The rack and pinion ceiling in the bathroom - easy, profitable, reliable.

Repair in the bathroom is always a long, laborious and expensive business. Just laying the floor tiles alone is worth it! That is why these days many people try to save time, effort and money by mounting a rack and pinion ceiling in the bathroom themselves. About what kind of ceilings and what you need to know about them before buying, we will talk in this article.

A grid ceiling is one of the varieties of suspended ceilings, which consist of several modules (slats) connected to each other closely or using additional inserts, and suspended from the ceiling on a special rail. In many respects, such ceilings are very similar to the suspended ceilings of plastic panels or moldings, but differ by the material and fixing technology.

The length of one rack and pinion ceiling module can vary in a wide range, but in most cases the standard length is three or four meters. The width of a standard panel is about 10 cm.

Depending on the type of construction, there are three basic types of laths:

• Open laths. There is a gap of about 1.5 cm between them, which is closed with a decorative profile. Such a ceiling looks organic and beautiful only in large areas. In a small bathroom, it will look out of place.
• Closed slats. They are closely attached to each other, creating a single canvas with minimal gaps between the slats.
• Slats with inserts. When assembling this type of ceiling, the gaps between the slats are filled with strips of metal. In this case, the surface turns out perfectly flat and looks very original in terms of design.

Depending on the material of manufacture, slatted ceilings can be metal, usually made of aluminum - it is lightweight and virtually rust-free, which is ideal for rooms with high humidity, and plastic.

The main advantages:

• Ease of construction. Slatted ceilings are easy to install, even if you don't have a lot of experience in the field. In addition, the materials used for laths are usually so light that it is easy to install, even on your own.
• Ventilation. Due to the fact that there are usually gaps of considerable width between the slats, this provides additional ventilation of the room. For the bathroom, as a room with high humidity, this is a very important and useful addition.
• It is easy to mount lighting fixtures in a slatted ceiling.
• Durability. Some manufacturers promise up to 25 years and more of successful operation of their ceilings.
• Such ceilings are fireproof.
• The grid ceilings provide additional heat and sound insulation.
• It is convenient to install wiring under any suspended ceiling. However, the advantage of a grid ceiling made of aluminum panels is that if there are any problems with the wiring, part of the ceiling can easily be disassembled and the cause of the problem can be seen. Unlike, for example, stretch ceilings.
• When using ceilings with a reflective surface, you can visually expand the room.
• If desired, you can perform zoning of the room with the help of slats.
• Low cost. Although rack and pinion ceilings are more expensive than, for example, a ceiling made of plastic PVC panels, they are more durable and retain their original appearance longer.
• They are easy to care for and clean.

When installing slatted ceilings, it is important to consider the direction in which the slats are installed. As you understand, the slats can be placed vertically or horizontally. An important factor here is the length of the batten itself and the maximum length of the ceiling.

One of the tangible advantages of such ceilings is the variety of different colors and shades. If desired, the laths can be painted in any color the customer is interested in, using regular water-resistant paint. However, in most cases, buyers give preference to ceilings made in chrome, copper or gold - they reflect the surface, give an interesting play of light and are able to visually expand the space.

Before proceeding to the installation, you will need to purchase the following materials in a construction store:

• Directly laths of the required length for you and in the required quantity. In order to determine how many laths you will need, first measure both the length and width of the ceiling in the bathroom, and then divide it by the length or width of the laths, depending on how you plan to lay the laths - along or across.
• Guide profiles, which also act as a decorative baseboard.
• Suspension elements.
• Rack and pin fasteners.
• Fixing products.

In addition, for the work you will need:

• A drill or punch;
• A tape measure;
• A construction level;
• Screwdriver set;
• Screwdriver.

Installation is done in several stages:

1. Prepare the ceiling for installation - think about where you plan to place the lights. Saw off the profiles and laths to your desired length, trim the bevels. Prepare holes for the lights.
2. Using a construction level, mark on the walls, in which places the rails will be located, and fix them on the walls around the perimeter of the room.
3. Install the hangers at the appropriate height for the guides. On average, the hangers are installed at a distance of 0.7-1.5 m from each other.
4. Fasten the cross bars (or as they are also called stringers or bars), on which the rails will be attached.
5. Remove the protective film from the laths, and attach the laths to the rails and to the stringers.
6. Cover the joints (if necessary).

As a rule, with a slatted ceiling, spot lights are used - they do an excellent job and do not steal additional space. However, if you wish, you can also use ordinary light fixtures or even a chandelier. But be careful - rack and pinion ceilings due to their design features reduce the height of the bathroom ceilings by an average of 10-15 cm. If you already have low ceilings, it's still better to give preference to built-in lights.

There are two generally accepted options for the design of slatted ceilings:

• German design - Characterized by clear shapes and lines. It is used, among other things, in the manufacture of multilevel ceilings.
• Italian design - Characterized by rounded shapes. As a rule, it is used in the installation of monolithic ceilings with closed joints.

The abundance of brands and manufacturers of various building materials is now a scattering of eyes. Pioneering in terms of suspended ceilings in the domestic market was the Dutch company HUNTER DOUGLAS.

Another popular producer of grid ceilings is the Italian company PROMETAL.

Earlier Italy was also represented in our market by CATENA, but its share of the domestic market is steadily declining due to high competition.

The ARMSTRONG company, which has a history of more than 150 years, is becoming more and more popular.

The most popular domestic manufacturer of grid ceilings is the company Albes. Also worth mentioning are LumSvet, Bard and SCANDY.

The cost of rack and pinion ceiling installation consists of several factors: the cost of the consumables themselves, the area of the ceiling and the cost of installation work.

The cost of the slats depends primarily on the country and manufacturer. The cost of one rail three meters long starts at 120 rubles and above.

The cost of installation work is difficult to predict, since it depends on what city you live in, as well as on your ability to negotiate. Rack ceiling installation services are provided by professional construction companies, which charge more for their services, but provide some guarantees of the quality of their work, as well as private construction teams. Before you make a choice in favor of a particular construction company, carefully examine the range of prices for relevant services in your city and, if possible, read reviews of its work on the Internet.