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Different Kinds of Ceiling Finishes
The Many DIfferent Ceiling Styles and Finishes
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The
Medieval age saw the rise of awe-inspiring Cathedrals that even with
today's construction technology will be quite challenging to duplicate.
The Medieval man had this quest of reaching out to the heavens as
exemplified by the spires and vaulted ceilings of the Middle Ages.
Frescoes, executed by great artists of those times like Michelangelo,
were commissioned by the church to further give emphasis to "looking up
and reaching out" to heaven.
Today, the market is
flooded with different ceiling finishing materials. There is no need
for a "Michelangelo" to do your ceiling "frescoes" as you can readily
buy a roll of decorative sheet and glue the sheet yourself on the
ceilings. However, the great ceiling styles of the past are still being
employed up to now. Though most homes have flat ceilings to conform to
the generic construction materials available in the market, there are
buildings that depart from the norm for aesthetics or structural
functions.
Basic Ceiling Styles
Architects
strive to give their clients unique, functional and aesthetically
pleasing designs. The ceiling is one great feature to do details on as
its wide expanse draws one's attention to it. There are different
ceiling styles that were used and still being used today. Modern
construction technology no longer requires decades to construct
magnificent ceilings.
- Conventional ceiling - It is usually 2.40 metres high to fit standard construction material. The finishing is usually drywall or plaster.
- Suspended ceiling -
It is also a type of conventional ceiling. The difference is that a
suspended ceiling is flat ceiling built under an existing ceiling.
- Cathedral ceiling - As the name implies, this is a sloping ceiling attached to the trusses of the roof up to the ridge.
- Shed ceiling - This
type is similar to a cathedral ceiling but only one side is sloped.
However the rise of the ceiling is not as steep as the cathedral type.
- Vaulted ceiling
- This type has an angle or arch that starts from the top of walls or
columns to the ceiling for a dramatic, high and spacious feel.
- Tray ceilings- This type aims to resemble an upside down tray. The centre is flat with side sloping from the walls.
- Cove ceiling - This type is actually a flat ceiling that has rounded corners joining the ceiling and the wall.
Different Ceiling Finishes
Just
like the walls of a house, the ceiling has to be decorated or
"finished" to some extent. A building's ceiling is in direct proportion
to its floor that is why special consideration should be attributed to a
ceiling's finishing too.
Plaster - Plastering
is probably the "oldest" form of finishing there is known to modern
construction. Even the great Cathedrals centuries ago used plaster for
their interior finishing. Plastering has evolved over the centuries.
There are now various techniques to make your plaster finish more
interesting.
o Plain Plaster -This is plain cement plastering that could be used as base for other types of ceiling finishing.
o Sand face plastering - A
cement mortar with a 1:4 cement and coarse sand ratio is applied. After
a week, the second coat is applied this time in a 1:3 ratio. The result
is a plaster finish that has a sandy look and feel.
o Rough Cast Plaster - The plaster is a mix of sand and gravel splattered on wet cement plaster. The finishing has a rustic feel.
o Pebbled Dash Plaster - It is the same as rough cast plaster but 6mm pebbles are used instead.
Drywall - Is
the term applied to a method of construction using gypsum boards. These
are panels made of gypsum plaster that is pressed between thick sheets
of paper then kiln dried. This method of construction and material is
easier and faster to install that plastering. There are different types
of drywall materials available in any home depot. There is the regular
white board from ¼' to ¾' thick. Some subtypes that came out in the last
two decades are: fire-resistant boards; blueboard; greenboard; cement
board; soundboard or acoustical board; soundproof drywall;
mould-resistant boards; foil-backed drywall; ceiling boards that are
stiffer than the regular ½" boards and of course the environboard, which
is needless to say is made of recycled materials.
There
are drywall ceiling finishing that can add interest to a flat drywall
ceiling. Some of these textures are now being used extensively in modern
structures as they are cost-effective and simple to
Schedule
apply to a point.
Read more:
The Different Styles and Finishes of Ceilings
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