The goal of any cosmetic repair is to improve the appearance of the home, and it is desirable that the financial and physical costs at the same time turn out to be not very high. As a rule, the owners of apartments first of all tidy up the walls, floors and ceilings, because the fine appearance of housing depends on their appearance. If these surfaces are straight and smooth, then any kind of finish will look nice and neat on them. Recently, stretch ceilings have gained particular popularity, which are famous for their high strength properties, aesthetics, as well as the relative ease of installation. But here’s a caveat: lighting plays a special role here, and the installation of lighting devices must be carried out in accordance with special technical standards – due to the specific properties of the material.

For glossy stretch ceilings, lighting plays a special role, so you need to choose appliances very carefully.

The structural features of stretch ceilings are such that they allow you to avoid lengthy work on cleaning and leveling the base surfaces, because all defects will be hidden from prying eyes behind a perfectly even canvas stretched on an aluminum or plastic baguette (profile).

The advantages of stretch ceilings are undeniable: they are distinguished by a high degree of reliability, have a long service life, are able to withstand very serious loads (which often saves housing from flooding during utility accidents), practically do not absorb odors, and are relatively easy to install. Even behind the cloth, you can remove wiring, cables, any hard-hitting seams. Among the shortcomings, it should be noted that such ceilings do not withstand low temperature conditions well, and can also be easily damaged by the careless movement of any sharp object. In this regard, the question arises, how to choose and install lighting fixtures on a stretch ceiling? There is nothing complicated here, you just need to understand the nuances.

The choice of lighting fixtures for stretch ceilings has its own characteristics. This is due to the fact that their design is based on a polyester or PVC fabric, which is installed just a few centimeters below the usual ceiling. The material from which PVC panels are made has an increased sensitivity to high temperatures, and above 80 ° C it begins to deform, lose shape, in other words, stretch. If in the house the installation of a structure with a polyester fabric was carried out, then you can not be afraid of its deformations. However, there is another problem: the color of the fabric will begin to change. Most likely, a clear yellowness or dark ugly spots will appear on the surface. By the way, if the installation of lighting fixtures is incorrect, the result will be just as deplorable.

When choosing a chandelier for stretch ceilings, the main thing to remember is that the panel should not be heated above 60 C

Based on the data obtained, when choosing and installing lighting fixtures on a stretch ceiling, several factors should be taken into account:

-The cloth cannot be heated, so the lamps should not be placed close, but at some distance from it;

-When buying electric light bulbs, be sure to pay attention to their power, since overheating of the fabric is not allowed;

-The best would be the purchase of energy-saving lamps, which, although they are much more expensive, but they guarantee you high-quality lighting and safe operation of the stretch ceiling.

When choosing lighting fixtures, pay special attention to the mounts that will be installed not on a stretched panel, but on the base surface. You will have to think in advance about the number of lamps and their location, since the fabric will have to be cut at the places where the lamps are fixed to their base. You should not purchase lamps that have an overly complex mounting system: such models can subject the panel to unnecessary deformation. The same applies to lamps in the form of flat plates, as they are installed on a thin and unreliable base, which greatly increases the risk of overheating of the stretch ceiling.

For glossy stretch ceilings, experts recommend purchasing lamps with shades. This is due to the fact that the polished surface has a high light reflection coefficient, so open lamps, instead of a cozy and pleasant atmosphere, will create an annoying environment in your home with harsh, even somewhat “hospital” lighting.

If you want to install LED or halogen lamps at home, then this is done using power converters. Due to the high risk of overheating of the canvas, they cannot be placed between the main and stretch ceilings, so you will have to build a roomy, comfortable, well-ventilated niche in which they will be located. The wires are securely fixed over the tension panel.

So, what kind of lighting fixtures will be optimal for stretch ceilings? The answer is simple: these are all kinds of chandeliers with shades. When choosing them, pay attention to the size of the suspension – it must be long, then you will not be in danger of overheating the cloth. Another important point is the presence of reflectors (thin plates made of stainless steel or chrome-plated steel), which not every chandelier has.

An excellent solution for stretch ceilings will be spot lighting

Chandeliers are vertical and horizontal. If you have rooms with low ceilings, then try to get a model no more than 1000 mm in diameter. Most likely, it will have several multidirectional horns that can illuminate your room with high quality. If you need to buy a chandelier in a room with high ceilings, then feel free to buy a vertical structure of about 35-55 in diameter up to 1000 mm long. This design will keep the lamps away from the stretch fabric, and at the same time will perfectly cope with its “illuminating” task. Another great solution for ceilings of any height will be the organization of spot lighting.

Whatever type of chandelier you choose for your home, try to get a model in which the lamps will fit in the shades or horns pointing down. So you protect the stretch ceiling from overheating and subsequent deformation as much as possible.

There are two main ways to fix lighting fixtures if you have stretch ceilings installed at home:

– Installation of a chandelier on an anchor hook;

-Installation of the chandelier on the mounting plate.

In both cases, the lighting device is fixed on the main surface, which is then hidden behind a polyester or PVC panel.