Ready-made and homemade trowel options for stretch ceilings

Mounting a stretch ceiling is not an easy task, and there is no way to do without special tools and devices. Along with tools such as a screwdriver, perforator, heat gun, building level and tape measure, a spatula plays an important role in the process of stretching the ceiling. Usually not one spatula is used, but a whole set of them, allowing to perform various functions.

In his performance, he resembles the usual, familiar to all construction tools for puttying with a handle and a flat metal tip. However, they have different purposes, so it is somewhat different in form from the usual version.

The spatula for installation of the stretch ceiling has a special figured shape, resembling a blade. The tip of the blade may have a different angle of inclination.Usually it is 45 - 90 degrees. The spatula-blade serves to fill the cloths into the technological cavity of the baguette.

Baguette is a special plastic profile into which the sheet itself is inserted. And to fix it correctly in it, a special spatula for covering the ceiling will come in handy. In addition, its metal tip is somewhat thicker. The fact is that when the blade is tensioned, the spatula is subjected to a high load, so the requirements for its strength are much higher.

In addition to the spatula-blade, there are other types of it:

• Straight lines. As a rule, straight spatulas are used only in some cases. They are necessary for filling the canvas in hard-to-reach places on the ceiling surface where other spatulas do not crawl. To do this, they are specially made small width of 20 - 50 mm.
• Curved. The bending angle of these spatulas may be different, it is chosen specifically for the profile of the baguette. This type of spatula serves directly for filling the canvas in a baguette.
• Corner. Their work surface has a sharp corner, which is convenient to fill the canvas in the corners of the room.

• Semicircular. In some cases, the baguette profile allows the use of semicircular wide spatulas. It is very convenient to work with them, and the process of filling the canvas in a baguette will be much faster.
• Electric spatulas. This type of spatula is a device, the blade of which performs movements independently due to electrical energy. Such a device will significantly save your time and effort, but only if you intend to engage in tensioning ceilings professionally on an industrial scale. This device is very expensive and does not justify itself economically in the domestic plan.

The above types of spatulas provide only a general picture of their classification. The variety of their forms is due to the various features of the installation of stretch ceilings, the types of materials used, the forms of the ceiling itself and many other factors.

In addition to the diversity of the metal surface of the trowel, there is also their classification by the type of handle (holder). They are wooden and plastic; long and short; wide and thin; straight and slightly curved. But here their choice will not come from the features of the baguette profile,and from the preferences of the master himself.

If you decide to install stretch ceilings professionally, it is better to get all their possible types. There are two ways to do this. The first is to go to a specialty store and choose everything you need, and the second is to try to make the tools yourself.

The first case, of course, is convenient and not difficult to implement. However, you have to spend a considerable amount to purchase all the necessary arsenal. Just look in advance at the examples of products sold today in stores, taking into account the cost of products.

A spatula-blade with a working surface angle of 45 degrees will cost you 1,100 rubles. It has an oak handle and metal from high-alloyed stainless steel with a thickness of 1.5 millimeters. But if you look on the other hand, these parts are too expensive for its small size. The price of a semicircular spatula in online stores sometimes reaches 2,700 rubles.

With the most modest requests in most cases, the amount is still significant. However, many craftsmen, on the contrary, prefer not to risk, given the high cost of the canvas itself, and try to acquire spatulas in specialized stores.

There are many ways to make your own spatula for stretching ceiling tiles.

One of the easiest of them is to pick up any sufficiently rigid metal plate, for example, the blade from an old unnecessary kitchen knife. The width of the initial tool will be about 3 centimeters.

Carefully cut a sharp end with a grinder or a metal file. Next, you need to round off its edges so that they are not sharp and do not cut the ceiling. The next step is to warm up the metal to a reddish tint, so that you can bend it. Use for this purpose, for example, a gas stove and pliers. Bend the metal until you get the required bend angle for convenient hooking on the baguette.

Another simple way to create a spatula for mounting without slit levels is the following procedure:

• Take the most ordinary construction spatula of small size (about three or four centimeters wide and 1.5 millimeter thick). If there is no such thing at hand, you can purchase an inexpensive product in the store.
• Round out sharp corners by machining. You can use any file or sharpening stone, even coarse sandpaper is quite suitable.

• Next, give the spatula a hook shape. If there is a vise on hand, this procedure does not take much time. In this case, you just need to clamp its metal part in a vice to a depth of about three to four centimeters, and squeeze the handle until you get the desired angle of 90 degrees.
• If, however, there is no vice, it is not scary. As in the first case, it will be necessary to heat the metal to a red hue and, using the pliers, bend it manually.

From exactly the same spatula, you can make tools places for the upper levels. The technological process will look similar, with the exception of one nuance - the angle is not made at 90 degrees, but at 45, with a slight bend of the end into a blade shape.

It is important in the end to get a convenient installation tool for inserting fabric or other types of cloths that is right for you. Then such a spatula will allow you to change the ceiling cover really effectively.

For more information on options for spatulas for stretch ceilings, see the following video.