Fixtures for suspended ceilings

In the XXI century, a unique way to decorate the ceiling appeared, which saves forces on its leveling and painting - these are stretch ceilings. But on it, as on a regular ceiling, there is a need to install lighting devices. Placing lamps for evening illumination on a stretch ceiling is a daunting, but doable task.

At first glance it may seem that absolutely any fixtures can be mounted on the stretch ceilings, but this is not so simple. The coating itself is designed for a specific temperature effect, so recessed lamps have a number of features. They can be divided into 3 categories. They are point, LED and energy saving. Spotlights are specialized and are produced specifically for the above ceilings.The bearing body consists of a safe thermal material that does not extend the heat from the filament to the ceiling surface. Such lamps look good in all the rooms, the main thing is to think in advance about their future location, since the cut hole cannot be returned.

LED lamps give even light, the color of which can be changed (on some models). Like the point ones, they practically do not heat up and give a fairly powerful stream of light. The only point - such lamps are much more expensive. As for energy saving, their name speaks for itself. At its core, these are ordinary lamps that have special lamps inside. They will help to save on electricity at the expense of lighting.

As a rule, when installing the stretch ceiling masters can immediately offer different types of lamps that are most suitable for the room.These lighting devices are divided into several categories, namely, in form, color, type of attachment and type of the light bulb itself.

By type of attachment there are the following groups:

• Suspended From the very name it is clear that the lamps or chandeliers are hung on a special hook that was mounted on a specific place in the ceiling. Typically, this mount is intended for large crystal or glass chandeliers. Before installing the lamp on the slot in the coating, a ring is installed so that the material does not creep away and has a beautiful and neat edge. The suspension design includes track lights. They are also called tire, as the lights themselves are attached to the busbar. Such a system is convenient in that you can move the lamp to a place where there is not enough light. Most often, such lighting is done in cafes, galleries, museums, etc.
• Overhead Installation of these devices is carried out in several stages. Before installing the ceiling wiring is laid, which will give electricity to the future lamp. Then the ceiling is stretched, and in the places marked in advance, case rings are glued inside which the canvas is cut.It turns out that the lamps themselves are installed on the tension material itself. It is very important to choose the correct power of lighting devices, since the coating can melt from high temperatures.

• Embedded. Luminaires of this type have the same installation principle, with the exception of additional fastening with springs. After the preparatory work, the lamp is installed in a dedicated hole. The spring located there straightens and fixes the lamp tightly so that it keeps tightly in the apiary. This type of mounting allows you to create a feeling of a monolithic coating on the ceiling. This solution is suitable for absolutely all rooms and rooms, and the pleasant price is fully consistent with the result.

Ceiling lighting is divided by the number of light sources. There are point lamps and cascading. From the name it is clear that the spotlights are designed to accommodate one cap and one light bulb. One such lamp does not give much light. Therefore it is necessary to install them at least 3-5 pieces, so that it is light. As a rule, they are installed in the corridors or around the perimeter of the room. As for the cascade lamps, their number has several pieces on one case. This is convenient because a small light fixture can produce a large stream of guided light. The price of such devices is considerable, but there are very beautiful and sophisticated models.

Lighting devices can be classified by the type of the bulb itself. Allocate:

• LED, or LED lamps. Today, such a light bulb is one of the most environmentally friendly. The stream of light produced can be both white and cold, as well as yellow and warm. Moreover, such lamps can be energy saving. They are most often used for suspended ceilings due to the fact that they practically do not heat up during operation.
• Halogen. This lamp has a quartz flask, which is filled with a special gas with a substance called halogen. They have excellent color reproduction and with the help of them you can make color decorative lighting. This type of lamp will last much longer than a regular light bulb.

• Fluorescent. The principle of operation of such a lamp is unique.The electrical impulse is transformed into ultraviolet light in mercury vapor, and further, thanks to the matte coating of the outer shell of the light bulb, it is transformed into an ordinary stream of light, familiar to the human eye for reading or work. Such lamps serve for a long time and give a quality diffused light around the room. As a rule, they are also energy saving. Some lighting devices have the ability to control the direction of light, in connection with this emit static and movable lamps for a stretch ceiling. Accordingly, static can not move and remain in one position, and the moving ones have turning mechanisms, thanks to which you can independently direct the lamp to the required area.

Lighting fixtures for suspended ceilings can have standard shapes and asymmetrical, and both the body and the light bulb itself can differ in appearance. From this depends on the scattering of light and its distribution in the room. Typically, the body is round or oval, as it is easier to fix and it is more concise. It happens that the oval shape has a certain bezel made of colored glass or plastic so that the light “plays” beautifully in the room.

For lovers of clear corners and correct lines, you can pick up square or rectangular lamps. They can go flush with the canvas or go beyond it. Convex glass or crystal square lamps at the expense of four sides create diffuse reflections that will add romance to the atmosphere of the room. There are lamps with a round body, but with an absolutely asymmetrical arrangement of reflective mirror plates or convex ball bulbs. In a word, you can find various forms of lighting fixtures in the lighting stores, the most important thing when choosing them is that they be commensurate with the ceiling area and do not look pretentious and tasteless.

Design thought does not stand still, so new types and forms of lamps appear. An unusual solution would be to install linear lighting fixtures. Their feature is that the design allows you to create long strips of uniform light of different shapes and widths. Lamps can be either at the level of a stretch ceiling, creating a smooth surface, or go beyond it.

Each type of lighting fixture has its own standard parameters and dimensions, based on which you can calculate the future lighting system in the room.When choosing the size, it should be understood that large lamps are heavier, so you will have to increase the installation height of the ceiling, since it can sag from 5 to 7 centimeters from installed lamps. Therefore, it is best to install spotlights, as they will be easier, smaller in diameter than a single chandelier, and they also look more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing on the shiny surface of the ceiling.

A modern store of lighting devices can offer lamps for suspended ceilings of completely different colors and shades. Moreover, it is possible to choose the lamp body to the color of the ceiling. The standard colors of the housing parts of the fixtures used to be white, black, gold and silver, but now the whole range of colors is provided in a much wider range. It is also interesting that the color of the light flux can also be chosen independently. If you want to decorate the nursery, you can insert a few pink ones,blue or purple LED lamps that will soften the evening light and immerse in a state of relaxation and complete relaxation.

Or there is an option to install an LED strip with a control panel, through which you can change the shades of light every day or night. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the color actively affects the human condition, so you shouldn’t overload the room with different color streams, it is better to choose the tone, taking into account the fact that color lighting should be no more than 30% of the total fixtures.

Installing lamps in different rooms, you also need to select them for the particular room, as, for example, the bathroom has high humidity, and the kitchen is much warmer than in other rooms of the house or apartment. When installing spotlights or cascading lamps on the ceiling in the bathroom, it should be remembered that they must be sealed, not be afraid of water, as well as high humidity in the room. The best option are halogen lamps with a power of no more than 35 W, since the lower the power, the less damage the lamp will cause during a short circuit.

For the kitchen space, the most important thing is that the luminaires do not have a power greater than 45 W, since with strong heating (from 60 degrees) the coating loses its shape and smells of plastic. It is also necessary to have a side that will hide the mounting ring of the lamp. If a chandelier is installed in the kitchen, then it is necessary that the glass be frosted, so the light streams will diffuse and will not overheat the tension ceiling material. Sometimes, to avoid trouble with overheating, make a coating of fabric material. It looks the same as a regular stretch ceiling, but has excellent characteristics.

In the hall or bedroom lamp power should also not exceed 35-40 watts. It can be both LED and halogen lamps with energy saving function. Ordinary chandeliers are also suitable for such rooms, but with frosted scattering glass.

The hallway is usually connected with a corridor, so this is an elongated room. It is best to install a spotlight here for the correct distribution of light. Lamps should have similar characteristics as in the hall or bedroom.They can be located both on the perimeter and the waves. Or you can install several cascade lamps with movable lamps and direct each to the right place in the corridor, and since the stretch ceiling has an excellent reflecting surface, you will not need many lamps.

Before installing the ceiling, it is best to draw the layout of the lighting, so it will be much easier to calculate the required number of light bulbs, as well as the exact location of the slots in the canvas. There are a number of general rules that will help correctly and beautifully distribute the lamps on the ceiling.

• It is very important that the distance from the wall to the lamp is at least 15-20 centimeters.
• Large lamps or a chandelier should be hung in the center of the room or closer to the working area.
• As a rule, 1 point lamp provides illumination for 1 square meter.

For each room and room there are the most preferred arrangement of lighting lamps. In the bedroom in the center you can hang a small chandelier, and around it place spotlights, or place small lamps in a circle around the entire perimeter of the room or just above the bed.

For the living room ceiling light can take various forms. For example, you can place the lamp in a rectangular pattern, so the space is visually expanding. Or combine the chandelier with the angular location of the spotlights - so the room will be lit at each site. Also, to expand the space, they make a drywall platform in the center or along the perimeter of the room and fix lamps on it, thereby pulling the room out and becoming visually higher.

In the children's room, sometimes spotlights with LED lighting around the perimeter are combined. Very often ribbons come in different colors. In order not to waste time choosing a shade, you can additionally purchase a color management console. Thus, it will be possible to create an imitation of the starry sky, if there is a bluish light around the perimeter, and small spotlights will be placed on the ceiling itself.

For the kitchen space is very important that the light was bright enough and even.Masters advise using spotlights to divide the kitchen into work areas. You can arrange them exactly one after another, along parallel walls or wave-like along the entire perimeter of the ceiling. If the kitchen is large, then it is better to build lamps first around the perimeter of the room, and then create a rectangle in the center of 6 or 8 spotlights.

During the long operation of the ceiling light, there are situations when it is necessary to replace the light bulb or the lamp itself. You can contact the master who installed them, or you can change everything you need and on your own.

As you know, the lamp is hidden in a special platform behind the coating itself, and it is held not by the tension cover, but by the ring platform. Progressive and smooth movements, trying not to touch the ceiling so that there are no traces left, disconnect the lamp from one side. In this mechanism there is a fixing spring that must be held so that it does not pierce the ceiling sheet. After one spring neatly extends beyond the hole, it is possible to remove the entire lamp.

Next, it is completely disconnected from the power supply (you must first turn off the electricity supply in the panel). Then the lamp changes to a new instance.Connecting it to the wiring, you can insert it into the original hole, again holding the spring. After that, the lamp is ready for operation.

If it is necessary to change only a blown bulb, but not the whole lamp, then the following steps should be performed:

• The first step is to disconnect the network.to avoid an accident. Next you need to dismantle the main inner ring, which fixes the lamp, then take hold of the base and carefully, counterclockwise, turn out the spent light bulb (if it is threaded) or remove it from the cartridge.
• Then the lamp is taken up and screwed clockwise into the socket. either inserted into the cartridge, it depends on the type of lamp.
• If necessary, replace the whole chandelier on the ceiling it is also gently disconnected from the mount and the mains, and then removed from the support hook. New chandelier hangs in the reverse order of action.

Usually the process of installing a stretch ceiling and fixtures takes a small amount of time compared to the preparatory stage, namely the choice of ceiling cover and fixtures that are really suitable for this room.First you need to consider the design of the room, the height and width of the room. If the dimensions allow, you can add to the chandelier spotlights built into the suspended ceiling, so the room will be as lit as possible.

In that case, if the ceilings are low, then a compact chandelier with ordinary light bulbs is fine, but most importantly, their power should not be higher than 45 W and they should be 30 cm from the surface. The light should go down, not to the surface of the ceiling. Sometimes for a visual increase in the height of the room they make a tiered ceiling or suspended. For this option, you can pick up the LED strip, which is hidden at the joints and illuminates the room as if from the ceiling. By the way, if you make an order for the design of the ceiling and the installation of lamps in several rooms, it is possible to get the installation of lighting fixtures as a gift from the company.

Today, masters recommend choosing spotlights or track lights for small rooms, as with such lighting it is possible to achieve an increase in space due to the light.Choosing lamps, you need to make sure the quality and integrity of the structure, otherwise there is a risk to hook the stretch ceiling on the chipped or cracked sharp corner of the lamp housing.You also need to try to pick up lights for the overall geometry of the accessories in the room. If all household items are rounded, angular or triangular lamps will violate the overall concept of the room. It is worth choosing lamps also for reasons of practicality of a tension cloth. If it is woven, the range of searches will expand significantly, since the fabric is well tolerated by the heat from the light bulbs. As for polyvinyl chloride, then you should choose lamps with less power, as mentioned earlier. The best option is halogen or LED devices.

It is difficult to say which lamps are better or worse for a stretch ceiling, but some types have several worthy advantages that can play a decisive role in choosing. Most masters advise to give preference to spotlights instead of massive and voluminous chandeliers. This is primarily due to the fact that each lighting device has its own size of the inside, which is hidden in the ceiling niche. As a result, for recessed fixtures it is necessary to reduce the overall height of the ceiling.The size of the niche will depend on the type of luminaire, that is, the more you need to hide the body of the lighting device, the lower the coverage.

As for the paws themselves, it is better to buy LED. Halogen have an aesthetic minus: the reflector on the back side is also highlighted during operation. Thus, a part of the light is passed inside the stretch ceiling, as a result of which all internal fixings and wires are visible. It is also not very convenient to change such a blown bulb. LED lamp on the contrary, does not transmit light to the inside and is easier to replace. Attention should be paid to the fact that in recessed luminaires the light falls at an acute angle and does not diffuse. Therefore, it is best if the bulb protrudes slightly from the base of the plane, thereby smoothly scattering the light around it.

The best option would be recessed lights with cap size GX53. For them, there are both LED and energy-saving light bulbs. At first glance it may seem that it is better to take an economical one, but the LED will last an order of magnitude longer and it lights up almost instantly, unlike its counterpart (you need to warm up the energy-saving paw first to give a full stream of light).

Modern stores provide a wide selection of specialized fixtures for suspended ceilings. Most often, people get recessed spotlights, as they have an affordable price, a large variety of materials for the manufacture of buildings. They can be made of flame retardant plastic, glass, plaster or aluminum. Spotlights can be as an additional, and the main light in the room.

Installers recommend to purchase a lamp to size GX53, as any kind of it is very easy and quick to install. Also, the case will appreciate the variety of colors (chrome, gold, silver, etc.). Thanks to the robust design of the luminaire, a light bulb is easily inserted, which, when properly docked, produces a characteristic click. Another big plus of this model is that you can choose the depth of landing of the bulb itself, thereby adjusting the angle of light flow.

Variants of placement of lamps can be completely different, it all depends on the availability of the required amount. This example shows a very good design of the bedroom.With the help of spotlights, the sleeping place is laconically illuminated, and the light is rather soft and diffuses well around the room. In this case, the main source of lighting is a small chandelier, plus a two-level ceiling, which helps to increase the height of the space. This is also facilitated by spotlights, located equidistantly along the side of the built-in ceiling.

In the same kitchen, lamps provide equivalent lighting, here the work surface for cooking is evenly lit, as well as a dining table. The cascade lamp perfectly complements the interior of the room, as well as the color of the lamps themselves. For lovers of stylish and unusual design of the room suitable artistic display of LED strips. It can be concentric circles, waves or an imitation of the night sky.

How to choose a lamp for suspended ceilings, see in the video.