Stretch canvases are a popular type of arrangement for suspended ceiling coverings. They are widely used in government agencies, public institutions, residential buildings and apartments, in those areas in which fire safety standards allow. As with any suspended structure, ventilation in a stretch ceiling is one of the most important engineering structures.
Unfortunately, there are many firms that can beautifully mount a spectacular coating, but only after many installers begin to have problems with the microclimate in the room, due to the illiteracy of the installation of the ventilation systems
How to control the creation of the correct air exchange, what calculations should be made, what the scheme to choose and what standards exist in apartments where it is impossible to equip new channels in the carriers structures? There are many questions, but we have answers to all of them. We will tell you about the options for the arrangement and design features of the ventilation system of stretch ceilings.
The content of the article:
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Types of ventilation with stretch ceilings
- Natural air exchange and ventilation grilles
- Arrangement of artificial ventilation
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Stretch ceiling hood
- The nuances of arranging stretch ceiling ventilation
- Cons of the ventilation system of stretch ceilings
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Types of ventilation with stretch ceilings
As with any other design, there are 2 main types of air exchange for stretch ceilings.
It:
- Natural - implies the installation of the simplest elements for ventilation (air ducts and ventilation shafts) or their absence in order to create a natural movement of the air flow.
- Forced - when the design provides for the presence of a fan to create forced draft
In general, in the arrangement of ventilation in rooms with such a ceiling covering, there should be no question of how to ensure ventilation of the stretch ceiling.
Rather, it is important how to integrate a ventilation system into a stretch ceiling so that the canvas does not interfere with air exchange and discharges the pressure between the ceiling space and the room.
The choice of an air duct system is determined based on the individual characteristics of the room, its humidity level, temperature regime and the purpose of the room with a stretch ceiling
That is, initially it is necessary to equip a high-quality system, which should be in every house, and only then adjust your suspended structure to it, and not vice versa. You create a microclimate not for the ceiling, but for your health, because the canvases themselves do not really need fresh air.
Natural air exchange and ventilation grilles
As you know, there are different types of ceiling paintings and one of them is perforated. This is a special kind of release of the material itself. PVC, fabric - it doesn't matter. The bottom line is that there are holes on the canvas. They can be arranged randomly or fold into a single pattern.
Their purpose was originally design. However, in most cases, they also do not interfere with healthy air circulation. Of course, not in all types, it depends on the location and size of the perforation, but very often thanks to it, the arrangement of additional air exchange devices under the canvas is not required.
But such a canvas is expensive and it is very difficult to masterfully beat it in a design sense. Most often, you have to think over a system for ordinary canvases.
If the room already has working ventilation, there will be no problems with air circulation in the ceiling space. Simply install ventilation grilles or diffusers in a stretch fabric.
There is nothing complicated. And the process itself will not take much time.
1. Installation of a protective ring. 2,3,4,5. Cut out a hole in the thermal ring for installing a diffuser or ventilation grill. 6. Install the device itself
It is enough to put special protector rings on the glue, cut out holes for the devices and install them.
Ventilation grilles or diffusers are installed diagonally in the corners of the ceiling in opposition to each other. According to this principle, any air duct system in the room is equipped.
It should be noted right away that they do not spoil the appearance of the ceiling, since they are quite compact, and in addition, they look quite decent outwardly, they resemble ordinary ceiling lamps. In addition, you can choose almost any color that best suits the shade of the canvas.
Arrangement of artificial ventilation
If the ventilation hood or shaft is located in the ceiling space of a bathroom, toilet or kitchen and the suspended structure naturally closes, it is necessary to install the hood through the stretch ceiling fabric using special designs that imply the use of a forced method ventilation.
Through the existing ventilation shafts, it is also possible to arrange air exchange in rooms that are not equipped with a circulation system, but need it.
For the installation of an air duct system, it is best to purchase a ready-made modular structure. It is inexpensive and at the same time has all the necessary qualities - compactness, ready-made elements, tightness
Experts say that in rooms with low ceilings - less than 2.65 m in height, it is impractical to install ceiling fans. If we are talking about a bathroom with such a height, it is best to think about installing a hood.
Initially, it is necessary to carry out all the calculations and consider the consistency of creating a forced air exchange. And then choose the material from which the structure will be made.
Air duct can be done from:
- drywall;
- corrugated pipe;
- plastic items.
The last option is the most convenient and fastest. Consider a conventional forced air exchange with the installation of a fan in stages.
Stage number 1 - fastening of air ducts
The duct is carefully fixed directly to the ceiling surface or to pre-installed hangers. It is very important that the structure is absolutely sealed, otherwise an area of negative pressure will appear and the canvas will "stick" to the base.
A drywall box can become an air duct. Designers often use such a frame as a decorative and decorative design for ventilation. But mostly plastic is better.
After air ducts fixed, you need to bring out all the necessary electrical wires.
Stage number 2 - equip a place for the fan
After installing the air duct, it is necessary to provide a mortgage for the fan. It is usually made from plywood. The embedment is attached to the base ceiling with hangers.
Something like this will look like the design of your ceiling system using forced ventilation. As you can see, the platform is fixed directly to the head of the ventilation pipe.
Stage number 3 - installation of the tensioning web
Next, the tensioning web itself is installed, but very carefully so as not to damage the surface. When the stretch ceiling is installed, we need to install a protector ring at the place where the mortgage is attached.
The width of the protector walls is selected according to the pipe diameter; the larger it is, the thicker the wall of the thermal ring. Please note that these fixtures can be either colored or transparent.
Stage number 4 - we make holes for the duct
After the ring is securely fastened, you need to carefully cut the hole for the air duct.
This is done using an ordinary clerical knife.
Stage 5 - we connect the fan
Next, you can connect a fan. To do this, it must be firmly inserted into the ventilation duct and fixed. The wires are led out through the holes in the housing and connected using terminals.
Stage 6 - installation of the ventilation grill
Installing on top of our structure ventilation grill.
Before installing the system and connecting the fan to the air duct in the stretch ceiling, be sure to check the operation of the device, even if the seller tested it for you before purchasing.
From the corner of the room opposite to the installed system, you need to install a diffuser or a ventilation grill.
You can read more detailed instructions for installing the exhaust fan. here.
Stretch ceiling hood
In kitchens, as a rule, there is an extractor hood. And from this device stretch engineering structures that often annoy the owners with their unaestheticness. However, the pipe from the hood can also be hidden in the stretch ceiling and we will now tell you how.
Instead of corrugated pipes, which are usually equipped with ventilation systems, it is best to use special plastic air ducts not round, but rectangular 55 × 110 mm. They are able to adhere as close as possible to the base, which will provide the possibility of a minimum lowering of the level of the frame for the stretch ceiling.
For convenience, if major cosmetic repairs are planned, you can pre-outline the location of the hood so that it exactly matches the installed box
Be careful, again, all joints must be sealed carefully, and the wiring must be laid in advance, even before the installation of the canvas itself.
Another important detail - if the duct from the hood passes through other rooms and you want to combine ventilation through it system of these rooms, be sure to install diffusers with check valves so that exhaust air from kitchen.
So, you have installed the air ducts from the ventilation shafts. Now it is necessary to equip the pipe from the hood in the surface of the stretch ceiling. To combine the air duct that you have installed with the hood, you should use a rectangular adapter for a round corrugation from the device itself.
The finished structure will look something like this after all connections to the ventilation system. As you can see, the pipe sticks out minimally and is practically invisible.
A hole of a suitable diameter is made in the canvas to connect it, communications are connected, and at the last stage, the operation of the exhaust equipment is checked.
The nuances of arranging stretch ceiling ventilation
Before installing all systems, it is necessary to prepare the surface. In general, according to technology, they are mandatory during finishing works of this type according to technology. However, they are most often ignored, believing that the suspended structure is designed to hide all the flaws.
So, first of all, you need to take care of sealing any cracks and joints. Naturally, these are cold bridges that provoke condensation. It is for this that it is also recommended to carry out thermal insulation. This is true for residents of private houses and the last floors of an apartment building with a non-insulated attic space.
In general, the ceiling should be insulated from the attic side. This arrangement can cause moisture to accumulate between the ceiling and the insulation.
Next, you should take care of strengthening the structure. With a mechanical ventilation system, a strong wiring base is essential.
And, finally, the last thing - rodents love to run along the stretch ceiling. They can easily gnaw the electrical wiring of the forced ventilation or climb into the air ducts and die there, creating stinking air for the owners instead of fresh air. Therefore, it is important to exclude all options for rodents to enter the ceiling space.
Cons of the ventilation system of stretch ceilings
Manufacturers of stretch canvases are very fond of boasting about the degree of stretching of their canvases in case of flooding by neighbors from above or leaking roofs. Of course, for the paintings themselves, such a situation will turn out to be a stalemate, but at least you will save the repair and furniture if the water does not flow down, but is delayed by the stretch ceiling.
So, the installation of additional ventilation holes reduces the tightness of the structure and, accordingly, increases the risk of leakage in these places.
Of course, on the one hand, the ventilation grilles lower the waterproof properties of the stretch fabrics, but on the other hand, it is easier to drain the accumulated liquid through their holes.
When arranging ventilation, nevertheless, precise individual calculations are needed, which are carried out directly at the facility. Therefore, any instructions can be considered only conditional guidance.
Another important point is the problem of air duct maintenance. If there is any problem with the system, you will have to remove the entire canvas to fix the breakdown.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Installation of ventilation grilles in a stretch ceiling:
We talked about installing ventilation in a stretch ceiling with our own hands, as you can see, there is practically nothing complicated about it. However, one should take into account the fact that, for example, forced ventilation should be made even at the first stage of installing the tensioning fabric. And even the usual inset of ventilation grilles, although it seems simple, can lead to damage to the decorative ceiling. Therefore, you should still entrust it to professionals.
Do you have stretch ceilings at home? Do you plan to equip them with ventilation and what option are you considering for this? Or maybe you have encountered any difficulties during the installation of ventilation in a stretch ceiling? Share your experience in the comments and ask questions about the topic of the article.
