How to level the ceiling: putty, plaster, drywall

Not every house has a flat ceiling. It can be so curved that any facing will only aggravate the situation. Therefore, they decide to level the ceiling. There are several effective methods - puttying, plastering, plasterboard cladding. Let's get acquainted with them in more detail.

Alignment methods

There are several methods to get a smooth and even surface. Among them:

1. Puttying. It is used for drops of up to 2 cm. Copes with small cracks and defects.
2. Plastering. Suitable for drops of no more than 5 cm. They differ in composition and can be with cement, gypsum or polymer.
3. Facing with plasterboard. In difficult cases, with strong drops and impressive defects. Additionally, the sheets increase sound insulation and insulate the room.

Also, a stretch canvas can hide some flaws in the ceiling area. The choice of a suitable method should be based on the condition of the surface. The laser level allows you to assess the degree of drops.

Reference. The gaps between the ceilings can be treated with plaster, even if their depth is more than 5 cm. The main thing is that they are narrow. The composition will fill all the voids.

Ceiling preparation

Before starting work, the old coating (including whitewash) is removed. To do this, use a spatula and water. It is worth considering the features of the coating. For example, a water-based paint will require a good dissolving liquid.

When the base is ready, they begin to process the seams between the panels. Polyurethane foam will do. They fill the voids with it and wait for it to dry. Excess mass is removed with a construction knife. After the seams are treated with a primer.

Important. In order for the selected composition for leveling to lay down more evenly and to hold for a long time, it is recommended to cover the entire area with a primer. If the room has a high level of humidity, only materials with additional waterproofing are used.

Leveling the ceiling with putty

Putty is suitable for minor irregularities. It bridges shallow cracks. Also used as a topcoat before painting. The maximum layer thickness is 2 cm. Otherwise, after a while, the finish will crumble and crumble.

Choice of composition

The putty mixture can be starting and finishing. The latter is finer-grained, which allows it to lie down thinner. The starter usually has a thickness of 10 to 30 mm.

The mixture can be purchased ready-made or dry. In the latter case, you need to mix it yourself with water, observing certain proportions. Ready-made options are easier to apply in a thin layer, but they are not suitable for long-term storage at low temperatures. Dry ones are optimal for rough alignment.

An important selection criterion is the operating conditions. If the humidity is high, then gypsum plaster will not work. It is recommended to dwell on the one in which the cement is the basis.

Putty

It can be applied with or without beacons. Often used as a finish after plastering before painting. But if it becomes the basis for alignment, the flow rate will increase. This should be taken into account when calculating the required amount.

When using the starter option, it is applied in several layers. Before applying a new one, the previous one must definitely dry out. After that, they pass over them with sandpaper. For convenience, it should be wrapped around a small block. The entire area is processed with the made tool, making circular movements.

It is more convenient to apply the composition with several spatulas. Some of them are narrow, the other is wide. Instruments are moved diagonally. This will allow the seams to overlap.

If further staining is not planned, then the finishing putty can be discarded.

Leveling the ceiling with plaster

With an average level of differences, plastering is used. The work is carried out on the lighthouses. Under normal operating conditions, where humidity and temperature are within the normal range, it is recommended to use a mixture that contains gypsum. It is lighter in weight.

Cement plaster is suitable for difficult operating conditions, if it is too humid or there are regular temperature changes. It is heavier. The mixture is applied to the beacons that are pre-installed.

Important! Plastering is a more time consuming process than puttying. Therefore, before work, you need to carefully prepare and take into account many nuances.

Installation of plaster beacons

Begin by preparing a solution of the selected type of plaster. Then it is applied in small amounts, covering small areas. It is recommended to move along the applied markings, which are also pre-made. This is necessary in order to accurately mark the places where the beacons will be fixed. Laying is done in 30 cm increments.

Then they take the beacon and apply it to the surface, pressing it into the applied solution until it reaches the level of the rows of landmarks made of threads. When all the parts are installed, it is important to check the horizontal position of their location - whether they are in the same plane. For this, a bubble level is used. It is recommended to check everything at once, before the plaster has time to dry completely.

The revealed inaccuracies are corrected on the spot. You will need to either push the beacon harder, or add mixtures under it, depending on the identified shortcomings.

Plastering works

It is recommended to start finishing from the lowest angle. Using a wide spatula, the composition is applied over the mesh. Press it down so that it can completely fill all the holes. It is not recommended to immediately try to level the surface if the differences are impressive. It is more efficient to make several layers. The first one is needed to create good adhesion between the mesh and the base.

Plastering is carried out over the entire area, aligning everything along the control line. The main thing is that the layer thickness should be a maximum of 2 cm, not more. When the first is dry, plaster is applied again. The second layer allows you to hide the mesh completely. Can be applied a third time if the base requires it. It is important that fresh plaster must be prepared for each layer. While the work is in progress, the composition begins to thicken. You cannot use it in this form, as well as add water to make the mass more plastic.

The last layer must be treated with a trowel to achieve perfect smoothness.

Leveling the ceiling with plasterboard

This is a great option when the swings and defects are too significant. Conventional soft mixes will not cope with such problems. Drywall allows you to completely cover the area with flaws. In addition, the sound insulation in the room is improved and more heat is retained inside. But the work will be more time consuming.

There are several options for aligning this way. Hanging technology is used to fix the sheets, where a special frame is used. Start by collecting the metal structure. It is fixed with brackets. Then carry out the installation of sheets of drywall. For reliability, self-tapping screws are used as fasteners.

It is worth noting that this option reduces the height of the walls by 5-10 cm. Therefore, it is not suitable for low rooms.

Stretch ceiling installation

Its advantage is the ability to mask existing flaws and immediately get a finished cladding. No additional manipulations are required. The technology is safe and requires professional skills. You just need to choose the right model. The canvas can be matte, glossy, multi-level, with various patterns and patterns. The construction of several levels hides serious irregularities. Any stretch fabric perfectly masks surface defects, and additional preparation of the base is not required.

An uneven surface can cause a lot of problems. Some types of cladding become unavailable, and defects spoil the appearance. But the situation can be corrected by choosing one of the listed methods, relying on the surface features and operating conditions. The result is a high-quality, smooth surface with an attractive design.

Video: professional advice on how to level the ceiling