Drywall is a very easy-to-use facing material. In addition, the price / quality ratio is significantly ahead of that of other building materials. Often, a ceiling is made from gypsum plasterboards, since due to the evenness of the material, it is possible to create an ideal surface. Today we are going to talk about how to attach drywall to the ceiling.
Arrangement of plasterboard ceilings
Let's look at the arrangement of a simple single-level plasterboard ceiling. Knowing how drywall is attached to the ceiling, you can create not only ordinary single-level, but also complex multi-level structures. But for the quality of such work, you should know how to fix drywall to the ceiling.
Ceiling markings
Since there are voids in concrete floors, in order to prevent the dowels from falling through them, you can use special flared or impact dowels. But in the second case, the screw must be thicker.
After the profiles are fixed, proceed to the wiring of the electrical wiring. For greater security, the wires are hidden in a corrugated channel. Now let's look at how to attach drywall to the ceiling.
Plasterboard installation
It should be noted that drywall is a fairly large material, and therefore it is better to enlist the help of a partner. It is not very convenient to mount a drywall ceiling alone, especially if you are doing it for the first time.
A drywall sheet is lifted by two people. Then one person holds the material, and the second one screws it on. In this case, please note that the extreme CD profile serves to secure two sheets, and therefore the edge of the drywall should reach the middle of the plank. The second half of the profile is for fixing the next sheet of material.
How to attach drywall to the ceiling? For fixing one sheet, there are, as a rule, 60 self-tapping screws 25 mm long. They are screwed in at a distance of 30 cm from each other, flush with the plane of the ceiling, but it is important not to overdo it - you cannot break through the paper of the material.
Since it is important not to damage the paper layer when attaching drywall to the ceiling, it is necessary to use a special attachment for a screwdriver or screwdriver. It has a special lampshade, which, while screwing in the screws, will abut against the sheet, thereby controlling the depth of the cap drowning.
When installing the sheet, do not forget about the need to remove the wiring for lighting. If during
The use of drywall as a material for finishing work in the process of repair and construction is quite wide. With the help of this material, wall cladding, the formation of niches and partitions, as well as ceiling cladding are performed.
In order to figure out how to fix drywall to the ceiling, you should carefully study the recommendations on this issue. This work is not too difficult, but non-professionals will have to work hard to master a new skill.
A surface created from drywall sheets has many advantages:
- the ceiling will be perfectly flat - this quality of coverage is difficult to achieve in any other way;
- the possibility of placing communications and isolation, hiding them under the cover;
- the ability to create unusual designs in accordance with your own ideas or design project. It is possible to form devices from one or more levels, giving them different colors and shades by means of finishing;
- creation of a unique lighting system, which is carried out using special lamps. It is possible to choose not only the power, but also the direction of the light flow, as well as the appearance of the lamp;
- you can form a plasterboard ceiling in any room. There are special grades of this material that have moisture resistance and fire resistance, which makes it possible to mount such a ceiling in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the sauna, and so on;
- in a humid environment, ordinary sheets can also be used, impregnating them with a special composition. This option may be more economical than purchasing special sheets. The issue of waterproofing such surfaces deserves a separate consideration.
GKL fastening technology to the ceiling
- Marking the site of work using a level.
- Fastening the UD profile along the perimeter of the ceiling.
- Fastening hangers to the ceiling.
- Installation of CD profiles to guides and hangers.
- Fastening drywall sheets to bearing profiles.
- Putty of joints and places of installation of self-tapping screws.
- Surface finishing.
To obtain a high-quality result, you need to adhere to the sequence of work, as well as a responsible approach to the choice of drywall and fasteners. Saving on a structure such as a ceiling should be deliberately, otherwise excessive savings can affect the reliability and service life of the entire structure.
How to choose a profile and accessories for drywall
The creation of a structure from several levels assumes the presence of three types of fasteners: initial, main and longitudinal profile.
- The profiles that perform the load-bearing function must meet the strength requirements and withstand the weight of the entire structure. The wrong choice of these elements can lead to deformation, for example, sagging of the elements, which on the outside will manifest itself in the appearance of cracks or bends.
- In addition to the lack of aesthetic appeal, such defects are fraught with a violation of the integrity of the sheets of material.
- Fastening of suspensions to the base of the ceiling is carried out with anchors or dowels. All fasteners must be made of metal. Plastic parts will not provide the required strength.
The guide profiles are attached to the suspensions, and drywall panels are already attached to them. You should not stop choosing too thin sheets. Sheets 12.5 mm wide will provide sufficient structural rigidity.
Required tools
- screwdriver;
- level;
- pencil and measuring tape.
Often fastening elements are provided with the profiles, if they are absent, then they must be purchased independently.
Ceiling surface marking and installation of a frame for drywall
- Like all finishing work involving drywall, the installation of the ceiling begins with a marking.
- The base line is applied on the wall with an indent from the ceiling of 10-12 cm. This line is a guideline for the installation of guides, which must be performed while checking the level.
- Bearing parts must be inserted into the profiles placed around the perimeter of the room, leaving a gap for possible deformation of the sheets during expansion.
- Fastening of drywall sheets is carried out along the bearing profiles. The sheets are attached to the guides across the longitudinal structures. Thus, the ceiling is formed from one level.
Fastening drywall to a ceiling without a frame
In the case when the room is small and the formation of the frame can significantly reduce it, it is possible to fasten drywall to the ceiling with glue.
- The surface should not have obvious irregularities, and should also be protected from moisture and freezing.
- It is important to clean the ceiling of dust, dirt and grease before applying the glue. If the ceiling has been covered with putty or primer, you need to wait until it dries completely.
- For cladding a ceiling that has significant irregularities, you can build a kind of drywall frame. It is necessary to cut strips 10 cm wide, then stick them on the surface in the form of a grid with square cells with sides of about 50 cm. The process should be controlled with a level.
- Cutting drywall sheets is done with a sharp knife. The cardboard layer is cut on one side, the sheet is cracked at the place of the cut, after which the cut is made on the reverse side.
- The glue is applied to the surface with a special notched trowel.
- Fixing the sheet to the wall is carried out using a holder, after which you need to check its horizontal position using a level.
- Bumps and other irregularities can be removed by tapping the surface with a hammer through a block of wood.
- The seams that form between drywall sheets should not be crosswise, so you need to install in a checkerboard pattern.
Fastening drywall to construction foam
Another material with which you can strengthen drywall sheets on the ceiling is polyurethane foam. Before making such an attachment, you need to level the surface and treat it with a primer.
- Before applying the composition, several holes must be made on the surface of the sheet.
- Foam strips should be glued to the back side, necessary to create a spring effect when leveling the structure.
- Then the sheet is attached with washers to the ceiling, leaving a cavity of about 10-15 cm.
By adjusting the plane of the sheet with a level, you can fill the cavity with foam. After the composition has completely dried, you can unscrew the screws and screw in the self-tapping screws.
The finished surface should be covered with a layer of primer, the seams should be closed with a reinforcing tape and the surface should be first covered with one, and after drying with a second layer of putty. After drying, you need to treat it with fine sandpaper.
To align ceilings, builders and apartment owners themselves use drywall sheets. This choice is explained by the excellent characteristics of the material: moisture resistance, light weight, ease of installation, due to which, in a short time, without unnecessary noise and dust, they create a smooth, neat surface, give it a different texture or figured outlines.
The technology of fastening GKL sheets includes several stages and is performed in various ways, each of which can be carried out independently. The most common is installation on a frame made of metal profiles using dowels or self-tapping screws. A wooden structure made of load-bearing and support beams can also become a frame. But the cheapest option is sticking a sheet of drywall to the ceiling.
Whatever technology is used, the planning phase cannot be skipped. It includes measuring the height of the ceiling, preparing tools and purchasing materials. At the same stage, a drawing of the ceiling is performed, which indicates the layout of the wiring and outputs for the lamps, the parameters of the level and outlines of the frame are given, if the mounted ceiling is of a curly type.
The starting level of the framework is measured as follows:
- with a laser beam or a water level at a height of 1.5 meters from the floor, marks are made on each wall surface, which are connected to each other by a continuous horizontal line;
- measure the distance from the ceiling to the resulting line;
- a mark is made at the lowest point in relation to the ceiling (at a distance of 25-30 mm from the top);
- exactly perpendicular to it on the other wall, make the same mark, which is connected to the first one using a stretched thread or chokline;
- the same is done around the entire perimeter of the room.
The resulting solid horizontal line is the lower level of the frame, to which the profile or wooden beams are attached, we will describe the distance or step between them below. If drywall is planned to be glued, such a scheme for calculating horizontal markings is not used, however, we note that the evenness of the base and the durability of the structure depend on the correctness of these calculations.
Frame fabrication
Consider how the gypsum board is fastened to a metal frame. To do this, you need a profile of two types - a guide and a ceiling (bearing). According to the finished horizontal marking, using dowels (or self-tapping screws) and a damper tape, the UD profile is attached, after which the pitch of the ceiling strip is determined. This parameter is used to calculate the number of frame suspensions and the distance between them.
To do this, on the ceiling perpendicular to the UD profile, in the direction in which it is planned to fix the drywall sheets, marks are made at a distance of 50 cm, which are connected with a horizontal line. Along these lines, at a distance of 80 cm, marks are made for U-shaped suspensions.
With the help of a drill, holes are made for anchor wedges and suspensions are inserted. This step of the profiles is the most reliable: it strengthens the structure and protects the plasterboard ceiling from deflection.
This is how the planks are fixed to the suspension. So that in the future the sheets of gypsum board lay flat, the screws are twisted strictly horizontally. After the installation of the metal frame is completed, they proceed to insulation and sound insulation. Laying wiring, fittings for ventilation or television will help the ceiling drawing diagram drawn up at the preparatory stage.
Finishing works
We proceed to the installation of drywall. It is cut to the desired size, holes are drilled for lighting fixtures. How the fastening technology takes place, from the planning stage to finishing, you will see in the video, which describes in detail how to make the frame correctly, carry out the marking, and calculate the step of the guides and bearing strips.
As you can see, it is possible to reliably fix the gypsum board on the ceiling with a convenient scheme of intersections of profiles, because each sheet falls just in the middle of the bearing bar. Often, metal lintels are installed in a step between the bearing strips, which even better fix the gypsum board to the ceiling, reliably protecting the edges of the sheet from sagging in the air.
Fasten the drywall with self-tapping screws, which are not screwed in very tightly so as not to damage the paper layer on the drywall.
Fix the sheets with a screwdriver with a special attachment Their number should not exceed 60 pieces per sheet, that is, they are screwed in at a distance of 30 mm from each other. Then the caps of the screws, as well as the distance between the sheets, are sealed with putty, after which the surface of the ceiling becomes even. Finishing, however, provides for the treatment of the resulting surface with a primer, painting, plastering or the use of other methods of decorative design.
Above, the simplest installation technology is described, which provides for the manufacture of a frame under a solid ceiling made of plasterboard. Figured or multi-tiered ceilings are made according to the same principle. As you can see from the article, the work is not difficult, the only thing that is important is to correctly calculate the height and pitch of the frame profiles, because the ideal basis is the guarantee of the durability and safety of the structure.
In contact with
Installation of plasterboard on the ceiling is one of the most time consuming types of finishing work. Therefore, in order to eliminate errors and minimize the cost of materials and time, you should carefully mark the ceiling, prepare the necessary tools and materials. Immediately before fixing the drywall to the ceiling, check everything again, since during the installation process, it is either very difficult or impossible to eliminate the mistakes made.
Plasterboard ceiling installation is one of the most time consuming processes.
Carrying frame options
Working with gypsum plasterboards involves three options for attaching the boards to the base:
- using adhesives;
- on a wooden frame;
- on a metal profile.
Each of the methods has its own merits, but is suitable only for certain conditions.
Installation with glue reduces the height of the room least of all, but requires that the ceiling surface has high strength and evenness. With the help of glue, irregularities of no more than 1 - 1.5 cm are eliminated. It is impossible to mount plates with an adhesive method on plastered ceilings, since the gypsum board has a decent weight and is able to come off along with the plaster. Also, with this installation, it is impossible to install spotlights.
A wooden frame for attaching drywall to the ceiling is only suitable in rooms with a small area and constant temperature and low humidity. Wood very much changes its linear dimensions with fluctuations in temperature and humidity, therefore, with a high degree of probability, the mounted ceiling will be covered with cracks.
It is best to make a frame from metal profiles - this is a lighter material with which you can make multi-level plasterboard ceilings.
It is much better to attach drywall to the ceiling using special metal profiles that allow you to arrange multi-level surfaces at any height from the floor. Strength, lightness and ease of fastening bring the metal profile to the leading positions among the materials for making load-bearing frames.
Materials and tools
The main material for the installation of ceilings is ceiling plasterboard with a thickness of 9.5 mm. The thicker one has a lot of weight, and the thinner one has arched, small thickness. Both require the installation of additional profiles to reduce the load on the frame or reduce the likelihood of deflection.
You will need the following materials:
- guide profile PNP or UD with dimensions of 27 × 28 mm;
- bearing profile PP or CD with dimensions of 7 × 60 mm;
- suspensions for attaching bearing profiles to the ceiling (butterflies);
- dowels or self-tapping screws for fixing the UD profile to the wall and hangers to the ceiling (depending on the design of the walls and ceilings);
- cross-shaped connectors for joining transverse bearing profiles or for building up a profile with a long room length;
- self-tapping screws for connecting profiles to each other, attaching to suspensions or crabs (so-called bugs or fleas);
- self-tapping screws for fixing the gypsum board to the frame with a length of 20 - 25 mm.
You will also need a lot of tools and devices:
- screwdriver or drill with adjustable speed to screw drywall to the ceiling;
- hammer drill or hammer drill for drilling holes for dowels;
- water or laser level;
- marking cord;
- stepladder or platform;
- props to hold the slabs during installation;
- Phillips screwdriver
- metal shears for cutting profiles;
- long cord to control the evenness of the installation of the bearing profiles.
Layout and installation of the supporting frame
The markup for fastening the frame begins with determining the level of installation of the guide profiles. To do this, on the walls, starting from any corner, marks are transferred to the remaining corners using a water or laser level. Then, using a marking cord, beat off the control line along the entire perimeter.
Performing calculations and drawings is one of the most important points when installing a plasterboard ceiling, making the slightest oversight can ruin the entire final result.
If it is not supposed to install spotlights and it is required to reduce the height of the room to a minimum, then the bearing profiles can be fixed at a distance of about 30 mm from the lowest point of the ceiling. Most of the advice boils down to finding this bottom point and moving it to the nearest wall and hitting the level from it. But nowhere is it said how to do it.
It is much easier to mark a temporary horizontal line along the perimeter at a distance of 20 - 25 cm from the ceiling. By pulling the cord between any points on opposite walls, you can quickly find the lower level of the ceiling and move the temporary horizontal to any value.
To attach the suspensions, markings are also required. Here we must proceed from the dimensions of the slabs and the width of the walls. It may happen that it will be necessary to fasten a strip of sheet less than 20 - 25 cm wide. It is undesirable to do this. It is better to cut drywall sheets symmetrically from opposite walls with the condition that the minimum width of the attached strip is at least 25 cm.
The position of the profiles relative to the slabs can be different. It is most practical to lay the sheets so that the bearing profiles pass across the gypsum board at a distance of 50 cm (for sheets 2.5 m long).
Jumpers are installed between the laid profiles at a distance of half the width of the gypsum board. Jumpers are connected using crabs.
Installation of gypsum plasterboards
It is better to attach the slabs to the frame with two people, but if you have supports and some experience, you can do this alone.
The slabs are laid so that the edges are in the middle of the profile and there is a gap of 3-4 mm between adjacent slabs. In adjacent rows, the sheets are laid apart so that the seams do not end up on the same line. Along the long sides of the gypsum board, there is usually a chamfer or thinning for the convenience of sealing seams. For the same purpose, at the ends, you also need to chamfer with a special plane or an assembly knife. The chamfers are removed while the slabs are not yet secured.
One person can also be engaged in installing a plasterboard ceiling - using props, but in case you are doing this for the first time, we advise you to do it with someone else's help.
Fastening the gypsum board to the ceiling is carried out using self-tapping screws with a pitch of no more than 155 mm. Self-tapping screws should be at a distance of 20 mm from the edge of the sheet. The heads of the self-tapping screws must be completely recessed into the surface, but at the same time they must not break through the paper layer. If this happens, then the self-tapping screw must be screwed into another, undamaged place. To avoid defects in work, do not use a screwdriver at maximum speed. Empirically, it is necessary to establish the required force of the friction clutch, but it is better to use a nozzle with a special skirt, which does not allow the self-tapping screw to deepen above a certain value. The protrusions of the nozzle should be even, without working out. Otherwise, the self-tapping screw will not stick tightly and often break off.
It is imperative that before fixing the drywall to the ceiling, it is necessary to check the correctness of the electrical wiring and mark the places where the lamps will be installed in the future.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake when installing drywall is incorrect calculations and markings, when a section of a few centimeters wide remains.
The second mistake is attaching sheets directly to the guide profile. Firstly, the fastening is obtained at the very edge of the sheet, where it will crumble, and secondly, the rigid adhesion of the ceiling to partitions and walls can lead to cracks when temperature drops. It is better to fix the gypsum board to the profiles that are laid in the immediate vicinity of the guides.
Gypsum plasterboard (GKL) is a very convenient and profitable facing material, which gives an unsurpassed result in terms of price-quality ratio among building materials. Most often, the ceiling is arranged from the gypsum board, and if you do not know how to fix drywall to the ceiling correctly, then this page is at your service.
In addition, a video on this topic is located here, which will help you clearly understand the intricacies of editing.
Arrangement of plasterboard ceilings
Ceiling markings
Ceiling markings
Installation of a metal frame
- Along the line broken off along the perimeter, screw the UD profile so that its lower part exactly coincides with the line.
For fastening, it is best to use a plastic dummy dowel with a diameter of 6 mm and a screw with a diameter of 4-5 mm. The length of the screw and dowel will depend on the density of the wall.
- Attach the U-shaped hangers along the lines broken off on the ceiling. It is better to use the inner holes to fasten the pawns, and not the ears, since the suspension attached to the ears will stretch a couple of millimeters under the weight of the gypsum board, and this will violate the level of the plane.
The diameter of the dowels and screws is the same as for the wall.
Advice. There are voids in concrete ceilings and in order to prevent the dowel from falling through them, you need to use flared dowels or, if there are none, impact dowels.
But the factory impact dowel-screw ratio is too weak, so the screw should be replaced with a thicker one.
- Now cut the CD profiles to the desired length and insert them into the UD profiles installed around the perimeter.
Cut the profile 5 mm shorter than the absolute distance between the walls, and it will enter freely. - In order to level the CD profiles, you need to stretch a thread under them, and in order for these same profiles to not pull the thread, bend each middle suspension under the profile, pulling it above the level of the plane.
- Pull the nylon thread from wall to wall, across the CD profiles, fixing it to the UD profiles with small self-tapping screws.
- Expose each profile along a stretched thread, fastening it to the suspensions with small self-tapping screws for gypsum plasterboard profiles.
In the same way, fasten the CD profile to the UD profile. Bend the protruding ends of the suspensions to the sides. - Spread out all the electrical wires needed for lighting and hide them in a corrugated cable channel. Next, we will look at how to attach drywall to the ceiling, or rather, to a metal frame.
Plasterboard installation
Advice. Since you need to fix drywall without breaking through the paper on the sheet, then use a drywall nozzle for this.
It is equipped with a special lampshade, which, when the self-tapping screw is tightened, rests against the sheet, controlling the depth of the cap's sinking.
- Do not forget to bring the wires through the gypsum board for lighting in the right places. If during the installation of drywall some sheets did not come together by a few millimeters - do not be discouraged - these gaps will be filled with putty or fugenfüller.
- We looked at how to fix drywall, and now it needs to be prepared for putty. To do this, all screwed-in screws are sealed with putty.
- The seams between the drywall sheets can be glued with an adhesive mesh tape, and then putty (see).
You can also seal these seams with a fugenfüller, which is also a putty, but when solidified, it has great hardness and strength. - After the sealed joints and screws have dried, you can start to putty drywall.
Conclusion
We examined some of the nuances of such an arrangement as drywall on the ceiling - how to fix it correctly and how to prepare it for finishing. For the installation of more complex multi-level and curly ceilings, you need to learn how to make flat one-level, living room, bedroom, understanding the device of which will allow you to go further and assemble more complex structures.