Stretch ceilings for low ceilings

It is believed that a suspended ceiling can expand and visually enlarge a room. But what if the height of the walls is small? This is actually a problem, because in most of our apartments, and especially in Khrushchev-era houses, the ceiling height does not exceed 2.5 meters. This is exactly the minimum limit that any manufacturer of tensile structures will indicate as a risky installation option.
So is it worth doing suspended ceilings for low ceilings? Or will this idea only lead to an even lower ceiling level? Let's look at everything in more detail.

Why does a suspended ceiling lower a room and by how much?

A stretch ceiling is a system that consists of baguettes and stretch fabric. Its installation requires certain conditions. So what determines the scale of lowering the ceiling? Let's name the main parameters affecting the height:

Height of baguettes. The smallest are baguettes 1.5 cm high. They are used only in rooms with perfectly level ceilings without the slightest difference in height. In ordinary Khrushchev apartments, such ceilings are rare, so, as a rule, it is necessary to install a wider wall profile - usually from 2 cm to 3.5. A little more height is left for leveling - in general, it turns out that the ceiling is lowered by 2.5-5 cm. This is the minimum consumption.
Lighting. In a room with low ceilings it is usually difficult to choose a chandelier - if it is not flat, then you can touch it, if not with your head, then with your hands. That's why many people try to use spotlights for lighting. They come in different heights - depending on the base, which is 5 cm, but can also be twice as large. The entire base is hidden under the tension fabric, so it will also need some space.
Condition of the ceiling. We are talking about differences in heights and the fact that one edge of a rough flow can be at the same height, and the second may be slightly lower. In this case, after measuring the heights, markings are made at the lowest point. For example, with the total height of the apartment, according to the technical passport, being 2.5 meters, the height can vary from 2.45 to 2.51 meters. The indentation will have to be made at a height of 2.45, otherwise it will not be possible to stretch the entire canvas evenly.

How much does the ceiling drop in the case of other ceiling structures (for reference)

The suspended ceiling will drop to the same distance as the suspended ceiling - 5 cm without overhead light, 6-10 cm with a chandelier and built-in lamps.
A suspended panel ceiling with side lighting and fastening metal guides to the wall with liquid nails will eat up only 3.5 cm of space. In overhead light - standard 6-10 cm.
Slatted ceiling - the shortest distance to the ceiling is 3-4 cm.
The hemming option for finishing the ceiling space will take 3-4 cm off the ceiling height.
Glue ceiling – about 1 cm.

Several tricks to increase ceiling height

The main technique is the use of varnish coatings. Gloss is always a winner. If the ceiling is low. The high reflectivity of a glossy ceiling makes the room taller, brighter, and the whole room more spacious. If the light is also directed towards the ceiling, the effect will become even more significant.

Note! Black shelves have the highest reflectivity. They are like a mirror, transferring objects to another plane. If you choose between domestic and German gloss, then the foreign material has more reflective ability than its Russian counterpart.

In low-rise rooms, every centimeter counts. But what if in one of the corners, due to the difference in the slabs, a drop in the ceiling has formed? So as not to lower the entire ceiling. You can make two levels. This way you can hide an unpleasant protrusion or drop, as well as decorate the room with an original design.

High probability of flooding

If the communications in the house are very worn out, irresponsible neighbors live on the floor above, or the apartment is completely empty, you should think twice before installing a suspended ceiling. If the apartment is flooded, the integrity of the canvas will be compromised. And if the volume of water from above was large, in the future the material will begin to sag. As a result, partial or complete replacement of the finish will be required.

In addition, after draining the water, it is very difficult to dry the space between the canopy and the ceiling. There is a risk of a damp smell and mold formation.

Some ideas for choosing colors

Today there is a huge selection of stretch fabrics of different colors on sale. And it would be uninteresting to use the usual white color with such variety. It is beautiful, we will tell you about it below. But it is not the only color shade. Which are suitable for increasing the height of ceilings. It is important to choose the right texture and color of the ceiling.

So, let's consider the possibility of different colors to solve the difficult problem of increasing the height of walls in old-type apartments.

White ceiling

The right color is a good idea; with the help of such a decorative technique you can at least visually increase the ceiling. It is no coincidence that even in an era of total shortage in the building materials market, Russians have always used white as a win-win option for painting the ceiling. What is the reason for such popularity? Let's name the main ones:

high reflectivity, or lightness, which contributes to maximum light delivery into the room;
compatibility with other interior elements;
economic feasibility - pigments have always been expensive. So not everyone could afford color coating. This is a historical fact.

But since today there is both choice and affordability of colored canvases, you can make a choice of different colors.

Dark ceiling

Not everyone treats dark colors equally well.
For example, there was some kind of prejudice against black and other dark colors on the ceiling. It is believed that such colors depress us, have a bad effect on the psyche, attract unnecessary attention and, finally, they do not raise the ceiling, but visually, on the contrary, lower it. This is a wrong opinion. In fact, the dark shades of the ceiling look very dignified, they add depth to the room, resulting in the illusion of the ceiling dissolving into the dark. Blackness seems to swallow up the top mark. But this is best demonstrated by a ceiling with a glossy surface.

Note! When choosing a colored ceiling for a low room, pay attention to complex rather than simple colors. Of course, sometimes a design idea suggests a ceiling in black or pure blue. But such options are usually justified if they are part of some idea. But, in the end, such ceilings quickly become boring. That's why it's better to look at complex colors. They look different under different lighting and in different environments.

Cool shades

Designers will tell you that if you want to move the ceiling away, then make it a cooler shade. In addition, a ceiling in cool colors will look cooler.

Gray ceiling

Light, light shades of gray resemble a haze - this is the very shade that is perfect for creating the illusion of a high ceiling. He becomes as if invisible.

Ideas for a wooden house

Small country houses and cottages often have low ceilings - this is a necessity, since fewer resources are spent on heating. Therefore, the task of visually increasing space is especially relevant here.

Most of the techniques described above are suitable for wooden houses, but a number of other nuances are also taken into account:

For finishing, use light-colored wood - this will expand the space. Dark shades steal a few centimeters and make the room cramped and uncomfortable.
Accessories must match the color of the walls. Wooden furniture of the same shade is most appropriate.
The walls, in turn, are covered with a slightly darker varnish or wax than the ceiling, so that against their background it appears lighter.
Coffered ceilings are often installed in a wooden house. This is a volumetric finish made of perpendicularly located beams that form cells. The beams are painted a darker color or made lighter in comparison with the base. Due to the contrast, it is possible to visually increase the height of the ceiling.

There are also more radical methods that require certain skills in the construction and repair of such buildings. For example, you can lower the floor. They do this as follows:

Remove the floor covering.
Remove old logs. The part may extend into the area of another room, so maximum care is needed.
The holes formed in the walls are sealed with mortar.
Cut holes for new logs so that they are lower than the previous ones by a maximum of 25 cm. Install the parts.
If necessary, insulate the floor. Then the rough coating is laid, then the finishing coating.

Another way is to change the headliner. This option is suitable if the load-bearing beam system is hidden under the finishing material. In this case, the old coating is dismantled and a new one is installed just above the beams. The process consists of the following steps:

Remove the old finish and dismantle the sheathing.
Damaged ceiling beams are restored or replaced. The structure is treated with impregnations against fungi, rot and pests. Surfaces are opened with varnish, wax or paint.
The space between the beams is finished with wooden lining or other decorative materials. First, a layer of thermal insulation is attached to the roof truss structure, on top of which a new ceiling is hemmed.

Unity of wall and ceiling colors

Designers often use this technique in small rooms with rather low ceilings. It is only important that the color of the shelf and walls is not warm or dark. Otherwise, too much warmth in color will cause the walls to envelop you and the room will become intrusive. And a dark color on the walls and ceiling will turn the room into a box, which also lacks the breadth of space.

Important Rules

There is a certain set of basic rules that must be followed so that after low ceilings in a private house are finished, they appear higher and the rooms become visually more spacious. All of them are simple and following the recommendations below will not be difficult.

It is necessary to use light colors in the decoration. The ideal option would be white, which will give a feeling of greater height.
If possible, you can finish the ceiling with a glossy cloth. Due to its reflectivity, it will give the room greater visual volume than it actually has.
You should not use massive and bulky pendant lamps, which visually conceal the space and make the room appear cramped.
If you decorate the walls and the surface above your head with the same color, the effect will be very strong - the space will seem larger, and the ceiling will visually rise.
A pattern with a vertically oriented stripe on the walls will also make the room feel a little higher. This rule does not apply directly to the ceiling surface, but it gives a good result.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the furniture. The taller and more massive the furniture, the smaller the room will appear in height. By abandoning massive cabinets in favor of more compact furnishings, you can achieve good results.

Lighting

Not all styles are created equal for spot lighting. Therefore, people often look for a chandelier lamp that can be hung on a low ceiling. In low rooms these are horizontal devices, both round and square. A lamp in the form of a flat plate is often used, in which the edges are raised upward, thanks to which the light goes upward, lifts the ceiling, but does not irritate the eye.

A chandelier with horns that stretch along the ceiling also looks good in a small room.

To increase the space with a low ceiling, you can also use lighting, but it is better to do it not internally, but externally, but hidden with a decorative cord.

Architectural techniques and tricks

In addition to color schemes, finishing and visual illusion, when renovating an apartment, due attention must be paid to architectural components:

the combination of low doorways and low ceilings creates a depressing atmosphere. You can increase the height of the doorway, make a spectacular arch - this will improve the atmosphere in the room;
by equipping architectural elements in the form of columns, they can be viewed from floor to ceiling, which allows you to perceive the height of the room as being slightly larger than it actually is;
equip narrow high niches that have the same effect as columns. Having made several niches, you can paint them in a contrasting color;
If there is a fireplace with a ledge in the room, it can be visually highlighted, thereby expanding the space.

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In the photo: Living room interior in a neoclassical style apartment

Frequently asked questions - FAQ

Question 1 - How to design a low stretch ceiling?

Any tension structure lowers the overall ceiling level, so many people refuse to install it. And in vain: any ceiling, unless it is extremely low (less than 2.5 meters), can be decorated with stretched fabric. It is elegant, neat, and comfortable.

Any profile will do, but ideally it is better to install low ceilings according to the profile of the French company Clipso - their frame width is minimal, so the height will be up to one and a half centimeters. True, this company produces only textiles, and such fabric and fasteners are quite expensive.

But this is only a last resort, if the ceiling is completely worthless. In other cases, single-level structures can be installed. For these purposes, flat ceilings are more suitable than others. But if your rough ceiling itself is uneven, sunken in places or with differences, then all that remains is either to significantly reduce the overall height due to leveling, or to build the frame at the lowest point. Often designers suggest using a trick - making two levels, but not over the entire surface, but where the condition of the ceiling allows it. In general, here it is better to look for a good master, he will advise the best option.

And, of course, do not neglect the advice of the designer - he will tell you how to advantageously play with the possibilities of color and texture of the canvas. In some places gloss will help you, in others matte materials are suitable, you can work with white, light tones, and sometimes black is the ideal solution even for a low ceiling.

Question 2 - How much does a suspended ceiling drop during installation?

The tension structure itself does not take up much height. On average, the width of a baguette for a stretch ceiling is 2.5-3 cm. But this is subject to a very even and smooth rough ceiling. If there are differences in the slabs on the floor, or the ceiling is sloping, then you have to install the frame at the lowest point of the surface. Thus, another three to five centimeters of height loss accumulates.

Each new level removes additional centimeters. Typically, 10 to 15 centimeters are laid under a two-level ceiling. Therefore, you should always be very careful when choosing a stretch ceiling design for an apartment with low ceilings. But if you choose a regular flat single-level frame, then reducing the height of the walls will not be critical.

Question 3 - How far does a two-level stretch ceiling go down?

It is generally accepted that the standard level of a tension structure of two tiers is 12 cm. This is the minimum required for installing a baguette, the technological gap for leveling the ceiling and installing the second level. To be more precise and in centimeters, then out of 12 cm you spend:

3.5 cm - the width of a standard baguette for a tension frame;
1.5 cm - usually taken to account for the unevenness of the ceiling (even the most ideal slabs, according to technical conditions, allow a difference in height from 0.5 to 1.5 cm);
7 cm is the height of the second level. Depending on the design of the stretch ceiling, this height may be greater.

Thus, you will not be able to lose less than 12 cm when installing a stretch ceiling in two levels.

But that is not all. The fact is that the lighting system can also take up some height. Thus, installing spotlights requires a distance of 5 cm from the rough ceiling to the tension surface. If you decide to install lamps with halogen or incandescent lamps, then their longer bases will require even more space - up to 10 cm will need to be set aside for light.

Installing a central chandelier, especially if the chandelier is heavy, will require a hook. For heavy chandeliers, the hook will “take up” 10 cm. Thus, a lot will depend on the type of lighting, the evenness of your ceiling and the type of fastening devices on the tension structure.

Question 4 - Which stretch ceiling material is best for a low ceiling?

If we talk about the texture of the tension surface, then a glossy coating is considered the ideal canvas for such a ceiling. Excellent reflective ability visually raises the level, making the ceiling deeper and higher. And this applies not only to white canvas, but also to thick black. Due to the reflection, you will get the effect of a well above your head.

And if for some reason you don’t like gloss, you can install it in the center of the room, framing it with a second level of matte canvas.

You can use different textures. What if we resort to another interesting technique? You simply make the ceiling and walls the same color. This way the ceiling dissolves into the walls and does not press down from above. The same effect is achieved through the use of light furniture facades of the same tone with the ceiling. This technique works especially well in the kitchen, where wall cabinets can simply blend into the edge of the ceiling and make the transition almost imperceptible.

Question 5 - What lamps are suitable for low ceilings?

Lighting is very important for a room with low ceilings. Moreover, it is worth considering when installing suspended ceilings. What advice do designers give on this matter? Let's name the basic techniques that allow you to visually raise rather than lower the ceiling:

avoid central chandeliers - they force you to lower the ceiling very noticeably. But if you can’t do without a chandelier, then use overhead ones and choose the one with the horns pointing up and not down;
use LED strip lighting. “Floating ceilings” work great in this case; you can use strip lighting when installing two-level structures;
Spotlights are best used as independent lighting. You can also add them to LED strip lighting;
use local lighting in niches and furniture. It is good to place spotlights not only on the ceiling, but also on the furniture cornice;
use a structure on the ceiling such as a false window with a transparent panel and light from inside the tension structure.

In fact, there are a lot of techniques to increase space with the help of light. The project that will be offered to you will also provide for optimal lighting, taking into account the characteristics of your apartment.

Illumination system

Spectacular lighting

If you want to install a plasterboard box along the edges of the room, use LED strip in the center.

A wonderful solution: a matte design around the perimeter with built-in light bulbs, shiny paint inside, and LED lighting that accentuates the ceiling.

Correct light direction

Carefully select lamps that fill the space of your dream home with a soft and subdued glow. Wall sconces, floor lamps and chandeliers should distribute light from top to bottom. This arrangement allows you to create a bewitching and magnetic play of shadow.

Placement of decorative elements and accessories

You can adjust the interior picture with decor. In this case, decorations will help maintain the effect of lengthening the room. Curtains should be chosen either plain from light fabrics, or a little thicker with a vertical pattern (diamonds, ovals, stripes). You can specifically select textiles to match the ornament on the walls. Small picturesque decor (photos, paintings, posters) are placed vertically. It is desirable that such decorations be paired with a plot related to them in meaning. The cornice must be installed directly under the border between the ceiling and the wall. You cannot hang the structure even with a slight indentation from this line, as it will horizontally fragment the space, which should not be allowed. Curtains should fall from the ceiling to the floor. It is not recommended to use short curtains, as in kitchens decorated in country style. Do not decorate textiles with garters. The curtains should simply move to the sides, emphasizing the ideal geometry of the window. Even small decor that is placed on shelves and free countertops should be slightly elongated along the vertical axis.

No heating in the room

Stretch ceilings are not suitable for temporary premises. Therefore, in a country house where people rarely appear in winter, it is better to choose a simpler and more reliable finish. As the temperature drops, PVC film begins to lose its elasticity. At minus 10-15°C, the canvas cracks, and due to temperature changes it loses its elasticity and shape.

If you don’t want to give up a smooth ceiling covering, it is recommended to choose higher quality and more expensive films or give preference to the textile option.

Mistakes when choosing and installing a stretch ceiling can cost a large sum. Experts previously spoke about the most important shortcomings during such work.