Caisson ceiling: the pros and cons

Over time and due to technological progress, many building materials and structures are largely improved and acquire a slightly different purpose than they did before. A similar trend is characteristic of coffered ceiling systems, which have undergone some changes, thanks to which they occupy their niche and have a number of characteristic features and characteristics in modern interior decoration.

Ceiling with caissons is a decorative system consisting of individual cells and beams of different designs. Previously, such arrangement of ceilings was carried out in order to reduce the load on the bearing floors of the building. In the castles and estates, these blocks were decorated with handmade carvings, or the surface was covered with precious metals. Such a design was evidence of the high status of the owner of the dwelling, and also allowed to hide from the eye unattractive ceiling piles.

In modern buildings, the relevance of such structures has disappeared, so caissons have become in demand as decorative elements of ceiling surfaces, and due to their aesthetic advantages, they experience a second wave of popularity. Caisson ceilings, which were built earlier, are no longer used in modern building design, since they are a very costly option for home improvement, and their presence does not pay for itself. Today you can find an excellent imitation of caisson ceilings.

The main feature of such structures is their configuration, which contains various recesses, decorated with beams. Installation of ceilings involves the installation of curbs, cornices or a variety of paintings and plaster moldings with the transition to the walls of the room. To realize this, special fasteners are purchased.

Decor using caissons is recommended for rooms with rather high ceilings, since in small rooms they will weight and pile up the interior. Such ceilings increase the room, in residential buildings they are in demand as a decorative component for the arrangement of libraries, billiard rooms, living rooms or bedrooms.In general-purpose buildings, coffered structures can be found in cabinets — such finishing emphasizes the status of an organization.

Caisson structures will help to create a harmonious and comfortable interior style in the houses of the old buildings, where too high ceilings do not give comfort - there is a need to lower them a little. Thanks to these elements, the room will become more comfortable for the person's pastime, the feeling of a big box will disappear.

Aesthetics and comfort - this is not all the properties and features possessed by the design. The decor will easily hide the defects of the ceiling covering, due to which there will be no need to carry out work on leveling the base, in addition, the system will become a kind of storage for ventilation devices, wiring and other essential elements in a dwelling or office space. Ceilings will delight their geometry, as well as provide protection from deformation. In addition to the aesthetic component, caissons can improve the acoustics of the room.

Such an original element of the interior has a number of positive characteristics:

• the thickness of the section of materials used to create sections and the entire device of the caisson ceiling increases the overall sound insulation of the room;
• the external attractiveness and versatility of this decor allows you to combine it with the interior design in any chosen style: art deco, hi-tech and others;
• When using natural raw materials, the “ventilation effect” in the room increases, which contributes to the creation of a healthy microclimate.

It is worth saying that the use of coffered structures has some drawbacks, but they are not related to the quality of the material and the general idea. The disadvantages of caissons include the rather high cost of products and installation. For example, you cannot do the installation of a wooden array with your own hands and without special skills, since natural raw materials do not belong to lightweight materials - to accomplish the task, several specialists will need help.However, an alternative, for example, the use of drywall or MDF panels, can eliminate this drawback.

The disadvantages also include a rather laborious installation of the structure, which is preceded by a mandatory calculation of the necessary material and preparation for the work.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of the ceiling, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the room, as well as to get acquainted with the types of coffered structures. They can be classified on the basis of the material that was used during manufacture:

• Wooden coffered ceiling - the safest option in terms of environmental friendliness of raw materials. When installing such sections on the basis of the health of the household is not to worry - most often for the production of elements take wood of oak, walnut or ash. The natural texture of wooden components creates a truly distinctive composition on the ceiling.

• MDF construction - more budget view, which will be an excellent alternative to wooden construction. The panels will cost several times cheaper, and if they correctly design the base, the result will be a high-quality and beautiful decor for the ceiling surface.In addition, the material is easy to attach to the coating, but the products have a low level of resistance to moisture, quickly ignite and are unstable to mechanical stress.

• Plasterboard ceilings also have a small cost. They are recommended for rooms with large window openings, the interior of which is made in the Empire or Baroque style. If the surface becomes dirty over time, you should not wash it - it is best to re-paint it. The device of caisson ceilings made of plasterboard is impossible without a frame, which is decorated with gypsum cornice. In this design, additional lighting equip. There is the possibility of a device of a similar design and without a frame, that is, the caissons themselves, which are interconnected, are made of this material - this variant is distinguished by its laconic appearance.

• Caisson ceilings are also made of cardboard.. The beams are glued to the carpenter's glue, and the texture of the elements is set using a self-adhesive film that mimics a variety of relief.

• There are systems from polyurethane. They belong to the group of expensive coffered ceilings, but the result from their device on the ceiling justifies the money spent. The elements have a minimum mass compared to wood. The design is produced according to individual sizes, due to which the material does not need to be additionally cut for fastening. This feature reduces the time to work on the installation of the decor.

All components are symmetrical to each other, but there are different shades. With proper selection of lighting products take an even more refined look. The products are resistant to fire and moisture.

The ceiling, made of plywood, will give the depth and volume of the surface decoration sections. The material has soundproofing properties and attractiveness. Having finished the assembly of the decor from plywood sheets, the structure is treated with varnish or stain.

Due to the fact that the system of coffered ceilings is very peculiar, the surface decoration should be carried out taking into account certain Design recommendations:

• Some stylistic directions in the creation of the interior will not be able to harmoniously combine with such decorative solutions.
• The use of proper lighting in the room where the caisson structures will be used contributes to the greater attractiveness of the surface. Since the insufficient level of illumination will make the ceiling completely faded and inexpressive, it is better to additionally equip it with lighting.
• Natural wood caissons should match the color and shade of the pieces of furniture in the room, as well as be the same tone as the floor covering. Thus, it will turn out to make the interior complete and harmonious.

• Designers recommend correctly selecting the size of the construction cells based on the area of ​​the room - large rooms are decorated with small niches, and rooms with modest dimensions are decorated with large-sized cells.
• To caissons did not focus only on themselves, the ceiling should be performed in bright colors. White lacunar designs are a good option.
• Dark sections are recommended to be used in rooms with high walls - due to their presence it visually decreases.size of the walls.

To make a caisson ceiling on your own, It is recommended to follow the general rules of work:

• This decor can not be done in every room - it is directly related to the height of the ceiling. Therefore, before you engage in the arrangement of decompression structures, you need to make sure that the height complies with these recommendations. It is also possible to work with rooms with low ceilings, but for this purpose the caissons should be light.
• Apartments with low ceilings are decorated with beams near the door and window openings. Thus, a contrast and imitation of the depressions is created, due to which the area of ​​the room visually increases.
• Dark furniture and minimal lighting with coffered ceiling structures will make the room dull and gloomy.
• Brown decoration will make it possible to reduce the room.
• The project of the future construction needs to be thought out in advance. It will be useful to use wallpaper canvases with a different ornament: applique or painting.

After creating the sketch, it is necessary to find the center of the room and draw from it on the basis of a draft drawing of the future structure.On the scheme you need to mark the places where the lighting devices will be placed. Wallpapers on the ceiling can be any: with a pattern or in a single-color design. Billets can be purchased in already specified sizes - they are usually offered in the form of ready-made squares or individual beams. The first option is fastened much faster.

Before starting work, please note that the distance from the wall to the first cell should be about 15 cm. The installation of the beams must be carried out carefully to eliminate the occurrence of emergency situations. The use of special twine during installation will allow you to strictly follow the project of placing the components of the structure.

After the installation of the bars, it is the turn of installation of the panels - for this purpose, construction brackets are used. Gaps and gaps can be hidden with small slats, due to which caissons will add volume.

Making rooms in country cottages in the Scandinavian style is a very popular destination. Light tones give a feeling of depth and spaciousness, and white caissons made of wood will best fit into the overall style.

Brown caissons with integrated lighting in the cells emphasize the classic interior design. The massiveness of the beams due to the lighting will not look too cumbersome, and a room with a harmonious combination of colors of the furniture and the ceiling will become a cozy place for a pleasant family pastime.

You can learn more about the installation process of the caisson ceiling from the following video.