Finishing the ceiling with MDF panels is one of the easiest ways to decorate the ceiling in an apartment or a private house. The material has good heat and sound insulation properties.
Material description
The raw material for the production of the material is a finely dispersed fraction of waste from the woodworking industry. The chips are compressed under high pressure. In the process, a substance is released that has the properties of an adhesive. It binds waste particles. In the manufacture of the plate body itself, formaldehyde and other substances harmful to the body are not used, as a result of which the material is more environmentally friendly than chipboard. However, when creating decorative coatings for some grades of MDF, melamine resin is used, which cannot be called harmless.
The reliability of fixing MDF is ensured by its higher density compared to chipboard, due to which fasteners are better retained in the body of the board. After some time after installing the chipboard, the holes may loosen, the screws fall out of them. It is impossible to restore the damaged part; during re-installation, it will be attached to other places. MDF is a more durable material that can withstand a large payload.
A decorative coating is applied on top of the slabs. The most environmentally friendly option is natural veneer. With a high-quality performance, the surface lined with such products is difficult to distinguish from a solid array. For living rooms, such products are excellent, but in rooms with humid air (kitchen, bathroom), the veneer can begin to flake off.
Laminated panels are also common. Most often, melamine resin is applied over the paper patterned coating during their manufacture. Recently, more environmentally friendly products have appeared, where an acrylate composition is used instead.
Types of MDF panel configuration
Before attaching MDF to the ceiling, you need to decide on the format of the panels. They differ in size.
Rack type
The most common option. In terms of execution, such products are in many ways similar to lining. Due to their ease of installation, they are recommended for homeowners who do not have experience in ceiling finishing.
Full-size sheets
Large-sized format, initially sharpened for the production of furniture, but also suitable for cladding. It has a great length (240 cm and more) and a width of at least a meter. If the homeowner decides to make a two-level ceiling structure, it is best for him to stay with the sheets.
Squares or rectangles
Panels of the same type, square or rectangular, can have different dimensions of the sides (from 30 cm to one meter). They are good in that the identical format of all elements allows you to calculate in advance how many items you need to purchase. They are often used in commercial premises.
Advantages and disadvantages
The material is one of the most accessible and easy to use. Fastening of panels to a wall or ceiling surface can also be carried out by a person without experience. At the same time, the coating looks presentable. Installation of panels also improves the thermal insulation of the room. The advantages include low cost.
The disadvantages of the material are flammability and some susceptibility to moisture. Although panels are not as prone to deterioration from water as raw solid wood products, it is not a good idea to attach them to bathroom walls.
The possibility of ignition is a characteristic that unites all products, the raw material for which is wood and the building materials obtained from it.
Required tools and materials
You can fix MDF panels to the ceiling using different methods. For mounting on glue and on a lathing frame, the set of tools will be different. The panels themselves are cut with an electric jigsaw. If not, you can use a hacksaw for wooden building materials. To cut a metal profile in the manufacture of a frame structure, you will need special scissors. It is most convenient to fix the connection elements with a screwdriver. You will also need a perforator for work, equipped with a drill with a victorious tip, if you have to deal with a concrete ceiling, or a drill (for a wooden house). For marking procedures, you need a pencil, a construction tape and a level.
Options for attaching MDF panels to the ceiling
Products can be glued to the surface or mounted on a frame made of wood or metal.
On glue
Fixing MDF with glue is the easiest way of facing. However, it is more suitable for walls, since a product attached to the ceiling can fall under the weight of its weight. The surface is primed and after the mixture has dried, the panels are mounted, smearing the inside of the product with construction glue.
Lathing
Installation on such a crate is suitable for a private house. In urban apartments, the ceiling height is usually low, the creation of a hinged structure will reduce it even more, which can be inconvenient for residents. A crate is made of carefully dried slats with a minimum thickness of 3-4 cm.If you make them thinner, there is a high probability of cracking when working with fasteners. The cladding is made parallel to the wall, the length of which does not exceed the size of the rail or other unit of material. You can fix the planks to the wooden ceiling with simple self-tapping screws. When working with a floor slab, it is necessary to drill holes in advance, install a plastic dowel inside and attach the strip using self-tapping screws. The depth of their screwing in should be at least 5 cm.
For metal lathing, metal profiles of types CD and UD are used. The frame from them turns out to be very stable: there are no risks that it will lead or that it deforms from temperature changes that occur when working with wood.
Installation instructions
It is necessary to buy a sufficient number of profiles and screws in advance.
Sheathing of MDF ceiling using a metal frame:
- Using the level, they find the lowest lowered corner of the ceiling and mark the horizon at the remaining corners.
- Having stepped back at least 5 cm, draw the horizontal perimeter.
- Fix the UD profiles in the same way as for the wooden battens.
CD elements are mounted in the grooves. Before installing them, perforated hangers are attached to the ceiling with a step of 1 m. After installing the CD components, the wings of the hangers must be bent and reinforced with small self-tapping screws at the edges.
Then you can sew with panels. The fasteners used for this must be designed to work with metal.
