I know the odd bits and bobs but was wondering if anyone here can offer some professional tips.

Cheers

i think you might need to be a bit more specific. what are you wanting to hide?

Well basically I want to make a nice bespoke ceiling which has a bulkhead in a curvy shape running on the perimeter of the room. id would eventually hide some wiring for the spot lights and possible LED lighting.

If you want I can illustrate for you what Im trying to achieve.

The reason for doing it is purely for design purposes in order to enhance the contemporary look of the place

not sure about the curve (depends on where you want it, ie vertically or horizontally), but bulkhead should be fairly simple. i'm assuming you want a downstand all round the room. if you buy some mf metal work, make holes in your ceiling to expose a point at which the downstand metalwork (which sets the height of the downstand bulkhead) fixes onto the joists and then strap the downstand legs to the walls, you have the basis of a framework. curves (if backwards and forwards on a horizontal plane - rather than up and down on a horizontal plan), can be set with hand cut plasterboard as long as you fix the "extremes" of the shapes -ie so not too much weight is catilevered at any one point. I assume you're going to skim afterwards?

does that help?

Im wanting something along the lines of this
Large Image (http://www.rapeed.co.uk/popup.php?file=ceilings/gallery/thumbs/08bulkhead_big.jpg)

basically if you look at the curvy bulkhead with spot lights in it, that is what im wanting to achieve but not with the suspended ceiling tiling in the centre. What I want in the centre is a nice flush finish with further spot light

With this type of lighting (referring to the blue neon feather effect)

Large Image (http://www.rapeed.co.uk/popup.php?file=ceilings/gallery/thumbs/01bulkhead_big.jpg)

So basically the bulkhead needs to have like a protrusion where the light feathers onto the middle section

Here you go, this is a bit from the 3d design of my place. This is more or less what I want to acheive

one.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b193/kilo_4que/?action=view&current=one.jpg)

i think i have some pics of metal framed ceiling construction from a few retail stores and some residential conversions somewhere - will see what i can dig out, but my earlier "description" is pretty much what you need to go.

in summary, you make a few holes to find your joists. hang the downstands. frame off and between the downstands and back to the walls. screw plasterboard onto the framework (either cut to shape first or cut in-situ) for the underside. then add any additional downstands you may need in order to avoid any excessive cantilevers. scribe the back of the plasterboard you fit on the vertical plane - so it bends on the front and can be skimmed or just decorated - hey presto!!

...btw, is this for a mirror on the bedroom ceiling???? :wonder:

all joking aside, what sort of room are you planinng to build this in? in retail stores, we usually add a shadow batten round the outside of the ceiling - a black painted batten about 2" wide (max), set a little higher than the finished surface of the celing - gives the ceiling a sort of "floating" effect and stands it off the side of the walls a bit. you may find that sort of gap useful for fitting lighting

mine have been archived, but here's some inspriation i found on google - you can use either timber or metal. metal will be lighter...
http://www.basementideas.com/images/new/basement_3full.jpg
http://www.rapofficecontracts.com/images/REFURBRR.JPG
http://www.oppl.org/construction/main/graphics/21feb1B.jpg

Hi Rich, thanks for the info matey.

I am a freelance corporate designer and have recently purchased some premises which i decided to convert into a design studio. Likewise the ceiling im making is for that hence the flashiness im wanting to achieve.

I personally assumed I would have to build a timber structure with a an addition timber skeleton to roughly shape out what I want to achieve. Once done I was thinking Id need to use ply to skin the whole shape rather than plaster board.

What do you think of this?

timber is heavier than the metal frame system, so i'd go for metal if i were you. and ply (obviously depending on thickness), is going to be heavier than plasterboard. thin mdf may be suitable though? you could decorate the mdf easily enough, so no need for skimming/tidying up before decorating

other alternative is all metalwork. you could use mesh to acheive the curves...

this isn't that unusual a requirement by the way...so the metal frame and plasterboard route is probably the most commonly used solution. if you speak to a local ceiling specialist then will know what you;re looking for

timber is heavier than the metal frame system, so i'd go for metal if i were you. and ply (obviously depending on thickness), is going to be heavier than plasterboard. thin mdf may be suitable though? you could decorate the mdf easily enough, so no need for skimming/tidying up before decorating

other alternative is all metalwork. you could use mesh to acheive the curves...

this isn't that unusual a requirement by the way...so the metal frame and plasterboard route is probably the most commonly used solution. if you speak to a local ceiling specialist then will know what you;re looking for

The only reason i was thiking of going with the timber route was firstly lower cost in materials as im assuming anyway, and also I have no clue how I would secure a metal structure into the ceiling whereas with timber its more like lego work

The only reason i was thiking of going with the timber route was firstly lower cost in materials as im assuming anyway, and also I have no clue how I would secure a metal structure into the ceiling whereas with timber its more like lego work

same principle for fixing metalwork ie cut, drill, screw etc as timber
have you seen the screwfix "wall in a box" thing they were advertising some time ago? that the sort of material i would suggest you consider. made for ceilings and walls - "metal stud"

Lafarge Plasterboard - Metal Stud Partitions (http://www.lafargeplasterboard.co.uk/products/systems/partitions/met_stud.htm)
GypWall RAPID - Metal stud housing partition system (http://www.british-gypsum.bpb.co.uk/systems/system_selector/gypwall__rapid.aspx)
Knauf - Teachmediy.com > DIY WORKSHOPS > Putting up a partition wall (http://www.teachmediy.co.uk/NetsiteCMS/pageid/8/Putting%20up%20a%20partition%20wall/partition.html)
Discovery Broadband - New Home DIY - Metal Stud (http://www.discoverylifestylebroadband.co.uk/broadband/broadband.jsp?site=lsuk&template=episode&genre=2&series_id=407&episode_id=873)

dont use plasterboard,use Glassrock.This is a flexable 6mm fibreboard that bends better,you usually put two layers on.

dont use plasterboard,use Glassrock.This is a flexable 6mm fibreboard that bends better,you usually put two layers on.

funny you say this as i have just been looking into this lol

you have to build it like a mini stud wall,with the studs close together to create the curves

fixing to the ceiling:just screw straight through the ceiling into the joists

I do it for a living mate.pm me if you want a chat about it,dont mind giving you some advice.