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Floor-to-ceiling curtains are the latest trend in interior design. It is realized with the help of ceiling cornices, which just allow you to close the entire space. We will discuss how to fix the ceiling cornice and how to hang curtains on it.
How far from the wall to mount
The first question that arises when you start installing the cornice over the window is how far from the corner it should be fixed. Close? Stepping back 10 cm? 20 cm?
In fact, the distance can be from 8 to 15-20 cm. It is determined depending on the location of the heating radiators and / or the window sill. The cornice should be placed so that the tulle and curtains hang freely, without touching either one or the other. Firstly, this way the drapery lies perfectly, secondly, it is better for fabrics, and thirdly, air circulation is better, which is important during the heating season.
Fastener installation step
Some plastic ceiling moldings have pre-drilled mounting holes. In this case, the manufacturer has provided for the load, you just need to install fasteners in each hole. Fasteners are sometimes included. If it is not available, when choosing dowels, do not forget about the shape and size of the screw heads. The cap should be larger than the diameter of the hole. Moreover, the difference should be solid – at least 2 mm, but better – more. If the hat is too small, there is a chance that the cornice (especially with heavy blackout curtains) may fall off. As a solution in this case, the use of washers of a larger diameter.
If there are no holes in the cornice profile, you need to drill them yourself. The optimal distance is 50-60 cm. If there are two tracks in the profile where fasteners can be installed, we make holes in a checkerboard pattern. So the load is more evenly distributed and reliability is higher.
When you drill holes in the eaves plank, take the drill equal to the diameter of the body of the dowel or self-tapping screw. The hat on the underside should be straight – this way the case will be well pressed against the plane of the ceiling.
Installation of a ceiling cornice to a concrete floor
The procedure for attaching the ceiling cornice is not too complicated, but if the length of the product is more than two meters, an assistant will be required. In addition to fasteners, you only need a drill and a screwdriver with a suitable slot.
Prepare
Before attaching the ceiling cornice, it is necessary to carry out some preparatory work. The first thing we do is adjust the length. If everything suits you, great. If you need to cut off the excess – you need a hacksaw. The canvas is desirable for plastic, but also suitable for metal. If the cornice is assembled, remove the plugs and turns (if any), cut off the excess, then return everything to its place – turn, plug.
If the mounting holes are not drilled at the factory, you will have to make them yourself. We start with markup. Mark so that the distance between adjacent screws is no more than 50-60 cm. If there are junctions, then step back from the joint 5-10 cm on both sides. For better load distribution, it is better to stagger the mounting holes.
After the marks are set, we drill mounting holes in the plastic. Use a drill that is equal in diameter to the dimensions of the fastener. More is undesirable, but less is also not good – plastic can crack when twisted.
After all the holes are ready, if the eaves are prefabricated, assemble all the parts. You can not install a decorative bar (if any). She will only interfere.
How to strengthen
In most apartments and in many private houses, the ceiling is a concrete slab. Accordingly, we take a drill on concrete. The diameter of the drill must be taken according to the size of the dowel. We proceed according to the plan:
- We apply the assembled cornice to the ceiling, level it.
- With a simple pencil or marker, mark the attachment points.
- We drill holes, trying to get exactly on the marks. The depth is equal to the length of the plastic insert. To make it easier to control, you can stick a strip of electrical tape on the drill.
Already fixed but no curtains - Insert the plastic part of the dowel into the hole. It should be flush with the ceiling. The protruding parts will interfere with installation, so either deepen the hole or cut off the excess plastic.
- After all the plastic parts of the dowels are installed, if the decorative strip is attached to the grooves (not with Velcro), install it. “Latching” is far from always possible, so it’s not worth hoping that you install “later”. Most often, you have to put on this bar gradually, moving along the grooves as if on rails. You can’t do this on the ceiling, you have to remove the already mounted cornice. As you can see, it does not improve the mood.
- Attach the cornice assembly to the marks. First we install fasteners at the edges and in the center. If the cornice is long, we fix the two halves with an additional one or two dowels. So that the plastic does not sag. The following installation order is arbitrary.
That, in fact, is all. You know how to fix the ceiling cornice to the concrete floor. If the floor is wooden, it is still easier: there is no need for pre-installation of dowels. After all, wood screws are usually used. In this case, the eaves are leveled and self-tapping screws are immediately placed in the mounting holes. It is more convenient to follow the same order: along the edges and in the center, and then – as it turns out.
If the ceiling is plasterboard
If it was decided to install a ceiling cornice at the stage of repair, most likely there is a special niche in which it is installed. In this case, it is attached to the ceiling, and how to attach the ceiling cornice to concrete and hardwood floors is described above. It will be a little more difficult, since freedom of action is limited, but not critical.
Maybe the second option – without a niche. In the place of installation of the cornice, a mortgaged wooden beam is fixed. It is located between the drywall and the main floor. In this case, the ceiling cornice is attached to the beam through drywall. It is necessary to use self-tapping screws for wood of sufficient length so that in the body of the beam there is at least 2/3 of the length (more is better).
But if you decide to replace the cornice with a ceiling one after the repair, you will have to look for special fasteners. These are the so-called butterfly dowels and snails. Both are distinguished by an increased contact area with the material, due to which the load is distributed over a large surface. But still, it is better not to use heavy fabrics.
Both types of drywall fasteners – butterfly dowel and snail dowel – are made of plastic and metal. Stronger, clear metal. But the trick is that, most likely, not a dowel, but drywall will not withstand a high load. And to prevent this from happening, reduce the installation step of the fasteners. For example, you can make 40-45 cm. This will increase the complexity, but will give at least some hope that the structure will not collapse.
Installation on a stretch ceiling
In the case of a stretch ceiling, it is possible to fix the ceiling cornice only to a pre-installed embedded beam. It is fixed before the canvas is stretched. When fastening, wood screws are used, they are attached immediately to the beam through the ceiling canvas.
The second option is a niche for installing a cornice, but it is also made during the installation of the ceiling and not later. In this case, there is also a wooden beam, but a guide for a stretch ceiling is attached to it.
There are no options for installation on an already finished stretch ceiling. There is a real compromise – fastening to the wall on brackets just under the ceiling. There is a gap to the ceiling, but it is small and not too noticeable.
Mounting the ceiling cornice to the wall
For cases with a stretch or plasterboard ceiling, there is another installation option – on special brackets that are attached to the wall. In this case, the distance from the corner is determined by the parameters of the bracket. They are with longitudinal slits that allow you to adjust the length to your liking. There are several holes at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. Wall mounting brackets usually come with mounting plates that are attached to the plastic case with four small self-tapping screws. The mounting step for wall mounting is the same – 50-60 cm, two stops are placed at the joints, stepping back from the joint 10-15 cm.
How to fix the ceiling cornice to the wall? The installation procedure is the same as in the case of installation on a concrete ceiling: marking the mounting holes, installing dowels, then attaching the cornice itself to the wall on the brackets. But with different brackets, the procedure is different.
Option with long cuts in the bracket body:
- Plates are fixed, brackets are inserted into the grooves.
- We apply the cornice to the installation site, mark the holes on the wall (circle circles). We circle all the holes, how many there are in the eaves.
- We make holes in the wall, insert the dowels.
- We remove the brackets and fix them on the wall.
- On the brackets we put on the plates fixed on the eaves.
- We expose exactly, at the same distance from the wall.
- Tighten the fixing screws.
Mounting on brackets
This option is good, because if desired, you can move the eaves closer or further within the length of the cut. It is also possible to level non-ideal wall geometry. When using the option with several holes, it is easier to first attach the brackets to the cornice, then raise the entire structure, and make markings. After installing the plastic part of the dowels, again attach the cornice assembly to the wall. As you can see, it is very difficult to do without an assistant: you need someone to hold the cornice.
How to hang curtains on a ceiling cornice
The ceiling cornice has hooks or runners for hanging curtains. For each type of profiles – their own, but they are of different heights.
Now about how hooks differ from runners. The runners have small wheels. They are more expensive, but the curtains move much easier. In order to save money, you can take hooks for tulle (we move it very rarely) and runners for curtains (curtains).
To hang the curtains on the ceiling cornice, a special tape is sewn to the top of the canvas. It helps to form folds of the required size. This ribbon has a strip that can be used as eyelets. That’s what the hooks are for.
There is another option – to make loops by hand, but then the folds will have to be laid and sewn up by hand. This option will have to be used if you need to lay not standard folds, but with some special pattern.
There are two ways to hang curtains on the ceiling cornice:
- Fasten the hooks on the tape, and then thread them one by one into the desired groove on the profile. Then install the stopper, then the plug.
- The second way is to first fill the groove with the required number of hooks / runners, install the stopper and the plug. Then put loops on the hooks.
Set screw installation. Then you need to put a cap
Physically, the first option is simpler, but the second is more often done. When you remove the wash hooks, they can get lost, you can make a mistake in the order in which they are installed. In general, it is not so important how exactly you will hang the curtains on the ceiling cornice. The choice is yours. And finally – a little life hack on how to put loops on hooks easier. This is a dreary and difficult task that annoys many.