathroom can be transformed. Therefore, they use a drywall box in the bathroom. It allows you to hide sewer drains, risers and water pipes. Also, with the help of a box, you can think of additional lighting.
Basically, the box is needed so that the ugly pipes are hidden and not frightened by their appearance. Moreover, even after sewing the pipes, you have the opportunity to install shelves on the box. So this design is multifunctional.
You can always leave the hatch to have access to water meters
If you make a vertical box in a drywall bathroom with your own hands, then you can equip it with additional spotlights, which will create a unique atmosphere. You can also resort to the classic version, when the lighting is located on a horizontal structure. In both options, it is necessary to get confused with the lamps themselves, because the necessary special materials, fixtures and equipment for working in rooms with a high moisture content.
Summing up the intermediate result, we can say that the drywall box in the bathroom has the following functional purposes:
- Hides sewer pipes.
- Hides water pipes.
- Serves as a base for shelves.
- Serves as the basis for lighting.
Depending on the need, the box can be vertical or horizontal, small or large, narrow or wide. It also depends on how it is installed. It is one thing to make a thin box for a drywall bath and quite another to mount a wide box right under the ceiling.
Preparatory work
In order for the workflow to go quickly and without hitches, you need to prepare in advance so as not to get stuck in the process. It all starts with a drawing. It's very simple. You already know which pipe you need to hide, so it remains only to think about the dimensions of the future structure, it is enough to step back from the pipe by 2-5 centimeters in both directions and fix the profile there. Such a distance will be quite enough, and there is no need for us to hide the place.
When sheathing a vertical pipe, it is necessary to use a plumb line, because it can have a certain slope. The pipe will recede as much as possible from the wall near the floor or ceiling. From this place you need to step back a couple of centimeters, and then move the point to the opposite surface.
The drawing itself can be created on a sheet for greater clarity, or you can make all the markings on the wall without using the drawing. Before you make a drywall box for pipes in the bathroom, you need to mark up. We will consider the option with pipes that run vertically in the corner, because this situation occurs in the vast majority of cases.
Marking for the box in the middle of the room As already mentioned above, with the help of a plumb line, points on the floor and on the ceiling near the walls are indicated. With the help of this simple device, they will be clearly opposite each other, which will create an even frame. Then, using a paint cord or a profile with a pencil, parallel lines are drawn on the walls, which will indicate the place where the guides are attached.
Now, from the marked points, you will need to draw lines on the floor and ceiling so that they form a right angle in both cases.
After a simple markup, you need to cut the plasterboard into strips of the required size so as not to fool around in a small space with large sheets. It is necessary to cut two strips for the entire length of the sheet along the width of the box. You will also need a couple more small pieces, the length of which depends on the height of the ceiling. For a box of 25 * 25 cm, one standard sheet of drywall is enough. The material is still there.
Frame installation
The drywall box in the bathroom has the same assembly principle, regardless of whether the riser or the wiring pipes are hidden. For work you will need:
- self-tapping screws for metal;
- dowel;
- guide and rack profiles;
- metal scissors;
- screwdriver and perforator;
- level.
Profiles are joined to each other at right angles. A solid guide profile is attached along the lines on the wall. For its installation, it is necessary to take dowels 40 mm long and fasten the guides with them in increments of 50-60 cm to the wall. After that, the same profile, but much shorter in length, is fixed in two places on the floor and in two places on the ceiling along the existing lines. Two dowels in each of the four profiles will be enough ( even if the length of the guide is 20 cm, two dowels are needed, one is not enough). At the junction of the profiles, they do not need to be screwed to each other, this will be done at the time of plasterboard sheathing.
Condensation often appears on the pipes, which flows down. It is at the point of contact with the floor that the pipes begin to rot. Since we will not see this process, it must be prevented. To do this, the pipes are wrapped with corrugations for thermal insulation. Condensation will not appear and we don't have to worry about what happens to hidden pipes.
For greater structural strength, a rack profile is inserted parallel to two guides on the walls. When assembling a drywall box in the bathroom, we connected two short profiles at a right angle at the bottom and top. And one of them ran into the other. The rack profile must be inserted into this very different guide so that it is at the very corner of the structure. For these purposes, it is the CD profile that is needed, and not the UD profile that we used earlier. The central (corner) post is not really attached to anything, so it must be stiffer than the rest of the frame.
If you do not glue the tiles on the box, then you can use the usual guides The rack will be firmly fixed during the installation of drywall. It will go into the guides quite tightly and will not fall out. Of course, you need to choose a rack profile of such a size that it fits snugly into the guide. UD 27*28 and CD 60*27 are in this case classics of the genre. We use a level all the way so that the structure comes out without distortions.
Jumpers for extra strength and hatch
Many people prefer to prepare a sufficient number of jumpers before making a drywall box in the bathroom. But if you are new to this business, then it is better to cut the jumpers in the process. They should be installed in 40-60 cm increments between the B-pillar and the wall rails. As a result, the design will be more reliable. Drywall will be attached to the racks, which will make the surface of the box stronger and more even. The jumpers themselves can be made both from the CD profile and from the UD (whatever you have left). If the jumper is from a rack profile, then it easily enters the guides.
Jumpers can be fastened with a notcher to avoid bumps from screw heads If it is not possible to insert the jumper directly into the profile, then you need to cut off several centimeters of ribs from the jumper on both sides, while leaving its base. In other words, the side parts of the jumper are cut off so that they can go between the profiles and there is a tongue with which it can be attached. They need to be fixed with metal screws.
Sometimes it is required to leave a viewing window in the box for the counter or other needs. Therefore, it is necessary to mark in advance the place where the hatch will be located. Just insert jumpers along its top and bottom borders.
Plasterboard sheathing and finishing
Only moisture resistant drywall can be used. It traditionally has a greenish color. The cut sheets of GKL are fixed first on one side of the box, and then on the second. Moreover, it is necessary to make sure that the joints of the sheets are not at the same level (the design will come out more reliable). Moisture-resistant drywall is fastened with black self-tapping screws 25-35 mm long in 15 cm increments. Be sure to screw in the screws in all corners. As mentioned earlier, in this place not only the GKL is attached, but profiles are also fastened to each other. It is also necessary to fasten drywall in places where jumpers are installed.
The heads of the self-tapping screws must be driven into the drywall so that they do not tear it, but do not stick out either. It is ideal to screw in the screws so that the cap is pressed into the sheet by 1-2 mm. In this case, the structure will be convenient to putty, and it will not lose its strength characteristics.
Now it’s clear how to assemble a drywall box in the bathroom, but you need to prepare it for finishing. To do this, putty all the caps of the screws, as well as all the joints. It is advisable to chamfer the joints so that a small hollow is formed, where the putty is applied. Joints must be primed beforehand so that the putty holds better. A reinforcing mesh is used to reinforce the joints.
Careful attention must be paid to all points in preparation for finishing. The above procedures should be followed carefully, and then the entire GKL box should be primed and puttied again. After all, it will be in the bathroom, so good protection from moisture is required. Relying on moisture-resistant drywall and not thinking about anything else will not work. Very often the box is finished with tiles, and these are high loads. Therefore, the design must be durable, and the putty should not lag behind. Do not forget the antifungal additives, but these are the nuances of the finish.
If you need to sheathe more than one pipe and the design of the box seems complicated, then this video can help you deal with such nuances.
