Ceiling tiles made of polystyrene have entered the life of a modern person as a fashionable and inexpensive solution to the design of a room. With an abundance of shapes, patterns and color palettes, tiles can help create a unique finish. And due to the prevalence and ease of installation, this finishing material is widely used for decoration not only in industrial and administrative buildings, but also in the decoration of residential, commercial and office premises.
Features of the
The modern building materials market offers a huge selection of foam boards for decorating the ceiling surface. The thickness of such plates varies from 6 to 14 millimeters, depending on the manufacturing method and the raw materials used. The standard size of ceiling tiles is 50x50 centimeters, which allows for accurate installation without unnecessary loss of material due to its fragility.
In geometric shape, tiles are:
- square;
- diamond-shaped;
- rectangular;
- hexagonal;
- with rounded edges.
According to the design of the front surface, this type of material is divided into smooth and embossed. The relief pattern of the tiles can be patterned or imitate natural materials such as wood or stone. The covering of the tile surface can be matte or glossy, laminated with a film or with a simple rough texture. Therefore, when choosing a finishing material according to its characteristics, one should understand what is the atmospheric environment of the room being repaired.
So, for finishing rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen), it is worth choosing the type of ceiling tile with a laminated coating, and for drier ones, you can also choose a simple tile with a porous structure.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like all finishing materials, ceiling tiles have their own strengths and weaknesses that novice craftsmen need to know.
Pros:
- Finishing of any surfaces. Polyfoam is a fairly light material, so it stays on any flat surfaces.
- Ease of installation. Ceiling surface finishing does not require special skills and tools, it is enough to read the instructions and follow the outlined algorithm step by step.
- Various decorative options. A variety of shapes, patterns, textures and colors will help you create an original room design.
- The budgetary cost of the material. Both the tile itself and the auxiliary materials have a low cost on the market.
- Heat and sound insulation properties. By its structure, the tiles do not have air permeability, which ensures the preservation of the heat that is generated in the room. Polyfoam has sound insulating properties, as it easily absorbs noise and vibration.
- Durability. With proper care and operation, polystyrene foam products have a long service life, which will help maintain a decent appearance of the room and budget.
- Simple product care. If the surface of the finishing material is laminated, then it is enough to wipe it with water and soapy water as it gets dirty. If the surface of the tile is porous, then a dry cloth or vacuum cleaner should be used. If yellowness forms during prolonged use, you can cover the surface of the tile with water-based paint.
Minuses:
- The fragility of the material. Due to the soft structure and the absence of a large thickness of the product, expanded polystyrene has high fragility. It is important to take this into account already at the stage of material transportation.
- Lack of vapor permeability. If a room with a humid environment is tiled, it is important to have good ventilation. Otherwise, there may be a risk of mold, which will negatively affect the microclimate.
- Poor resistance to atmospheric factors. Due to direct sunlight, the tiles fade or acquire a yellowish tint.
Technological process
To properly glue the foam tile, you need to follow the following algorithm:
Calculation of basic materials
The main materials for this type of finish will be: foam tiles, ceiling plinth and glue.
The calculation of the required amount of materials is made by a simple method:
- It is necessary to measure the linear parameters of the room (length and width), then multiply them together. This is how the area of the room is determined in square meters. For example, a room has the following dimensions: length - 3 meters, width - 2.5 meters. The total area will be 7.5 square meters.
- The area of one standard ceiling tile measuring 50x50 centimeters corresponds to 0.25 square meters. To obtain the required amount, the total ceiling area should be divided by the area of one tile, which in the example is 30 pieces. To this amount you need to add 10 percent - 3 pieces - in case of scrap or damage to the material.
The length of the skirting board is determined around the perimeter of the room. In the example, the perimeter is 11 meters. You need to add 10 percent to the resulting volume - 1.1 meters, and the total number of skirting boards will be 12.1 meters. However, it is worth noting that in the store, the skirting board is sold by pieces or arrows. In one arrow - 2.5 meters of plinth. To determine the required number of plinths in pieces, you need to divide the total volume in meters by the footage of one plinth arrow. In the example, 4.84 pieces are obtained
This method of calculating the amount of ceiling plinth is applicable if the walls of the room are perfectly flat. If there is even the slightest curvature of the walls, then the baseboards should be purchased a little more than the estimated amount. In this way, material shortages during installation can be avoided.
The consumption of glue for installing tiles is purely individual for each type of this product. Usually, glue manufacturers on the packaging indicate the glue consumption rate per square meter. Therefore, given the calculated total floor space in the store, it will be easy to determine the required amount of glue
Material selection
When purchasing the necessary materials in the store you should pay attention to the following details:
- The edges of the ceiling tiles must be smooth, without sagging. Otherwise, it will not be possible to exactly join the tiles, and the formed inter-tile gaps will look unaesthetic and will cause additional difficulties in their elimination;
- Since the tile pattern can visually increase or decrease the room, when selecting the material, you need to make a preliminary layout of at least four tiles;
- When choosing glue or special mastic for gluing tiles, it is worth looking at the adhesion time of the adhesive to the surface. Otherwise, you will have to press the material to the ceiling for a long time, and this can lead to mechanical damage to the tile.
Selection of the necessary tools and devices
To quickly and easily cover the ceiling base with foam tiles, you will need the following tools and fixtures:
- tape measure 5 meters;
- cutter;
- putty knife;
- ruler;
- roller;
- pencil or marker;
- ladder;
- table.
For convenience, it is better to choose a larger cutter or the so-called construction knife. This can prevent tool breakage and mechanical damage to the material. It is also worth purchasing additional blades in the kit.
Surface preparation
Preparation of the ceiling surface before decorating it is a prerequisite technological condition.
For this, the following actions are performed:
- cleaning the surface from the old finish. It is imperative to remove the swelling of old paint or peeling whitewash with a spatula, and then wash the ceiling;
- if the surface of the ceiling has a curvature, for example, due to the difference in floor slabs, then it is necessary to level the surface or fill up the potholes and chips with putty;
- For better adhesion between the ceiling base and the adhesive, the ceiling surface must be primed.
If there is high humidity in the room, it is better to treat the surface with antiseptic compounds before finishing the ceiling. Otherwise, mold may form under the tiles, which will worsen the operational properties of the material, the aesthetic appearance of the coating and the microclimate of the room.
Tile gluing technology
Before you start gluing the tiles, you should first draw a ceiling marking scheme and a tile layout.
There are two main options for lining the ceiling surface: parallel and diagonal. With the parallel method, the tiles are laid in a square from the center, parallel to the walls. With the diagonal method - from the center diagonally at an angle of 45 degrees.
After determining how to lay the tiles, you need to determine the starting point for work. Using a ruler and a pencil, the center is determined on the ceiling: a cross - if the slab layout is parallel, x - if the slab layout is diagonal. It is important to draw this designation correctly, because the entire construction of the finish and the composition of the picture will depend on it.
It is better to choose a chandelier or lamp as a center or starting point for work. This will help avoid the difficulty of cutting a hole in the tile for the lighting fixture, as well as the additional costs of purchasing a ceiling outlet if the hole is cut out unsuccessfully.
Tiles are glued as follows:
- Adhesive is applied to each panel in the center and along the edges, either dotted or continuously. It is better to apply the glue at a short distance from the edge of the tile to avoid getting on the front side of the material;
- The foam panel is firmly pressed against the markings drawn on the ceiling surface and held for 20-30 seconds. It is advisable to calculate the clamping force so as not to damage the fragile product;
- At the beginning of the work, it will be more correct to glue the center of four tiles, so later it will be easier to navigate the surface, making sequential pasting of the tiles according to the outlined scheme;
- Tiles that will fit close to the wall must first be cut off with a sharp blade on a flat surface so as not to spoil the facing material. If the cutting edge is not quite even, do not be upset, because the ceiling plinth will cover all the irregularities along the perimeter of the room;
- If inter-tile gaps have formed, then they can be sealed with acrylic sealant;
- In order for the finish to take on a complete look, you need to glue the ceiling plinth around the perimeter of the room.
How to quickly and efficiently glue the ceiling tiles, see below.
Design solutions
Foam tiles are one of the materials thanks to which you can express your design idea and decorate any premises in an original way. This is the most common and budgetary way to bring warmth and comfort to your home.