Ceiling plinth for suspended ceilings: types

An increasing number of apartment owners prefer to install suspended ceilings in their rooms. This finish is very attractive and transforms the room. If you combine a suspended ceiling and a plasterboard box, you can create a very beautiful design. In order not to spoil the appearance of the coating, it is necessary to complement the design with a correctly selected baseboard.

What types of skirting boards are there for suspended ceilings?

Modern manufacturers produce a wide variety of skirting boards. But wooden or plaster ceilings are completely unsuitable for suspended ceilings, as they are inconvenient and heavy.

Foam plastic

There are models of 1.3 and 1.5 meters and two meters. They are very light, easy to process, and can be cut with a regular knife if desired. The design of the plinth can be different: with patterns imitating stucco, etc.

The shades are not very varied. Skirting boards are produced only in white, but since they can always be coated with paint, this drawback disappears. If the installation has already been completed, apply masking tape to the adjacent surfaces. This will prevent paint from getting onto the ceiling.

Every product has its drawbacks. Foam skirting boards are no exception.They require increased caution when using due to their fragility and brittleness. It is better to play it safe and buy more borders than necessary.

Polystyrene foam does not bend, which limits its use. It can only be glued to ideal walls. Otherwise, the borders will not be able to lie tightly on the surface, so they will not stick to it securely. If the apartment has rounded corners, then these options are also not suitable. Foam borders are fixed to the walls in the following ways:

• liquid nails;
• finishing putty;
• water-based glue (which does not contain a solvent).

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is slightly heavier than foam. This leads to the need to use special gluing agents. Many manufacturers of borders made from this material recommend their own compositions - this is what distinguishes ORAC Decor. You won't be able to cut such a plinth with a simple knife - you need a miter saw.

Reference. In order to attach sufficiently large borders, in addition to glue, self-tapping screws are used. To disguise their caps, putty and paints are used.

Unlike foam plastic, polyurethane skirting boards even come in a flexible form, which allows them to be used in rooms with rounded shapes.

Polyurethane is not afraid of moisture, it is easy to clean. You can apply paint to it, and more than once. At the same time, the texture of the material is preserved. Nothing prevents you from matching the tone of the suspended ceiling and the baseboard. Considering that there are a lot of options, there is room for your imagination to run wild. The only drawback is that polyurethane is the most expensive of all materials for skirting boards.

Plastic

PVC-based models are not afraid of moisture.This makes it possible to install them in kitchens, as well as in bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity. Naturally, borders are easy to clean.

The length of this type of skirting boards is two and a half meters. The color is exclusively white. They don't have any patterns. But they don't need to be glued. You just need to insert it into the groove that is in the profile of the stretch ceiling. They are easier to install and everything happens quickly. This is a clear advantage. No finishing is required after installation.

This material is strong and light, but it cannot be bent. This requires careful preliminary alignment of the walls. A hacksaw is needed for cutting.

Which ceiling plinth to choose

All options, with the exception of those made of plastic, are mounted on the wall. For suspended ceilings, the best choice is light skirting boards with a wide vertical stripe. This will make the connection stronger. When choosing a size, you should start from the height of the ceiling. A small room with large baseboards will seem much smaller than it actually is. In order for everything to look harmonious visually, you must adhere to the following rule:

• with a ceiling height of no more than two and a half meters, you need to use skirting boards not exceeding four centimeters in width;
• if the room is two and a half to three meters high, the border should be from five to ten centimeters;
• for rooms with a ceiling of more than three meters - the model can be wide, starting from ten centimeters.

When choosing a material, you need to focus on the room itself:

1. If there are rounded edges in the room or the walls are imperfect, then you will have to choose polyurethane skirting boards.
2. For rooms where the humidity is quite high, plastic borders are an ideal option.
3. If you plan to install lighting, it is better to take wide moldings.
4. The most common option is foam moldings.

The design should be chosen based on the overall interior of the room. In a room with wallpaper on the walls that has a large pattern, it is better to take skirting boards without patterns at all or with a discreet ornament. If the walls are decorated simply, then the borders, on the contrary, should be quite noticeable, drawing attention to themselves.

Is it possible to leave a suspended ceiling without a plinth?

There is only one positive aspect in the absence of curbs - the financial component. You can save some money.

There is much more negative. Externally, such ceilings are sloppy. The junction of the wall and ceiling is clearly visible. If the wallpaper is made of vinyl or non-woven fabric, then this drawback is more obvious.