What is a Stretch Ceiling? Perhaps you have an older home with popcorn ceilings that you want to go away. Or a basement renovation coming up and you wish there was an alternative to drywall and suspended tiles for the ceiling? Or maybe you’ve just moved into a condo and find the concrete and exposed pipes and duct work a little too cold for your taste?
There’s one solution that will solve all three of these scenarios—a stretch ceiling.
What is a stretch ceiling?
A stretch ceiling consists of two main elements:
- A track which is installed into the perimeter walls of the room a few inches below the ceiling line.
- A PVC-based film that clips into the perimeter track and stretches to form a perfectly flat, flawless ceiling surface.
Professional installation of a stretch ceiling takes only a few hours partly because there is no preparation of the existing ceiling required. Once installed a stretch ceiling will completely hide: an old stucco ceiling; ceiling imperfections; basement ceiling joists; exposed duct work, pipes and wiring; or the previous concrete ceiling.
A stretch ceiling offers you so many creative options
The practicality of a stretch ceiling is one aspect that attracts homeowners to it but the main reason people decide to install a stretch ceiling is the almost limitless creative possibilities it provides. Because it’s made from PVC (a type of vinyl), it can be produced in hundreds of colours and finishes, including: gloss, matte, satin, metallic, mirror and translucent.
PVC is also printable which means your stretch ceiling can be an image of everything from a landscape or night sky to photographs or custom-designed shapes. In other words a stretch ceiling is a blank canvas for whatever artistic statement you want to make.
And just like a drywall or suspended tile ceiling, it’s perfectly safe to install fixtures such as pot lights, chandeliers, fibre optics and backlit boxes into and behind a stretch ceiling.
A stretch ceiling is safe and durable
If you don’t have a friend or family member who has a stretch ceiling in their home you may be wondering how safe and durable they are.
First of all, they are fire rated certified in Canada which means they are 100% fireproof. In addition they are waterproof, anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and do not produce any dust. As for the durability of a stretch ceiling, they will never peel, flake, stain, crack or develop algae, mold or mildew. They don’t fade either, in fact a 20-year-old stretch ceiling will look exactly as it did on the day that you had it installed.
Where to install a stretch ceiling
With its durable PVC makeup and design versatility a stretch ceiling is an ideal option for the ceiling in any room of your home. Think about the possibilities!
Add a chic, glamorous touch by having a high-gloss stretch ceiling installed in your kitchen, dining room or living room. In a kids bedroom you could create a printed stretch ceiling that features your son’s or daughter’s favourite animated characters. A home theatre room could have a stretch ceiling depicting a night sky complete with twinkling stars set aglow by fibre optics. And in your basement, where the ceiling height is limited, you could put a stretch ceiling that boasts a mural, such as a blue sky, and create the illusion of added overhead space.
How can I get a stretch ceiling?
In the Greater Toronto Area there are a few companies that specialize in stretch ceiling manufacturing and/or installation. Here are a few names to assist you with your stretch ceiling research:
Founded in 2010, Laqfoil was the first manufacturer and installer of stretch ceilings in North America and has installed over 1,600 stretch ceilings.
Known for decorating the ceilings of restaurants, hotels, resorts and showrooms around the globe, Talissa Décor specializes in both tile and stretch ceiling applications.
LG Interiors is a preferred partner of Barrisol, a world leader in stretch ceilings for over 50 years.
