You can now stare at your

ceiling

– not out of the boredom of seeing a uniform, white expanse of nothingness, but because you enjoy looking at the marvelous

decor

and finish. 

Judging by the numerous discussions of builders, there is the ongoing argument of how to properly finish the fourth largest surface in your home, behind floors and walls.  are often the most neglected surface in your home - painted white, with a fan or a light here and there, but with no overall decorating theme or sense of style.

 You can now easily complete a room, and further your decorating style with the use of

ceiling tile

.  Polystyrene

ceiling tile

enjoys a well-won popularity and is currently in great demand due to the simple fact that it provides a quality textured finish at low relative cost.  With the myriad of choices of texture, style and colour, it is now simple to balance your interior and add that special touch to any room, and do so economically– from 20 to 80 rubles per sq.

Polystyrene also has many unique qualities that make it a good choice: it is a relatively inexpensive material, it is environmentally sound, it is low on pollution during manufacturing, it is easily recyclable, and finally has a long lifespan. Polystyrene

ceiling tile

can be manufactured three different ways: extruded, injection moulded and embossed.  It is important to note that almost all polystyrene tile is waterproof, which allows installation in rooms with a higher moisture levels - such as kitchens and bathrooms.  In addition,

ceiling tile

provides heating insulation, as well as a sound barrier.  Its decorative qualities make it highly competitive, especially when compared to more expensive types of finish.

Types a of ceiling tile (sorted by manufacturing method)

An extruded

ceiling tile

is manufactured from an extruded polystyrene band and can come in any color. One of the most obvious advantages is that it is very smooth and therefore it is easy to clean.  Edges of a

ceiling tile

always have a border, which add to the texture of a ceiling by visually breaking up the space.
Grelich, Saarpor (Germany), Kidecor, Unix, Avantage, Martin, & Solid (Russia) all offer very similar product lines and it should be noted that Russian products are virtually indistinguishable in quality compared with foreign ones. In general, companies offer several tile collections that differ in style.  There are now so many different offerings that it is possible to create interesting geometric patterns, the look of warm wood tones, the classic feel of stone, or intriguing replicas of tin ceilings.  There is no need for consumers to be limited to merely putting up a tile grid.  If it can be imagined, it can be created, as the choice of materials, textures, colours and styles is very broad.

The price for extruded tile depends on its colour. White tile costs 25-35 rubles per sq. (the price is usually understood for a package unit of 2 sq.). Coloured tile is a little bit more expensive – 35-50 rubles per sq.

Injection moulded tiles are the only tile of choice when a customer is looking for a consistent relief texture for an entire surface.  Due to the manufacturing process, this tile is very strong and can seamlessly & borderlessly be installed.  The result is a continuous surface pattern with a high relief (relief variation being 1,5-2 cm) and the surface patterns are extremely well defined.   This type of surface can then be easily completed with a water-based paint, and doesn’t need a protective laminated veneer.

Format and Lagom are Russian companies that specialize in the manufacture of injected tile. These companies use the finest imported equipment. This type of tile is a more expensive than either extruded or embossed tile. It costs 40-55 rubles per sq.

Manufacturing of embossed tile is comparatively simple to other tiles, and therefore one of its key advantages is the low price (15-20 rubles per sq.). The following Russian companies manufacture embossed tile: Solid, Martin, Avantage, Deco-Plast-M, Plast Gamma

Decor

and others. It is sometimes thought that embossed tile lacks a degree of variety and styling choices when compared to extruded or injected tile. However, a number of specialists see that there is sometimes no substitute for embossed tile in certain

decors

and applications. Good-quality embossed tile is slightly weaker than other tile types due to its brittle character, which is why it is not generally recommended to wash it after install.  However, in certain applications, it can inexpensively disguise surface defects and add a fine finish pattern to the ceiling.

Tile application directions

Draw diagonally 2 lines, thus connecting opposite corners of a room. Their cross point will be the center of the composition. Through this point draw 2 lines that should be parallel to walls and perpendicular to each other. The first tile is fixed in the center of the ceiling, its edges are leveled with one of the lines. All the other tiles are fixed parallel to each other, the clearance/gap, that is left between the ceiling and walls, is covered with a moulding.

Glue application technology is simple: just spread glue in a dashed-line or criss-cross way on the rear side of a tile, or just spread it evenly on the tile rear surface. All types of glue that are used for this purpose are water-based, and its excess can be easily removed with a wet sponge. The tile can be fixed to any type of material (fiberboard, flakeboard, concrete, brick, etc.). It is recommended to use glue offered by the tile manufacturing company.

Tile handling

The tile doesn’t need any special treatment. Use a vacuum cleaner or a brush to remove dust.  Laminated tile can be simply be wiped with a wet cloth.

"Idei vashego doma" (Your house ideas) magazine #2, 2005, Moscow