How to make a plasterboard ceiling with lighting with your own hands: two-level and suspended: Step by step + Video

For a comfortable and functional design of the ceiling, a variety of solutions are used. Each of them has both certain advantages and disadvantages. Suspended ceilings made of plasterboard are popular not only because of their simple installation.

A variety of projects with original built-in lighting plays an important role in such a high demand.

Is it possible to make two-level plasterboard ceilings on your own? Yes, this is a very real task.

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Plasterboard ceiling with built-in lighting

Plasterboard ceiling with built-in lighting is a very popular design solution. It is a practical, functional and stylish way of finishing.

Here you can successfully combine various types of lamps, and by adjusting the color content and lighting power, it is easy to change the visual and spatial perception of the room.

What qualities should a good multi-level plasterboard suspended ceiling have?

The structure should have the following properties:

• Durability, strength and reliability;
• Absolute safety and reliability of the mounted backlight;
• Aesthetics and originality of the design ;
• Getting a flat ceiling;
• Under a suspended ceiling, it is convenient to discreetly place various communications (wires, channels, etc.);
• The design of a plasterboard ceiling, if desired, can be made fully consistent with the concept the design of the room as a whole.

The durability and strength of the structure will be ensured by the use of a rigid metal profile and thin ceiling plasterboard. As a backlight, a bright LED strip of the desired color, or a combination of them, is great.

This was done for a reason : due to the lightweight material, the weight of the ceiling structure is very significantly reduced, as is the total load on the fasteners.

By and large, gypsum boards for a suspended ceiling do not need a large thickness and high strength, because its cladding is not exposed to significant mechanical stress. Slightly more than 0.

5 mm is the most suitable thickness of this material for a ceiling structure.

Metal profile has similar advantages.

Such structures with a low weight have excellent strength when compared to a wooden slatted grille.

LED lighting for plasterboard on the ceiling

Why is LED lighting good? Why do consumers prefer non-halogen bulbs, and this particular type of spotlight? Indeed, quite recently, there was no worthy alternative to halogen products.

The advantages of LEDs are obvious :

• With excellent brightness, this the lamp consumes significantly less energy than any other source;
• It actually does not heat up even after long burning.

  In other words, the possibility of its overheating, which could cause a fire in the structure, is completely excluded;

• Such an element is much more compact than other lighting devices, and therefore it can be played up in design as conveniently. Indeed, because of its size, it can be easily disguised even with minor decorative elements;
• Has an impressive service life;
• Affordable cost;
• Ease of installation.

There are universal and monochrome LED strips. The latter emit only one color - white, blue, red or green. Unique ones can change their shade.

Lighting control is carried out from the remote control : the command can change not only the shade, but also the intensity of the glow.

Plasterboard ceiling construction: lighting device

The lighting for such a structure can be done in one of two ways - hidden or open.
The latter is quite simple to install. A hole is made in the false ceiling according to the required dimensions, a lamp is placed in it. When using this method, the luminaire should not weigh more than ten kilograms.

The fact is that the cladding and frame of the ceiling structure does not have a high bearing capacity.

If hidden lighting is selected as the design, then the lighting fixtures are located between the layers of drywall, in a niche made for this.

With such a device, the beam of light is directed not downward, but towards the ceiling itself. Reflecting from its surface, it creates a magnificent effect.

Installation of a step-by-step plasterboard ceiling

Let's consider in detail and step by step how to build such a structure with your own hands. The previously noted LED lamp will be used as a lamp.

We need:

• Plain or moisture-resistant drywall;
• Wall profiles and guides;
• Straight ceiling hangers;
• Various fixing elements (for mounting the frame to the ceiling of the dowel, for profile and drywall screws);
• Cutting knife, metal scissors, pliers;
• Mesh reinforcing joints;
• Screwdrivers;
• Chop thread, pencil, level;
• Punch and screwdriver ;
• Putty, putty knife;
• Electrical wires, power supply, LED strip.

Multi-level plasterboard ceiling: upper level frame

The very first, initial stage in the construction of a multi-level ceiling is the construction of the upper frame level.

Let's analyze the activities step by step:

• We retreat 10 centimeters from down the ceiling, draw a flat horizontal line around the entire perimeter of the room;
• Along the marked line we attach the starting profile;
• Insert the main profile into the starting profile, attach it to the ceiling by means of suspensions.

  The fasteners are spaced 40 centimeters from each other.

• Jumpers made of profile are installed between two mounted profiles. This will provide the necessary rigidity to our structure.

We finish the finished frame with sheets of thin drywall, fixing them with self-tapping screws. The upper, basic level of the structure can be considered ready.

Plasterboard ceiling - installation of a box for lighting

Now it's time to construct a niche in which our hidden lighting will be hidden.

The order of work will be as follows:

• On the already finished upper level of the structure, mark the border of the second.
• We fix the guide level according to the marked marking.
• The profile fixed to the ceiling is directed downward with shelves, and the profile located on the wall "looks" with them into the opposite wall. We attach the ceiling rail to the profile of the main working frame.

• Suspension posts are made from the main profile:

1. it is cut into segments, whose length is measured according to the height of the second level structure;
2. along the folds with one cuts are made on the side of the suspension, the rear wall is bent inward;
3. The total number of suspensions depends on the size of the ceiling: there should be a suspension approximately for every half meter.

• Prepared racks are inserted into the guide profile with their uncut side, firmly fixed with self-tapping screws.
• We make blanks from the ceiling profile. The length of these segments should correspond to that of the lower part of the box. Their number is equal to the number of rack suspensions.

• Workpieces are inserted into the guide profile on the wall, fastened with self-tapping screws. The other ends of the workpiece are connected at an angle of 90 degrees to hangers (racks).
• As a result of all the activities we got a niche frame with protruding profiles. Protruding sections must be plugged using a cut profile inserted inward. Thus, we have formed the basis for fixing the shelf for the backlight (drywall strips).

• Close the protruding frame ends with a guide profile and fix them with self-tapping screws.

Multilevel ceiling: plasterboard frame cladding

For cladding frame, we need narrow pieces of drywall.

Their fixation should take place in the following order:

• A strip of drywall is screwed to the niche shelf;
• We veneer the vertical elements of the box. To do this, we attach the cladding to the ceiling rail and suspension posts.
• We sew the horizontal components of the niche.

• We attach a plasterboard strip to the side (end) part of the box - our lighting will hide behind it.

LED backlight: installation and connection

All work is performed in strict compliance with the following rules:

• The LED strip may only be cut in specially marked places;
• Individual parts or different strips are connected by means of special LED connectors or with using a conventional soldering iron;
• A power supply with at least 20 percent power reserve must be used;
• Attachment to metal parts of the structure is carried out through insulating material;
• Do not carry out installation work lighting under voltage.

The backlight is connected according to the following scheme:

• From the power supply, one end of the wire is directed to 220 volts of the network, the other to the LED lamp;
• If a multicolor tape is used, it is extremely important to observe the polarity: red wire - plus, black and blue - minus;
• It is necessary to check the operation of the lamps in advance; only after that the tape is placed in the place designated for it;

That is why it is much more correct and safer to connect sections longer than five meters in parallel, using wires with one and a half millimeter section.

But in such cases, you will have to use a higher power supply unit.

Finishing the ceiling will be the final stage of work. All existing joints between individual sheets of cladding material must be filled. When they dry well, the ceiling is treated with a primer.

Such a ceiling structure can be wallpapered, painted or finished with decorative plaster.