Choosing a ceiling plinth for stretch ceilings: types and tips.

Types of ceiling plinths for stretch ceilings

The easiest way to classify plinths is by the material they are made of. The following restrictions are imposed on the material:

• it should not be heavy, since it is usually attached to the wall surface with glue, and too much force will lead to a quick tear;
• it should be flexible enough so that small unevenness of the walls does not affect the installation and strength of the fastening.

Ceiling plinths are made of the following materials:

• expanded polystyrene (foam plastic),
• polyurethane,
• polyvinyl chloride.

The plinth can be made of wood, which is justified if the walls of the house are made of timber. It is acceptable to make it from plaster if a molded cornice is required under a stretch ceiling. But in general, such materials are used quite rarely.

Foam ceiling plinth for stretch ceiling

This is the most budget-friendly option for decorating the sub-ceiling space, which has many advantages:

• A variety of designs, including imitation stucco;
• Ease of processing, can be cut with a stationery knife;
• Low weight, which allows you to use inexpensive glue for installation;
• Low price.

The list of advantages also includes significant disadvantages:

• Fragility, brittleness;
• May lose shape under the influence of certain solvents included in the composition of adhesives;
• Lack of flexibility, which makes installation on uneven walls problematic.

Of course, the main advantage of a foam skirting board is its low price, it is even lower than the price of plastic plugs, so if you are on a limited budget, such a skirting board can be a good choice.

Polyurethane plinth for stretch ceilings

This material has a high specific density, therefore, the weight of the product will be comparatively large. However, polyurethane also has its advantages:

• Flexibility, the ability to “bypass” minor irregularities without losing the quality of adhesion to the wall;
• Durability;
• Durability without losing appearance and performance properties;
• Ease of processing, can be cut with a regular knife;

There are also disadvantages:

• Heavy weight;
• High price.

The main disadvantage of polyurethane is its heavy weight. When gluing to the wall, you will need a special glue, and there is no guarantee that after some time, under their own weight, the skirting boards will not sag and move away from the wall, forming unsightly gaps.

However, the attractive appearance and long service life of polyurethane prompted manufacturers to provide a glue-free mounting option: special guides are made in the profile, into which a polyurethane fillet of a special shape is inserted. Of course, the choice of such ceiling plinths is limited, but this is compensated by an attractive design for many years.

Ceiling plinth for stretch ceiling made of PVC

Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic that allows you to create ceiling plinths of a wide variety of shapes and colors, giving them the appearance of various materials, such as wood or metal, and is also inexpensive. Its main advantages:

• Lightweight;
• Durability;
• Variety of colors and textures;
• Low price.

Disadvantages of PVC skirting boards:

• It does not bend, so it requires perfectly flat wall surfaces for installation;
• Under the influence of light, it loses its attractive appearance over time, turns yellow;
• Difficult to process, for cutting it is necessary to use a special tool (hacksaw).

To make the right choice, you need to decide which skirting board is better for stretch ceilings in your case – more flexible and light, or solid and massive? This largely depends on the profile on which the ceiling sheet is fixed. If it provides for fastening for moldings, it may be worth paying attention to polyurethane skirting boards. If a standard profile is used and the wall defects are minor, you can purchase a ceiling plinth made of polystyrene foam.

The main parameters taken into account when choosing a ceiling skirting boards

The first thing you need to determine is what room you are finishing. If it is a kitchen or a bathroom, the skirting board should be easy to clean and withstand high humidity. In the bedroom, this condition is not necessary, but it is important that the polymer does not emit harmful substances into the air, and the material for its manufacture has a safety certificate. In addition, you will have to take into account a lot of nuances: the style of the room, its size, the height of the ceilings. Depending on them, it is necessary to select skirting boards for a stretch ceiling according to the following parameters:

• Width. This parameter depends not only on the style of the interior, but also on the size of the room. For example, with a small ceiling height, a wide skirting board will look disproportionate and visually make the room even more “low”. If the ceiling is high, a too narrow molding risks being invisible and “getting lost” against the general background. When calculating the optimal width, you can rely on the following figures:
  • For ceilings up to 2.5 m high, the width of the skirting board should not exceed 4 cm;
  • Ceilings up to 3 m require a skirting board from 5 to 10 cm wide;
  • For ceilings higher than 3 m, you can use skirting boards from 10 cm and more.
• Shape. The shape of the skirting board for a stretch ceiling can be almost anything, it can have relief patterns, both simple, in the form of convex lines, and complex, imitating stucco. The shape is selected to match the main style of the interior, or a classic option is chosen – in the event that a specific style is not defined or it is planned to use a mixture of styles. There is a rule that all designers follow: with a complex, elaborate room decoration, moldings of simple, classic shapes are preferable, and vice versa: with simple walls and ceilings, you can use figured skirting boards.
• Color. Skirting boards are produced in almost any color. They can resemble different types of wood, or imitate a marble surface. Skirting boards “under metal” are not uncommon. Plain skirting boards of various color shades are also popular. The color is selected based on the style of the room. At the same time, do not forget that color affects the perception of space. Thus, skirting boards that match the color of the stretch ceiling will visually increase the area of the room, and those painted in the color of the walls will help to visually “raise” the ceiling.

• For ceilings up to 2.5 m high, the width of the skirting board should not exceed 4 cm;
• Ceilings up to 3 m require a skirting board from 5 to 10 cm wide;
• For ceilings higher than 3 m, you can use skirting boards from 10 cm or more.

Special types of plinths for stretch ceilings

To solve non-standard design problems, non-standard means are required. For example, to make the ceiling higher, experts advise using ceiling lighting, for which it must be hidden behind the cornice. It happens that the ceiling has complex curvilinear shapes that emphasize zoning or create a certain style. In such cases, standard materials for making plinths are also not suitable. Let’s consider some special types of skirting boards that allow you to solve specific interior design problems.

Skirting board for hidden lighting

To create the effect of a “raised” ceiling, add lightness, airiness, and volume to the room, use backlighting with a strip made of LEDs. Such a strip is placed in skirting boards that have a special “shelf” for this purpose. In addition, the part of the skirting board facing the stretch ceiling can be covered with foil made of reflective material, for example, foil – this will enhance the lighting and give it depth.

Volumetric skirting boards for stretch ceilings can hide places for attaching individual point light sources. If special skirting boards of the required design are not available for sale, you can use regular ones, placing them a few centimeters below the ceiling panel mount. In this case, the skirting board should be wide enough to accommodate the LED strip.

Skirting board for a stretch ceiling of a curved shape

Even the most “flexible” versions of standard ceiling skirting boards cannot used in cases where the stretch ceiling is made at different levels, and its individual parts have complex non-linear shapes. Special skirting boards with special elasticity are produced for them. Flex skirting boards are quite expensive, but there is no alternative.