Stretch ceiling

What is a stretch ceiling?

A stretch ceiling is a secondary ceiling made from a single taut sheet. A track around the room holds the sheet below the existing ceiling. In Slovak it is called napínaný strop. The sheet is tensioned until it forms a flat surface without joints. The structural ceiling stays in place, so the sheet covers it and does not replace it.

The gap between the sheet and the slab is a shallow service space, which Barrisol calls the plenum. It can hold cabling and technical units. Barrisol's advantages page says the ceiling makes access to the plenum easier for water damage and for repairs of technical units. A stretch ceiling is therefore practical in a renovation where the old ceiling is uneven or damaged.

How is the sheet fixed and tensioned?

The track is fixed to the walls at the chosen height. Barrisol's UK product page says heat tightens the sheet at the periphery of the walls. A specific, patented track system holds it. The installer therefore warms the sheet and tensions it into the track.

The Barrisol Trempo range uses a different edge. Its sheet has crimped eyelets every 20 cm in the peripheral hem, and a lacing system joins the sheet to a specific profile. Barrisol describes Trempo as low-weight at 250 g/m2.

Attribute	Value stated by Barrisol
Minimum distance to the structure above	1.25 cm without technical elements, no maximum
Sheet weight (Trempo)	250 g/m2
Perimeter fixing (Trempo)	Crimped eyelets every 20 cm, laced to a specific profile
Reaction to fire of the standard sheet	B-s1,d0, B-s2,d0 or B-s3,d0, depending on the finish
Typical installation time	Half a day for a simple 25 m2 bedroom
Manufacturer guarantee	10 years against hidden manufacturing defects

Barrisol lists a dry and clean installation among the advantages of its system. Its FAQ gives half a day as the time for a simple-shaped 25 m2 bedroom. Both figures are the maker's statements for its own system.

How much height does a stretch ceiling take?

A stretch ceiling takes very little height. Barrisol's FAQ says the sheet can sit at any height within the plenum. The minimum distance is 1.25 cm, with no maximum. That figure applies without technical elements. With spotlights, the height needed is the size of the chosen spotlight.

The clear height of the room therefore falls by the depth of the track and fittings, not by the depth of a frame. A plasterboard ceiling on metal profiles needs more depth. The metal framing for it has its own profile depth and hanger length.

How is a stretch ceiling different from a plasterboard or tile ceiling?

The difference lies in the visible surface. A stretch ceiling is one sheet. A plasterboard ceiling is boards screwed to a metal framework, then jointed, filled and painted. A tile ceiling is a grid of removable panels hung below the slab, as explained in the suspended ceiling article.

Feature	Stretch ceiling	Plasterboard ceiling	Tile ceiling on a grid
Visible surface	One sheet tensioned on a track	Boards with filled joints, then painted	Removable panels on a grid
Installation	Dry and clean, per the maker	Boards on a frame, then jointing	Grid hung from the slab, then panels laid
Access above	Unhook the sheet and tension it again	Cut a hatch or use an access panel	Lift individual panels
Recessed lighting	Fittings that stay at or below 50 °C, per the maker	Fittings cut into the boards	Fittings set into the grid

The practical question is how often the space above will be opened. A gypsum plasterboard ceiling is a permanent surface, and a hatch is the normal way into the space above it once it is painted. According to Barrisol, a stretch ceiling comes down in a few minutes. The installer then tensions the sheet again.

What happens above the ceiling when you need access?

Barrisol's advantages page says the ceiling can be unhooked at any time in a few minutes. The sheet can then take its initial tension again. The Trempo page adds that the sheet can be disassembled and reinstalled at any time, which gives access to the plenum for repairs.

Plan the service routes before the sheet is fitted. Put the most-used items where they can be reached without taking the whole sheet down. The recessed lighting layout is usually the first thing to fix. Barrisol also warns that a chimney flue or wood stove needs a fixing adapted to heat, and that the installer must know about it.

Should you choose a PVC or textile sheet?

There are two broad families of stretch ceiling, a polymer film and a fabric. Barrisol's FAQ says its standard sheets use a polymer with a formula that Barrisol owns. Barrisol's pages therefore do not say whether the polymer is PVC. Barrisol also sells a fabric product, Barrisol GTs, which its page describes as a glass fabric of extremely fine glass wires.

Product	Material as stated by Barrisol	Reaction to fire
Standard sheet	Polymer, formula not disclosed	B-s1,d0, B-s2,d0 or B-s3,d0, depending on the finish
Barrisol GTs	Glass fabric	A2-s1,d0 uncoated, A2-s2,d0 coated
Barrisol Trempo, macro-perforated option	10 mm macro-perforated sheet with broad lacing	Trempo is classified non-inflammable M1

The Trempo page says the macro-perforated version with broad lacing suits sprinkler systems and smoke clearance. For the exact product, ask the supplier for the datasheet. Check the material, fire class, weight and fixing method before you order.

Can you use a stretch ceiling in a bathroom?

Yes, within the limits the maker sets. Barrisol's FAQ says its ceiling resists humidity and can be installed in bathrooms, swimming pools, spas and hammams, but not in saunas. Its advantages page says the ceilings are insensitive to moisture and condensation, act as an effective vapour barrier and are impermeable to water. For chlorinated or saline areas the FAQ calls for a special anodisation of the aluminium profiles.

These are statements from one manufacturer. They do not replace a design of the ventilation and the moisture load of the room. A bathroom still needs extraction, as the heat recovery ventilation design shows.

Is a stretch ceiling fire-resistant?

No. Barrisol's FAQ says its ceiling is not fire-resistant, but a fire barrier can be installed behind the sheet. The class B-s1,d0 to B-s3,d0 describes reaction to fire, which means how the material burns. It gives no fire resistance period like the EI ratings of a board ceiling. Where the ceiling must give fire resistance, the design needs a barrier above the sheet.

When does a stretch ceiling make sense in a Slovak house?

A stretch ceiling suits a room that needs a smooth finish quickly, a humid room, or a ceiling that you cover and do not rebuild. It is less suited to rooms where the space above changes often, because each access means unhooking the sheet. Where a house needs permanent, easily opened services, a plasterboard ceiling with a planned access panel is usually the simpler choice. Compare the options with the installer and the energy consultant before the ceiling heights are fixed.

Barrisol's advantages page also says the air layer the ceiling creates decreases the heat losses of floors and roofs. That is a general maker claim and not a calculation. A passive house design should still model the envelope with the energy consultant.