Well, we've given up on a completely smooth ceiling, partly because no other room in the house has it and partly because cracks would be a risk factor and everything would have to be redone.JohanLun said:
It's very possible you can use thinner plasterboard, but the seams will still be a problem, as it's a wooden house and it moves.
There are no tongue and groove joints, but there are trusses to attach to. However, I still think renovating the existing ceiling is the best way to go.
What needs to be done then is a lot of filling and sanding, but probably also filling the joints between the boards with latex before painting so they can move a bit. I've seen in other rooms that cracks easily form between them otherwise.
Normally, you let the gaps show; that's kind of the idea with the design. I don't think this type of tile is attractive, but tastes differ, and I know some who have recently installed such because they think it's nice (I believe).
I have something similar nailed up from probably the 40s-60s, including a wall with some kind of Tretex boards, so I filled the ugly joint with latex and painted over it. It has worked for over a year, and I don't see any tendency for it to crack... However, my plan is to eventually (but it could be 10 years) do something nicer here... The ceilings with these kinds of tiles I'm going to tear down, but that's because they don't fit at all in a turn-of-the-century house... And because in our dining room they have lowered the ceiling maybe a decimeter (the kitchen ceiling was lowered probably 40cm, but that's "fixed" now).
So use latex sealant if you want to avoid the gaps!
I have something similar nailed up from probably the 40s-60s, including a wall with some kind of Tretex boards, so I filled the ugly joint with latex and painted over it. It has worked for over a year, and I don't see any tendency for it to crack... However, my plan is to eventually (but it could be 10 years) do something nicer here... The ceilings with these kinds of tiles I'm going to tear down, but that's because they don't fit at all in a turn-of-the-century house... And because in our dining room they have lowered the ceiling maybe a decimeter (the kitchen ceiling was lowered probably 40cm, but that's "fixed" now).
So use latex sealant if you want to avoid the gaps!
Ah, well I didn't plan to completely fill the gaps; it's really the smaller cracks that are always there between panels. In this case, the cracks become black when you look up, and it's quite noticeable when the ceiling is white.JohanLun said:
Here you can see such a crack:
http://i.imgur.com/0YztaiY.jpg
So my idea is to go with a latex gun between each panel and use my finger or something to smooth it out and make a nice seam. This will mean the seam will be more rounded and also conceal the crack between the panels. I don't know if this is an okay solution, but I hope it can turn out well.
In our case, the ceiling fits well with both the house and style. Additionally, all the rooms in the house have this ceiling, and it's nicest if you can have the same ceiling in all the rooms, I think.
I completely understand that some people don't like this type of ceiling; we actually also wanted smooth ceilings, but it's a lot of work and not entirely risk-free in a wood house. Then there was a smart person who said you shouldn't spend too much time on the ceiling because it's nothing you really think about anyway, and I think that's absolutely right! As long as it's intact and properly done. But certainly, if you have a house where the ceiling doesn't fit at all, it might be disturbing, at least for those living there.
That's roughly what I did with my gaps; they weren't quite the same, but it should probably work... You can still clearly see the seam, but the crack that became "black" is filled... I think it's much better compared to having a black line on the board.
I think you're reasoning correctly; if the ceiling is just white and doesn't have any major deviations, I don't think you'll notice it much. Use a matte paint and quite a bit of texture when you roll on, and you'll get a bit of structure that also conceals some defects.
I agree; the style fits better in certain types of houses. Mixing different styles requires more style and taste than sticking to one line. Smooth gypsum ceilings can look a bit dull, if I may say so... Surely, it was both rational and design-wise they made these ceilings. Just like panel ceilings or ceilings with moldings. I actually think a lot of moldings, baseboards, trims, moldings, friezes, etc., are a technical solution to a problem, but also a way to add a design element that livens up an otherwise "dead" surface, often a surface where you would otherwise see that it wasn't 100% straight.
The higher the ceiling, the less noticeable it is; our ceilings (280) in relatively small rooms make it so that there's no grazing light (probably it's only in basement-type ceilings with high windows, low ceilings, and ceiling lamps where you have grazing light).
In a bedroom, you see the ceiling every day when you wake up. My bedroom ceiling has some cracks/paint peeling that irritates me every morning...
I think you're reasoning correctly; if the ceiling is just white and doesn't have any major deviations, I don't think you'll notice it much. Use a matte paint and quite a bit of texture when you roll on, and you'll get a bit of structure that also conceals some defects.
I agree; the style fits better in certain types of houses. Mixing different styles requires more style and taste than sticking to one line. Smooth gypsum ceilings can look a bit dull, if I may say so... Surely, it was both rational and design-wise they made these ceilings. Just like panel ceilings or ceilings with moldings. I actually think a lot of moldings, baseboards, trims, moldings, friezes, etc., are a technical solution to a problem, but also a way to add a design element that livens up an otherwise "dead" surface, often a surface where you would otherwise see that it wasn't 100% straight.
The higher the ceiling, the less noticeable it is; our ceilings (280) in relatively small rooms make it so that there's no grazing light (probably it's only in basement-type ceilings with high windows, low ceilings, and ceiling lamps where you have grazing light).
In a bedroom, you see the ceiling every day when you wake up. My bedroom ceiling has some cracks/paint peeling that irritates me every morning...
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