Let’s be honest, mirror ceilings have got a bit of a dubious reputation. But as a stretch ceiling manufacturer and supplier, we’re starting to see more and more requests for stretch ceilings with a mirror effect.
Here’s why.
1. They enhance space and light
We’ve recently installed two white super mirror stretch ceilings in the UK and Spain. Both of the spaces had low ceilings and one had a very limited amount of natural light, the only light coming through the glass wall of the outside swimming pool (see below). Because the ceilings reflect the light they make the rooms feel higher, more spacious, and of course lighter.
2. They look cool
White plastered ceilings have their place (we’re told) but why have just a white ceiling when you can have a white ceiling with a mirror effect. Many of our clients have spent tens of thousand of pounds making their properties look fantastic. In a mirrored ceiling you will get to see the features of the room, ripples of water on an indoor swimming pool or a reflection of breath-taking views.
So we have discussed that mirror ceilings look cool, and that they enhance space and light but they also give you a huge mirror! Of course this is nice if you like to look at yourself but mirrors can also have practical benefits. The client at the property above is a keen back stroke swimmer. He’s delighted that he can use the mirror to spot when he’s coming to the end of the pool – no more sore heads!
If you would like to find out more about installing a mirrored stretch ceiling in your property please get in touch for a free quote.
Elena
https://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:auto/h:auto/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/spa-gym-ceiling-16.jpg596900N Vowleshttps://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:300/h:88/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/easy-ceiling-stretch-technologies.pngN Vowles2017-04-24 16:57:482017-04-24 16:59:37Mirror Ceilings the stretch way
I’m very proud to tell you about three new projects we have recently completed; lighting panels for the new Gatwick Express lounge, a basement gym and spa in Spain and a luxury leisure suite in Devon.
Gatwick Express Lighting Panels
As regular users of Gatwick Airport ourselves we were very honoured to be asked by Gatwick Express contractors MGMC Ltd to provide circular stretch ceilings canvases for the lighting panels above their new lounge area for customers at Gatwick Airport.
Moving on from Gatwick Airport, let’s fly over to Spain, to the exclusive PGA Catalunya resort. We installed a stretch ceiling in the basement gym and spa of an award-winning architect designed, high spec, high tech villa. As you can see from the picture above, the only natural light comes through the glass wall of the outdoor swimming pool. We used a super mirrored stretch ceiling to reflect the light into the area but also to make the basement feel higher and more spacious.
Back to the UK, to Devon in particular. This project was a joy for our installation team as the sea views from the house are spectacular. We provided the ceiling for the leisure suite, complete with indoor pool, sauna, seating area, bar and pool table. As with the Spanish project we used a super mirrored white ceiling to reflect more light into the space. The owner, a keen backstroke swimmer, was delighted he could use the ceiing to note when he had to turn!
Easy Ceiling Technologies is a leading manufacturer, supplier and installer of stretch ceilings. Though other options are available (please check them out), we strongly believe that stretch ceilings are the perfect choice for restaurant ceilings. In this blog we’ll outline why.
So what are stretch ceilings?
A stretch ceiling is an incredibly tough elastic canvas which is attached to your room via a metal track then stretched taut to make a ceiling. They are incredibly quick and easy to install and because they are elastic canvases there are unlimited design choices. They are also very easy to maintain and replace.
And what’s the Easy way?
Easy Ceiling Technologies is relatively unique in that we provide a complete stretch ceiling service. We manufacture, supply and install your ceiling. We happily offer an aftercare service too. Because we have total control of the process we can promise a rapid, quality install together with a lowest price guarantee.
Tell me more
Here’s just a few of the benefits that make stretch ceilings such a perfect choice for restaurants.
We rapidly installed the Athens restaurant ceiling with no disruption to their business
Quick and easy install A stretch ceiling can be installed in under a day, sometimes just a few hours. You hardly need to remove anything from the restaurant before starting, and there won’t be any mess to clean up afterwards. If your restaurant already has a ”close day” you won’t have to miss out on any business at all!
Great value Where you really save money with stretch ceilings is on the install. As we’ve said it takes less than a day, whereas other options take up to a week. And we’d struggle to find many restaurants who’d want to be closed for that long. Check out our prices and installation comparisons with other ceiling options here.
Unlimited design options One of the most exciting benefits of a stretch ceiling is you can print anything on your ceiling you want. A beautiful cloudy sky, the stars at night, or your restaurant logo. The choice is yours. There are also a multitude of colours and finishes to pick from. Shaped and multi-level ceilings are an option to consider too. For this London restaurant below we used a stars at night canvas surrounded by a back lit translucent ceiling that rotates through a number of different colours.
Easy to maintain and replace Stretch ceilings are made from incredibly tough elastic so they are very durable. So durable in fact we offer a 10 year guarantee on all our ceilings. They don’t suffer from damp or corrosion. Leaks can be dealt with very easily. We realise it’s important for restaurants to regularly update their interior design. With stretch ceilings you simply remove the existing one from the metal track and install a new one.
You might be interested to read this case study of a restaurant ceiling we recently installed.
If you have a project in mind please get in touch for a quote.
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As a manufacturer, supplier and installer we like to think we know a thing or two about stretch ceilings.
So here’s our illustrated guide on how to install a stretch ceiling in 10 easy steps.
If video is more your thing please head to straight to the bottom of this post.
1. Decide to use a stretch ceiling
We’re a stretch ceiling supplier but we have to be honest there are certain circumstances where a stretch ceiling might not be the best option. Not many circumstances though! The core advantages of stretch ceilings are they can be installed far more rapidly than other ceiling options (see our comparison table), they are easy and low cost to maintain, and they come in a range of finishes, including printed ceilings! They are also very durable, safe and reliable. For all these reasons they are a very popular choice for medical, educational and health and leisure interiors such as bars, restaurants, swimming pools and gyms.
Stretch Ceilings – Always a popular option in Swimming Pools, Spas and Gyms
2. Choose your fabric
So you’ve made the wise decision to go stretch, but what fabric and colour do you want? Gloss, satin or matt finish? Translucent or shaped? Or perhaps you want to print your favourite image or company logo on your ceiling? Check out stretch ceiling design options here.
Our new 5 metre sky print fabric hot off the press
3. Choose your supplier
Once you’ve chosen your design you need to choose a supplier. Easy Ceiling guarantees the lowest prices on the market and we are in the unique position to offer a full-service; from manufacture of your fabric to the final install and aftercare. But we still advise you to get quotes from a range of suppliers and chose the right supplier for you.
4. Prepare the room
If you normally plaster your ceiling you’re going to love this step. The room does not need to be completely cleared. You might need to make a bit of space but apart from that no preparation of the room is required. You can more or less start the install instantly!
5. Attach aluminium track
Your stretch ceiling is attached to your room via an aluminium track which is fitted to all four walls. If the ceiling is to cover a large space, aluminium tracks will need to be fitted at intervals across the ceiling to join panels of fabric.
For large ceilings aluminium tracks will be used across the room to join up ceiling panels
6. Set light fixtures and other systems above the ceiling
Attach platforms for light fixtures or other systems (e.g. smoke alarms) to the original ceiling. Adjust the height of the platform so it is easy to pull relevant fixtures like lights though the ceiling and fit in place.
7. Heat the room
In order to stretch the ceiling fabric into place you need to use heat to increase its elasticity. We do this using portable gas heaters.
Use portable gas cannisters to heat the fabric so it reaches optimum elasticity
8. Attach the ceiling
Once the fabric has reached optimum elasticity it is fitted to the aluminium rack, corners first.
Attached the fabric to the aluminium rail, corners first
9. Pull through fixtures and fittings
Strengthening rings are glued to the canvas and then cut inside to make holes for light fixtures and other systems. Fixtures are connected to cables, pulled through the holes and then the springs to the fixture platforms above the canvas are engaged.
10. Final cleaning
Any handprints or marks on the ceiling canvas are removed with a damp cloth. Your stretch ceiling is now installed!
Your Stretch Ceiling is installed!
Hopefully you now know the basic steps to installing a Stretch Ceiling? We can always do the job for you – please get in touch. We’re always interested to hear from people who might want to join our network of installers too. Free training is provided!
Lastly, here’s a video so you can see the whole process in action.
https://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:auto/h:auto/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/zehnder-showroom-ceiling.jpg506900N Vowleshttps://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:300/h:88/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/easy-ceiling-stretch-technologies.pngN Vowles2016-10-21 19:55:352016-10-21 19:55:35How to Install a Stretch Ceiling in 10 Easy Steps
Now that the summer’s over we have been taking stock of the last twelve months.
And what a year it’s been!
Here’s a few of the highlights.
Swimming pools, swimming pools, swimming pools
As we’re relatively new to the UK market we didn’t realise how many indoor swimming pools there are in the UK requiring a stretch ceiling. Or in the case of a job we did in Surrey, indoor swimming pools that were originally outdoor! Yes this August was very hot but we can understand why an indoor pool is a more practical option for most of the year in the UK.
New UK website brings lots of enquiries
We worked with digital marketing agency ADMAN to create and then promote this new UK website in March 2016. Since then the enquiries have been growing by the month.
5 metre printed ceiling canvas – an UK Exclusive
Stretch ceiling canvases are normally offered in 2 or 3.5 metre widths. This can cause issues with printed ceilings where the join of the canvas can be more visible. We solved this issue with the UK’s first 5 metre width stretch ceiling canvas.
Growing our installer network
We happily will travel across the UK to install a ceiling but we’ve been building our supplier network so we can complete projects across the country even quicker. We now have expert stretch ceiling installers available in Birmingham, London and Sussex.
Gatwick Express
As our factory is based in Sussex it’s always an honour for us to work with local companies. We were delighted when the Gatwick Express chose us to install a new circular stretch ceilings at Gatwick Airport.
What’s next?
More of the same we hope! We will continue to build our installer network and hope to take on larger commercial projects. Innovation is part of our DNA so we hope to create a few more firsts in the world of stretch ceilings too.
Thanks to all of you who have helped us in the last year. We wouldn’t be in this position without you!
Elena
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Stretch ceilings are the perfect choice for Swimming Pool Ceilings. In this post we outline ten very good reasons why. We also share a summary of some recent swimming pool ceiling projects we have completed.
Already know you want to go Stretch? Please get in touch for a quote.
Swimming Pool Ceilings – 10 reasons why you should use stretch ceilings
1. Stretch ceilings do not corrode, the material is unaffected by damp or toxic gases like sulphur and chlorine. The incredibly tough elastic canvas is waterproof and acts as a barrier to moisture and corrosive vapours which cannot pass through into the void and metal framework above the ceiling.
2. Stretch ceilings have an antibacterial surface so they are not affected by microflora (algae and fungi) forming on the surface.
3. As stretch ceilings are waterproof they can provide additional protection against leaks, they are capable of holding a surprisingly large volume of water. See the end of this video:
4. Stretch ceilings are very low maintenance. Our ceilings come with a 10 year guarantee. They will never need repainting or redecorating. The elastic canvas is completely washable and easy to clean.
5. Stretch ceilings are environmentally friendly in a number of aspects. They are 100% recyclable. They can also provide more insulation to a room by acting as a seal between the roof and a room but also by reducing the amount of space in a room that needs to be kept warm.
6. They can easily hide ugly ceilings. As stretch ceilings are fitted below the original ceiling or roof they can easily be used to hide the ugly aspects of ceilings such as exposed pipework or bulkheads. They are also flexible and can be designed to accommodate most light fittings and other fixtures such as air-conditioning or alarm systems.
7. Design options. It’s easy to be more creative with stretch ceilings. You can print images, make them translucent or create different shapes and levels to your ceiling. Even a more standard glossy stretch ceiling can have a powerful effect by maximising the reflection of light and ripples from your pool. They also work very well with different lighting systems such as strip lights.
8. Good acoustics. Stretch Ceilings offer strong acoustic properties which can help address noise reverberation problems that often occur with indoor swimming pools.
9. They work well with large spaces. One stretch ceiling canvas can cover an area of 50 square metres. It’s straightforward to cover up to thousands of square metres using joining rails above the ceiling.
10. They are economical. Lastly and most importantly for a lot of people is the cost. The cost of stretch ceilings is comparable with most other ceiling options. However they are far quicker and cheaper to install. They are also cheaper to maintain and replace.
Some of our recent Swimming Pool Ceiling projects
We love telling the story of this swimming pool ceiling we recently completed in Devon. It was required for a large ground floor swimming pool and spa, complete with bar, pool table, lounge area and sauna. Stretch ceilings take up less space than traditional plasterboard ceilings, perfect for this space which had limited height. A mirror canvas was used to make the room feel larger and taller but also to bring more light into the area. The best aspect though, is the client, a keen backstroke swimmer, can now spot in the ceiling when he needs to turn! Read more about this project.
We are used to helping turn outdoor swimming pools into indoor ones. This Surrey based client had initially built a large outdoor swimming pool. But then with the British summer as it is, they weren’t getting much use out of it so they decided to make the outdoor pool indoor, in their case via the build of a large orangerie. However seven years later and the orangerie ceiling was due a repair, the glass ceiling panels were also making the pool a little too hot. So their roofing company got in touch with us to see what we could do. Read more about this project.
So there you have it. If you’re considering a new swimming pool ceiling I would hope you are now converted to stretch ceilings. Please get in touch for a quote.
Elena
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One of the most common questions we get asked by clients new to stretch ceilings is how can you accommodate fittings and fixtures above the ceiling like lights, air-conditioning systems and fire alarm sensors.
I always like this question because the answer is quite straightforward. Stretch ceilings are suspended ceiling systems. They are fitted (stretched) to a room via aluminium rails which are attached to the top of each wall. This leaves lots of room between the stretch ceiling and the original ceiling for fixtures and fittings. Aha you say, but how can you access them? Let me explain a bit further.
Lights and stretch ceilings
This basic diagram gives you an idea of how it works. ‘Structural soffit’ is the technical term for ‘original ceiling’. The light is attached to the original ceiling via a bracket. It is then connected to the original ceiling via the bracket ring. It is important to note that the height of the bracket is flexible to fit the gap between the original and stretch ceiling. Strengthening rings are used to further protect the stretch ceiling where it borders the light. The decorative element of the light will hide the strengthening rings so they will not be seen from below.
The image below is taken from a stretch ceiling installation we undertook for Zehnder, the heating group. You can see the circular spotlight brackets before the ceiling is installed.
And here’s how the lights look after the ceiling has been installed.
Other fittings and fixtures
So hopefully you now understand how lights are attached to a stretch ceiling but how about other fixtures and fittings? Alarm sensors, as you might expect, are fitted in much the same way as lights. Other systems can also be secured to your original ceiling using brackets. One of the most handy aspects of stretch ceilings is they can easily be used to hide vent ducts. In another picture from our Zehnder installation below you can see two horizontal white panels with large circular holes which are used to neatly accommodate all vent ducts.
How I can I access the system if things go wrong?
We use access hatches which can be placed at relevant points on the ceilings so you can easily access air-conditioning or alarm systems to turn them on or off or perform maintenance work. In the finished picture of the Zehnder showroom above you can see a square access hatch on the right hand edge of the ceiling.
Further questions?
I would hope you can now understand how lights and other fixtures and fittings can be easily accommodated with a stretch ceiling. Of course, if you have more questions please get in touch.
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If you look at our case studies you’ll see that a nice glossy white stretch ceiling is always a popular finish choice for our clients. But every now and then we talk to a client who is looking for something special, a ceiling that can create a genuine wow factor for their business or home. In years gone by this might have been achieved by hiring an specialist artist to paint your ceiling, but this takes a long time and can be very costly. It took Michelangelo over four years to paint the Sistine chapel. Now we’re not saying you need to hire one of the world’s best artists and it’s unlikely you have over 1000 square metres to cover but even with a smaller space and an ordinary painter it’s going to take a lot of time and money! With Easy Ceiling’s printed ceilings you can create your wow factor ceiling incredibly quickly. Once you have selected your design and we have printed the canvas it can take less than a day to install with minimal disruption! The price is pretty impressive too, our printed ceilings start from only £60 per square metre, quote this blog and will reduce it to £55!
Read on for some examples of printed ceiling options.
Blue sky with clouds
This design always works well for printed ceilings. The mezzanine ceiling below is a recent job we completed for the business premises of Bea-utiful Design Ltd. As a creative printing company they wanted a ceiling that could inspire both their staff and customers.
Blue sky and cloud prints always look good on the ceilings of swimming pools too.
Artwork
Follow the example of Sistine Chapel and create your own ceiling masterpiece. We can help your transpose your favourite artwork onto your ceiling.
Identity
More and more businesses are realising the importance of branding their showrooms with their logos and brand identity. The image below gives you an example of how we can print your ceiling with a motif or logo.
More options
Please check out some more examples of printed ceilings in this slideshow.
Hopefully this blog has inspired you to think about what you would print on your ceiling? Please get in touch to start the design process.
And don’t forget, quote this blog and we’ll lower our base price from £60 to £55 per square metre.
Hopefully speak soon,
Elena
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As our UK stretch ceiling business has developed we’ve quickly learnt what information you need when researching stretch ceiling suppliers. So we’ve decided to give our website a refresh! To celebrate we’re offering an Easter special of 5% off stretch ceilings of over 50 sqm and 10% off ceilings over 100 sqm. Available for orders before the end of April 2016.
https://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:auto/h:auto/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/buy-stretch-ceilings.jpg684845kevin ghttps://mlw7bpgpg8ga.i.optimole.com/w:300/h:88/q:auto/https://easyceiling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/easy-ceiling-stretch-technologies.pngkevin g2010-01-09 15:46:112018-06-14 09:23:37Welcome to our new website
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