The peculiarity of apartments in Stalin buildings is not only the improved layout with large areas, but also the significant height of the premises. In this regard, repairing a ceiling in a Stalin building with wooden floors is quite a labor-intensive task. Depending on the degree of damage to the ceiling finish and base, different repair options may be carried out. In some houses, it will be necessary to further strengthen the floors. Repairing the ceiling in a wooden house with your own hands is, in principle, similar to the same work in buildings of Stalin’s times, so the information will also be useful to owners of private houses.
Design features: secrets of low and high ceilings
The main feature of the design of ceilings with beams is that they need to be positioned correctly. If positioned well, these details will add space and comfort to the room. If you make a mistake, on the contrary, they will make the ceiling low and oppressive.
In conditions where the beams are built-in and load-bearing, the entire interior has to be designed for them.
The management authority must carry out routine repairs of common property regardless of the need for major repairs
The cornice is part of the common property of an apartment building, which must be maintained in proper condition: to ensure compliance with the reliability and safety characteristics of the apartment building, safety for the life and health of citizens, and the safety of their property (clause 10 of RF PP No. 491).
After signing a management agreement with the owners of the premises, the management organization is responsible for the condition of the common property, including responsibility for its improper maintenance and failure to eliminate violations and damage (Part 2 of Article 162 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation).
Clause 4.6.1.2 of Rules No. 170 imposes on the management organization the responsibility to eliminate deformation in roof load-bearing structures. The eaves of a house are a roof element that affects the insulation and strength of the roof; it protects the walls of the house from moisture.
The court did not accept the management organization’s argument that major work was needed to repair this element as a basis for declaring the order of the State Housing Inspectorate body illegal. The agency demanded that the management organization eliminate the violations, but the organization decides for itself how to comply with the order.
The need for major repairs in itself is not a circumstance that excludes the obligation to maintain the common property of the house in proper condition and carry out routine repairs. This position coincides with the conclusions of other courts in similar cases, for example, No. A17-6634/2017.
The fact that the house is included in the short-term capital repair plan does not relieve the MA from its obligations to properly maintain the common property of the house in order to ensure safe and favorable living conditions.
High ceilings
In such rooms there is more color choice. Designs that are dark and contrast with the ceiling canvas will allow you to structure the space and make it psychologically comfortable.
Again, a heavy beam is better suited for this. Light-colored products will slightly expand the space.
Concrete structures
It makes sense to make concrete structures the main axis of the interior composition - that’s when they will look harmonious in the room.
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Types of materials and beams
First of all, it is worth dividing the beams into built-in and decorative. And if everything is simpler with decorative elements, then it is impossible to remove or move built-in and, as a rule, load-bearing elements. They not only need to be taken into account when developing the design, but most likely the entire interior must be developed in relation to these details.
Built-in beams are usually load-bearing. Moreover, they are quite large in size and have a pressing appearance.
Interior exposed beam ceilings are the most challenging in interior design. It is for the correction of these moments that these instructions for finishing the ceiling with beams are important.
If such elements are present, it is better to place the interior composition along the beams, and there should be no people under the beams. That is, you should not install sofas, armchairs or a work table under them.
Wooden beams from load-bearing floors are usually found in country houses. These elements do not put so much pressure and rather decorate the ceiling. Their direction is simply important to take into account when planning a room.
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Decorative beams are the simplest option. After all, here you can choose both the color and the arrangement of the elements so that they work for the room and the comfort in it. They can be plastic, foam, wood or MDF.
For such beams, it is better to choose wood - it will add comfort and warmth and make the interior more authentic. A more budget option is plastic parts, stylized as wood.
How to fix a sagging shingle ceiling in an old house
Owners of old houses know from their own experience that in those distant times the buildings were built conscientiously and that is why there is no doubt about their reliability and durability. However, old buildings also have their own Achilles heel, in this case we are talking about the shingle ceiling. Of course, this method of finishing the ceiling copes with its task perfectly for the time being, but over time it also becomes unusable, spoiling the appearance of the home and interfering with the comfort of the household.
That is why, among owners of old houses, the issue of repairing sagging shingle ceilings is becoming increasingly relevant every year. Below we will describe this procedure in more detail.
What is shingles and what are the reasons for its sagging?
The ceiling structure in the form of shingles is a mesh ceiling made of wooden slats and attached to wooden ceiling beams. The shingles are the basis for further finishing of the ceiling, onto which a thick layer of plaster is applied. After complete installation and finishing, the shingled ceiling looks great and performs its functions reliably.
But over time, the shingles may begin to sag; the reasons for this are most often exposure to moisture and strong mechanical loads. Simply put, due to leaks, the wooden mesh begins to rot, the shingles slats sag, and under the weight of a thick layer of plaster, they sag to the bottom and become unusable. To save the ceiling and put the ceiling in order, you need to begin immediate repair work at the first sign of surface deformation.
Stages of shingle ceiling repair
If the ceiling as a whole is still suitable and has only partially sunk, then you can still try to save it. The main stages of the work are as follows:
- Complete cleaning of the damaged area. To get to damaged ceiling slats, you will first need to scrape off a layer of plaster coating. Be prepared for the fact that this process will require a lot of effort and time. Beat off the plaster with a hammer and remove all construction debris;
- Fixing the leak. If you do not want your work to be in vain and the situation with the sagging ceiling to repeat itself in the future, then take care of the source of the problem - a leak in the ceiling. Gain access to the attic, find the weak spot in your roof and repair it. After this, take care of the shingles on the inside of the attic - remove all debris from the ceiling, seal the gaps between the wooden beams with mastic, and protect the ceiling from possible leaks;
- Replacement of slats. Once back indoors, take care of the slats: remove old, damaged and rotten pieces of wood mesh and replace them with new slats. Install new shingles using nails, simply nail them to the main ceiling beams;
- Plastering works. Now it's time to seal the joints between the repaired area and the one that did not suffer from sagging. When the transition of the old slats to the new one is smoothed and secured, you need to take care of plastering the entire replaced section of the wooden mesh, apply a thick layer of plaster mixture to it and level it with the rest of the ceiling surface;
- Clean finish. The final stage of repairing sagging ceiling shingles involves finishing the surface. After the thick layer of plaster has dried, you can give the entire ceiling area the desired appearance, for example, paint it, wallpaper it, etc.
And finally, I would like to give some advice. If the ceiling in your home is too damaged, and you suspect that the work on its reconstruction will be too labor-intensive, long and most likely will not meet your expectations, then you should not even begin the repair process. Replace shingle ceilings with more modern materials and designs, such as drywall. Such a decision will save your nerves, strength, time, finances, and will certainly protect you from similar problems in the future.
Ways to decorate and create an atmosphere
The best ideas for ceilings with beams involve primarily a contrast of materials or colors.
Light glossy stretch ceilings with matte velvet wooden beams will make the space deep and mesmerizing. Another option is possible - a dark canvas in contrast with the white ceilings.
For rooms with high ceilings, clapboard decor is suitable. It can be painted the same color as the beams or, vice versa, made contrasting. The main thing is that with the help of lining you can also direct attention indoors.
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The simplest option is to varnish the wooden beams and paint the ceiling in a contrasting white color. The same can be done with concrete floors, creating a contrast of colors.
The only disadvantage of this method: for low ceilings this option will be too oppressive and heavy.
Redecorating
DIY wallpapering in the house
It is quite possible that you just wanted to update the interior, and there are no particular problems with the ceiling surface. Your task is to refresh the decorative coating.
It is usually complicated by the fact that it is not possible to empty the room of furniture and belongings, especially in a one-room apartment. You have to constantly move the furniture, cover it so as not to get it dirty, but nothing can be done.
High-quality preparation is the key to a beautiful coating
The dirtiest job is stripping the ceiling of old whitewash. The operation is labor-intensive and requires careful execution.
To do this, use a roller with a long handle, which is moistened in water and rolled over the ceiling, allowing the whitewash to become moistened. After this, it will be easy to clean off with a spatula.
- But not all paint can be removed so easily! This cleaning method is well suited for lime, chalk and water-based whitewash. All other paints can be removed using a special cleaner. Each type of paint has its own wash.
- Further actions will depend on how exactly you want to finish the surface. All types of painting and gluing work require preliminary priming of the surface, which improves the adhesion of the decorative layer to the base.
- The cleaned surface is treated with a universal primer using the same roller. This tool is simply irreplaceable in repairs. It is necessary at all stages of repair: cleaning, priming, painting.
- Preparation for painting requires the most thorough preparation of the surface. Even if you did not touch the old layer of putty when cleaning, and it is relatively smooth, it may still have small cracks and scratches from the spatula. Therefore they need to be puttied.
Ready-made gypsum paste for DIY finishing in the house
If the amount of work is small, you can take ready-made gypsum putty paste, which is sold in plastic buckets of various packaging. Seal all the recesses with a spatula, let the putty dry, sand it with fine sandpaper and apply another layer of primer.
Simple but original design
After this you can start painting. Depending on the specific room where the ceiling is located, you can choose acrylic or latex paint. Modern water-dispersion paints are not only matte, but can also have varying degrees of gloss.
- If you think at least a little about the design, you can implement several options with your own hands. For example, stick a polyurethane rosette with a beautiful relief around the chandelier, which can match the paint or contrast with it. In this case, you can also stick a frieze around the perimeter.
- And in general, polyurethane stucco molding can even make renovations in the hallway unforgettable, not to mention other rooms. Together with a beautiful chandelier, such a ceiling will look very rich, especially if the volumetric relief on the stucco elements is covered with gold.
- You can decorate the surface in another way. Take a stencil, fix it in the right place with masking tape, and apply the design with paint of a different color, which can harmonize, for example, with the shade of the wall covering or home textiles.
- The picture above is a wonderful example of such a finish, and its price will definitely not go beyond your budget. By the way, to make a stencil design in the corners or along its perimeter, you can use fluorescent paint, and then the contours of the ceiling will stand out in the dark.
- You can also decorate the ceiling using paintable wallpaper. In this case, you will also have a beautiful relief on the ceiling.
- You can also combine several of the options proposed above. For example, wallpaper can be pasted only in the center in the form of a panel, using a frieze to frame it. Photo wallpaper will look even better as a panel.
Beam placement options
Beams along the room make the ceilings higher. At the same time, it is important that they do not “cut” the people below. That is, it is better to place the bed for sleeping along these parts.
Beams across the room. For high ceilings they will look harmonious. With low ceilings, it is imperative to use glossy surfaces for the space between them: stretch ceilings, paint or varnish.
Nuances
The effectiveness of sound insulation depends on the correct selection of materials, compliance with installation features, and adherence to basic rules. Among the latter are:
- The insulation should not place excessive load on the floors, but should be reliable and effective.
- To avoid violations of the hygiene of premises, environmentally friendly materials are installed. Low quality insulation affects the comfort of staying in the room.
- Achieving this goal is possible only if the sound insulation installation technology is followed. Neglecting installation nuances can affect the quality of noise absorption.
Assessing the feasibility of sound insulation, competent selection of materials, and correct installation guarantee effective protection of a house with wooden floors from unwanted background noise.
Style combinations
Unfortunately, beamed ceilings are quite limiting when it comes to styles. The following styles are best suited, as can be seen in the photo of ceilings with beams:
- Scandinavian
- Loft
- Hi-tech
Scandinavian style is achieved in the interior simply by the presence of wooden beams. It is best to set them off with matte ceiling painting and different light sources in the room.
It makes sense to choose loft or high-tech for rooms with load-bearing concrete or metal structures.
The lighting here, on the contrary, can be spotty and monochromatic. This will bring a certain rigor and rhythm to the space.