Ceiling from Gypsum Board on the Kitchen - DIY Repair

Photo 1 — Completion of Gypsum Board Installation

It Is Important to Know Before Starting Work with Gypsum Board

Gypsum board sheets must acclimatize for several days before installation: after purchasing the material, place it in the working room for one to two days. It is important not to stand the gypsum board on its edge, but to lay the sheets flat. In any other position during long-term storage, there is a risk of material deformation.

Another storage rule: gypsum board sheets should be stacked one on top of the other.

For kitchen work, it is better to choose moisture-resistant gypsum board — the marking is ГКЛВ. The need for moisture-protected material is due to frequent steam generation in the kitchen and constant water use (daily dishwashing).

From ГКЛВ on the kitchen, in addition to ceiling systems (single-level and multi-level ceilings), other structures can also be built: popular are gypsum board arches on the kitchen, niches, functional boxes for large household appliances (mainly refrigerators), and storage boxes for food supplies (e.g., canned goods).

Photo 2 — Ceiling Finishing Completed

Gypsum Board Ceilings on the Kitchen by Yourself: How to Do It

The process of installing a gypsum board ceiling can be divided into three stages:

Preparation: material calculation, zero-level layout, and preparation of materials for installation.

Installation of the metal frame.

Fixing the gypsum board sheets and finishing the joints with ГКЛВ spackle.

If discussing installation of a multi-level structure with lighting, before installing the gypsum board sheets on the frame, wiring must be laid in the places where light fixtures will be installed (in corrugated tubes or cable channels), and after installing ГКЛВ on the frame, holes must be drilled with a corona drill of the appropriate diameter at the mounting points of lighting fixtures.

On a small kitchen, a multi-level ceiling may be inconvenient: some structures take up 15 to 30 cm in height — is such a bulk necessary on a small area?

For working with gypsum board, use:

a drill;
a tape measure;
a level;
a screwdriver;
a corona drill;
sandpaper;
a spatula;
a plane;
a construction knife.

Materials for work:

gypsum board (for kitchen finishing, 9.5 and 12.5 mm thick boards are used);
metal profile;
suspension hooks;
profile connectors;
screws;
expansion anchors (expansion bolts).

For those who are working with gypsum board for the first time, we recommend reviewing standard options of gypsum board ceilings.

In previous articles, we wrote about types of ceiling gypsum board structures, their components, methods of installing the metal frame and gypsum board sheets. Without such a detailed quick reference, it may be difficult to understand the principle and sequence of work.

Gypsum Board Ceilings on the Kitchen (PHOTOS)

Photo 3 — Gypsum Board Ceiling Design on the Kitchen. Two-Level

Photo 4 — Non-Standard, But Relatively Simple to Implement Design of Gypsum Board Ceilings for the Kitchen

Photo 5 — Gypsum Board Ceiling Design for the Kitchen Combined with the Living Room

Other Gypsum Board Structures on the Kitchen (PHOTOS)

Photo 6 — Gypsum Board Niches on the Kitchen (Built for Decorative Purposes)

Photo 7 — Gypsum Board Partitions for the Kitchen (Photo). They Can Be Used to Organize Space Inside the Kitchen (e.g., a refrigerator or washing machine can be placed behind a partition), or to Zone the Studio Space

When working on walls with gypsum board on the kitchen, a common question arises about the reliability of mounting heavy kitchen furniture to walls covered with ГКЛВ.

How to Hang the Kitchen on Gypsum Board

Walls made of gypsum board in the kitchen may not inspire confidence at first: Is this a solid base for hanging household appliances and furniture?

If the mounting is done correctly, there should be no difference between mounting a cabinet on a brick wall or gypsum board.

Method One. Any hanging elements can be mounted on gypsum board by using special anchors and fittings of the 'butterfly' type. The anchor must be screwed into the cavity of the gypsum board sheet, and then a screw is tightened into it.

To install fittings of the 'butterfly' type, a hole is cut in the gypsum board sheet according to the layout, into which the mounting element will later be inserted. When tightening the screw, the arms of the fitting spread outward and tightly press the mounting element against the ГКЛВ surface. The maximum weight for one such fitting is 5 kg.

Figure 1 — Butterfly-Type Fittings

Method Two. Another option for mounting is to use special rails. Furniture installation is done after fixing the mounting rails to the wall (the rail is mounted into the gypsum board sheet, and also onto the load-bearing metal frame at several points simultaneously to ensure greater structural stability). The maximum weight of hanging structures can reach up to 15 kg.

If discussing mounting household appliances or heavier elements — the kitchen cabinet, hanging should be done using extended anchor bolts. This method is only possible if there is a solid wall base behind the gypsum board covering: for example, a brick wall.

There are also several methods that relieve the walls covered with gypsum board.

Sometimes hanging elements for additional fixation are mounted to the ceiling surface using decorative cables.

Following the same principle, the main weight of installed elements can be distributed onto metal floor stands, and only attached to the wall to provide stability.

Cost of Gypsum Board Work

In Moscow: ceiling work — from 280 rubles/m², wall work — from 190 rubles/m², partition installation — from 300 rubles/m².
In Kiev: ceiling work — from 65 UAH/m², wall work — from 45 UAH/m², partition installation — from 80 UAH/m².