Home Ceilings

1. Types of ceilings

Even though you have to look upto them to appreciate them, ceilings form an important part of your home décor. There are two types of residential ceilings. They are the original slabs or the main ceiling and the false ceiling.

The main slab can be straight or in any shape like a dome, a sloping one or pyramidal. If the main slab is a straight RCC slab, you can create a false ceiling below it in any shape to make it look different from inside. False ceilings can be made of materials like Plaster of Paris (POP), wood, gypsum boards, fibre glass, fabrics, etc.

Lights can be used to enhance the look of any ceiling. Lights can be concealed in false ceilings so as to show the glow and not the light fixture itself. Coloured rope lights can be fixed on the inner edges of false ceiling slabs to give out colourful illumination.

2. How to maintain/ clean a ceiling

Ceilings with carved patterns in wood or POP are presentable only if they are clean and free of any dust. So it is important to regularly clean such ceilings. This can be done using a wet cloth. Wooden members of the ceiling should be polished after a period of time to retain their shine. Brass ceiling patterns or cornices can be cleaned by using liquid brass cleaners and a cloth.

3. Fire protection (in case of wood)

Fire retardant and intumescent coatings should be used to treat wood and protect it in case of fire. These coatings can be applied on the wooden ceilings after they are placed in the frame as a ceiling.

4. Installation of ceilings

Usually, false ceilings are suspended over a framework of wood, steel or aluminium. The most preferred material is aluminium as it is comparatively cheaper than the rest and is light weight. The framework is fastened to the main ceiling by screws and the sheets of POP or wood are screwed on to the lower surface of the framework.

5. How to select the right type of ceiling for your house

It is important to consider the height which is available to play with in case of false ceilings. Sometimes the height available is so less that a false ceiling has to be ruled out. Ideally minimum 9 feet height should be made available below the surface of the false ceiling. If the height of the room is less, certain areas like the dining area or the seating space can be highlighted by using a false ceiling only in that much area. You can go for a frosted acrylic false ceiling in your bathroom to conceal any fixtures like the heater on the top. You can also have diffused light through the frosted acrylic.

6. Cost involving on doing a ceiling

A simple flat POP false ceiling on aluminium frame can cost around Rs 55 per square foot. Curved and angular ceilings can go upto Rs 150 per sft in POP. Cost of wooden ceilings depends on the wood used. A teak wood plank false ceiling can cost Rs 350 per sft while the same using rough wood or sleeper wood can be cheaper. Fibre glass or acrylic ceilings can cost around Rs 200 per sft for a flat ceiling.

7. And something about beams

Beams are the horizontal structural members in any framed structure. They cannot be eliminated or tampered with in any circumstances for a better design. But they can be hidden using a false ceiling that covers them. A stepped or curved false ceiling can cover the beam without revealing whats inside.