A polystyrene ceiling is one of the inexpensive ways to insulate and decorate the ceiling. Quite recently, such raw materials were used for crafts, today they are a popular finishing material. Today, foam is presented in a wide range, so you can always find an option that suits your idea.
One of the main advantages of such a ceiling is the fact that you can carry out the installation yourself, without contacting specialists. Consider the features, pros and cons of this material.
Advantages and disadvantages
A room can lose about a quarter of its heat through the roof. Foam tiles are a unique material that provides a high level of thermal insulation in a room. It is used in cottages, baths, cellars and other premises.
For example, in private cottages, foam cover is one of the most popular solutions. It allows you to save on the purchase of insulation and keep warm.
This material is an environmentally friendly product. During its operation, toxic substances will not be released into the air, it is harmless to health. During production, the molten foam acquires density through heat treatment, and its quality characteristics increase. To obtain a certain tone, dyes are added to the product, providing the material with a bright and rich color.
Styrofoam has many advantages, we note the main ones:
- Acceptable price. With this material, you can create an original room decor.
- Light weight. The material can be used for newly built buildings and old houses. Polyfoam practically does not make the ceiling and walls heavier.
- Large selection of finishes. It can be plaster, plastic.
- The foam is resistant to moisture. It can be used for finishing baths, saunas and bathrooms, but bathrooms need additional waterproofing. The coating can withstand large temperature changes. It does not deform in harsh winters, hot summers. This material provides excellent sound insulation, it is easy to paint.
The foam also has disadvantages:
- This material is highly flammable. When applied over a gas stove or water heater, additional protection is required.
- Before insulating the roof with foam, it is necessary to impregnate the wooden elements with a fire retardant liquid. This is especially true for completely wooden buildings.
- The material is fragile. Additional protection needed: at the slightest damage, the foam begins to crumble
- Styrofoam cannot be coated with niktro paint or varnish. Only aqueous dyes are applicable.
- This finish is airtight. As a result, there is a high risk of mold or mildew in unventilated gaps.
How to choose?
To choose this material correctly, it is worth considering a few recommendations.
- Pay attention to the corners of the tiles. If the shape of the tile is square, all corners must be right. The slightest deviation will make itself felt, exposing uneven seams, this is especially important for seamless application.
- The edges of the tiles must be even, shedding is unacceptable. Good styrofoam doesn't crumble when held around one corner. In addition, the drawing should be clear, any flaw will be visible on the ceiling with the naked eye.
- Quality material is easy to test empirically: take the tile by one corner and shake it. Poor quality material will break.
If you decide to insulate the ceiling with foam, you need to know the basic rules, thanks to which you can enjoy an inexpensive and high-quality repair without any resulting problems:
- Such a coating requires careful handling, any dent that occurs cannot be repaired.
- It will not work to avoid joints when laying the plates. For aesthetics, you need to use a white putty, in addition, remember to be extremely careful.
- So that there are no difficulties with the borders in the corners and joints, you can buy ready-made corners, choosing their width as accurately as possible with the main skirting board.
- To mask the place of fixing the chandelier, you must buy a socket in advance.
- Be careful about sticking the picture. Already glued material is difficult to remake.
- Consider whether to glue the styrofoam over the slab. It is inadmissible to create dangerous situations.
- Finishing with such material is a good solution when repairing a corridor and a bathroom. But it is in the bathrooms that you need to additionally cover the ceiling with a layer of water-repellent paint.
There are universal adhesives for all types of foam. However, the best solution is a one-component polyurethane adhesive. Its advantage is a quick fight, you will not have to stand for a long time with your hands raised, holding the tile. Consider the nuance: the cost of glue of different brands is significantly different. If the Russian composition costs about 300 rubles per 1 kg, the Polish-made glue will be 9,000 rubles per 15 kg package. The savings are tangible.
If your ceiling is perfectly flat and clean, a three-kilogram capacity of PVA glue will be enough. For perfect adhesion, it is recommended to add a package of the white Moment-Montage product to the solution.
If you live in an old house, it may be wise to additionally reinforce the sheets with white plastic umbrella dowels. Then they can be masked with a white putty.
More often the ceiling is uneven, so you have to use ordinary putty to level it. She copes well with the task of leveling, masking cracks. In addition, the putty is a good preparation material: after treating the surface with a primer, the foam tile will hold stronger. You can combine dry gypsum plaster and PVA glue. The advantage of this combination is the fact that this compound can be used to putty the joints.
Surface painting
Aggressive components of dyes that corrode the material are contraindicated in expanded polystyrene. These components include acetone and alkyd additives. For this type of ceiling, it is recommended to use neutral water-based paints. An excellent choice would be a water emulsion. Today in stores there is a huge selection of colors of this paint.
The decor in bronze or silver will look interesting. Such staining is recommended to be done with a soft cloth, you need to apply the paint pointwise: this is how an imitation of aged plaster stucco is created. Many people choose bright decor of foam tiles. If desired, the surface can be decorated with a contrasting pattern.
There are several guidelines for properly gluing foam sheets:
- Carefully remove whitewash, old plaster and chalk from the ceiling surface.
- Wipe the base with a damp cloth or almost dry sponge.
- Mark the ceiling.
- Prime the surface with a deep penetration primer.
- Cut out the corners of the panels in advance for the sockets of the ceiling lights.
- Start from the center and work your way up to the corners.
- Do not forget to let the glue dry.
- Carefully mask the joints between the panels.
Cornices are one of the important elements. This nuance is quite difficult to implement if you have not had previous experience. To make things easier, buy lightweight decor and powerful glue that saves you the hassle of tediously attaching the curb to the surface. The last step is to remove the dye mixture. Do not be too lazy to do this directly after gluing the tiles, as later cleaning the surface will be difficult.
How to install a skirting board?
For the plinth to grip firmly, you need to apply glue to the cornice and wall. This is not very convenient, since the material consumption will be quite large. For a more economical use, you can apply glue to the skirting board, attach it to the attachment point and let the glue dry. Then you need to press the plinth tighter and hold for two minutes.
Acrylic sealant is the most convenient material. It immediately grabs, it is enough to hold such a plinth for a couple of seconds. Corner joints are the hardest task. They need to be trimmed precisely so that the edges fit flawlessly together. To do this, you can use a sharp knife or a special knife for cutting foam. It can be purchased at any hardware store.
Before setting the corners, make a template on the floor, marking all the cut lines. Make sure the corner fits snugly with no gaps. For the best quality joint, you can use sandpaper. The fixture for the luminaire should not be visible. The socket must cover the wires. The center should be cut along the edge of the decorative glass of the lamp. To do this, you can attach it from the inside and carefully cut the hole.
Basic Rules
When insulating buildings made of wood, it is worth considering several nuances.
- It must be remembered that foam is rarely used in saunas. For example, it is not recommended to cover the place above the boiler with foam, since the material burns at a temperature of 90-95 degrees.
- When decorating the cellar and sauna with foam, you need to carefully consider the ventilation system. Due to the airtightness of the foam, the walls of the room will immediately become damp (especially during the heating period).
- Do not leave large gaps for mice and rats to run through.
- There is the so-called "thermos effect", when baths and saunas are insulated from the inside. This causes the appearance of fungus and mold, therefore it is recommended to insulate such rooms only outside.
The above rule applies to other wooden buildings as well. The humidity in the room has a detrimental effect on the building frame, causing rapid decay. All buildings with a high percentage of humidity are strictly recommended to be insulated only from the outside. When decorating non-residential rooms with foam, it is recommended to fix the foam square directly to the wall. Remember that the thermal insulation of residential buildings requires the mandatory installation of a supporting crate to ensure proper ventilation of the space under the finish.
In the next video, you will see how you can make foam ceiling decor with your own hands.